Green Water Conservation Tips for Washing Your Car

Washing your car yourself can seem like a cheap and easy alternative to getting a car wash. However, what many people don't know if that washing your car can use a lot of water and if you wash your car several times a month, it can really add to your home water bill. So before you pull your car out on the driveway to get washing, check out these easy and green tips to save you water, money, and time.

Avoid the Hose

It may seem really easy to just blast away dirt, grime, and leftover bugs with the hose. But quite honestly, you're using a ton of water if there is a constant stream of water on your car from the hose. So instead of cranking on the water, simply fill up a bucket with soap and water and start scrubbing. If you need to empty out and refill the bucket with clean water and soap, feel free to do so. At any rate, just avoid using the hose to constantly spray your car down. As another tip, you could always just pre-soak your car with water, then scrub, and then rinse off.

Don't Use Harsh Chemicals

There are many car-washing detergents and soaps on the market today, but the truth is that many of them contain harsh chemicals that, while getting your car spotless and clean, run down into sewers or nearby lawns. So instead of dropping a good amount of cash on a special car-washing soap, try using a simple dish soap, such as Dawn. Dish soap is generally a bit better for the environment. In addition to dish soap, you could also use green or organic-based soaps. You can find these at almost any store, including grocery stores and drug stores.

Wash in the Shade, Dry in the Sun

Needless to say, the sun helps evaporate water, especially when it's on a hot car. This can be both an advantage and disadvantage. First off, you should always wash your car in the shade if possible. This prevents unwanted evaporation and will keep the water on your car when it's needed. If you wash your car in the sun, you'll find that you have to keep wetting it down in order to wash it. Secondly, you can use evaporate to your benefit. After washing your car in the shade, move it to a sunny area where the water can evaporate off quickly. By using evaporation to dry off your car, you'll save time on hand drying it.

Wash as Little as Possible

So it's almost like a tradition for men to wash their car every week. However, a weekly car wash generally isn't necessary. Due to the amount of water a hand car wash usually uses, it's best to only wash your car about once a month. If your car absolutely needs to be washed every week, at least use these water conservation techniques.