don't wash your car at home ... take it to a car wash

You may feel like you are saving money, or being frugal when you wash your own car at home.  As it turns out, it's quite expensive, both in terms of your water bill, and the impact on the environment. Professional car washes recycle the water they use, with sophisticated systems (even when the guy manning the place doesn't seem so sophisticated). Water is filtered and reused, saving about 100 gallons.

When you wash your car at home, you use between 80 and 140 gallons of water. That waste water goes into storm drains and makes its way into the local streams and rivers. That water is full of oil, exhaust residue, gasoline and all manner of nasty detergents. The commercial car wash uses only 45 gallons to wash a car and drains the wastewater into sewer systems where it is treated before going back into nature. The computer systems and high-pressure nozzles minimize water usage and many places recycle the rinse water.

Honestly, the money you spend at the car wash, when compared with the cost of clearing products and your water usage come out about the same. So do the environment a favor and go to the car wash.