By Susan Seliger
Grabbing a sponge and turning on the hose at home is definitely a cheaper way to clean your car than driving to your local car wash – unless you factor in the value of your time, but really, you weren’t doing anything anybody was going to pay you for this weekend, anyway, now were you?
But is it more eco-friendly?
First, the car wash is likely to use less water than you will. Some automatic car washes use only 30 gallons of water in a drive-through wash. You’re likely to use that much in only four minutes – and lots more, if like me, you wind up chatting with your neighbor and get a little distracted (you call it ADD, I call it being sociable). Score one for the car wash on the green scale — as long as you don’t have to guzzle too much gas to get there.
Even more important — the handling of the runoff water is key. Sure, there is dirty water either way – and the water isn’t simply dirty but contaminated with detergent, gasoline, antifreeze, oil and whatever other toxic filth your car has accumulated in your travels. But, when you do the deed at home, your filthy water just runs out into the street, into the nearest storm drain, which empties into nearby waterways – and could end up killing little fishes in rivers and creeks near and far.
The car wash, however, is required by law to dispose of their waste water at local sewage treatment plants – where it is filtered — and the residue deposited at landfills. Depending on how well the car wash complies with the law, that’s Score Two for the carwash.
So don’t feel guilty – put the sponge and hose away – grab your kids (or your neighbor’s kids, if you don’t have any) and go for a drive-through adventure.