I hate to wash my car by hand. I would rather spend the $6 to drive to my local car wash, put it in neutral and be magically guided through the soaping, rinsing, waxing, and drying cycles, ending with a clean car. It’s my idea of a Disneyland ride. Plus, washing your car at home means having to clean up afterwards and then shower because you’re filthy from the effort. See why I’d rather go through the magical car wash?
So I was really pleased to discover that washing your car at a car wash is better for the environment. When you wash your car at home, all of the gunk that comes off – traces of oil, antifreeze, road salts and general crud – go into the storm drains and pollute local rivers and creeks. You also use a lot of water. Car washes, in comparison, are subject to waste water laws. Their wastewater is either recycled at a wastewater plant or recycled on site. Automatic car washes also use a lot less water.
So would you be even more ecologically responsible if you don’t wash your car at all? Car care experts point out that not washin your car at all leads to trashing your car’s paint, and also even affects the aerodynamics of the car. A neglected car would presumably need to be replaced sooner.
How about letting a good rainstorm clean off your car? Nice try, but rain won’t get the worst of the gunk off. Also, if you live in a really polluted area, acid rain might eat your finish off sooner.
So, to be optimally responsible, wash your car now and then (my window is usually every few months, if I think about it, unless it gets to that “can’t stand to touch it” stage) at a car wash, where the water is responsibly recycled.
