Should your vehicle be grubby, navigate it with a sense of honour

While the quintessential suburban vision often includes a leisurely Saturday morning spent at the car wash, sipping a warm beverage as your vehicle is meticulously cleaned, the overall environmental impact of this regular practice might be more consequential than you think.

Car washes are great at removing not just bugs and grime from your vehicle, but also toxic substances like dirt, brake dust, oil and the residue that accumulates on roadways as a result of leaks from various car fluids – what’s referred to as ‘traffic film residue’. These pollutants are washed off your vehicle during a car wash – but where do they go?

The impact of car washing doesn’t stop at the removal of visible dirt and grime; in fact, some car wash services offer highly comprehensive cleaning processes that can involve up to twelve steps. This intensive procedure – including a ‘rainfall foam pre-soak’, ‘rim prep’, ‘under chassis wash’, ‘high pressure wheel wash’, ‘premium wash’, ‘full contouring high pressure wash’, ‘rainshield surface protect’, ‘VIP drying’, ‘premium foam polish’ and ‘brush polish buffing’ – might be well and good for car cleanliness but results in significant water usage.

The notion of ‘washing stuff away’ is soothing on the surface but begs the question – where is ‘away’? It’s not a fantastical location where pollutants magically vanish. ‘Away’ often refers to our atmospheric air, water sources and soil. When inadequately managed car washes lack the necessary drainage systems, the contaminated wastewater generated can end up in our rivers, streams, groundwater and even the sea, detrimentally affecting water quality, habitats and wildlife.

Uncontrolled disposal of pollutants into sewers can further disrupt the sewerage network and overwhelm wastewater treatment plants.

So what’s the solution? Uisce Éireann advises that the most effective way to limit the environmental consequences of car washing is to keep the practice to a bare minimum.

In cleaning your vehicle, opt for a certified car wash while making enquiries on their water conservation practices and pollutant control measures. Under the mandate of Uisce Éireann, auto-wash businesses discharging wastewater into public sewers must possess an effluent discharge licence. It is critical that the washing takes place in an allocated wash bay to keep run-offs from directly contaminating surface water drainage systems that flow into rivers, creeks, or the sea.

Wash bays ought to be constructed with impenetrable materials to avoid contamination of the groundwater due to effluent leaching into the earth. Effective designing of wash bays includes constructing them with slanting surfaces and providing adequate drainage, directing the run-off to sedimentation tanks or silt traps for oil extraction.

In situations where you decide to clean your car at home, Uisce Éireann advises using the least amount of water possible. Avoid applying cleaning materials excessively and refrain from using traffic film remover. Adhere to instructions regarding dilution of chemicals to avoid high concentrations in wastewater and avoid washing your car where the run-off might seep into surface water drains or be soused by rainfall.

Following the completion of your car wash, dispose of the water from your bucket into the foul water sewer, referring to household drainages that shuttle waste water from different utilities such as loos, sinks, showers, and washers, for treatment at sewage stations. Waste water should be free of oil and toxic chemicals.

You might also save some money in the process. Car wash services may cost anywhere between €10 and €50, thus washing your car less frequently can be cost effective as well as environmentally friendly. Sidestep offers such as ‘buy six, get one free’ car washes often used as customer retention strategies by petrol stations as they might be beneficial to their revenue but detrimental to the environment.

Hence, it may be worthwhile reevaluating the necessity of frequently cleaned cars – as it turns out, cleanliness can come with its share of unsustainabilities. Therefore, don’t shy away from flaunting your slightly dirty car – it signifies a shift to a more eco-friendly mindset.

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