July Tip: Green Car washing

We are in the middle of prime summer time! Yep, people are out swimming, children (& some eager adults) playing in the slip n slide, folks going on road trips, let's face it summer is the time to get out side! ONE of those lovely out door task we seem to do more often is washing our own car. Saving money, getting a little tan (not too much, wear that sunscreen!), and squirting your doggies OR significant other with the hose is reason enough to wash your own car!

However, when you wash your vehicle please do it the GREEN way. Here are some very simple tips for doing just that:

-For starters check out the brand Simple Green. They have a strong desire to keep their cleaning products as Eco-friendly and non-toxic as possible. We use their dog carpet cleaner and their auto degreaser, it works fabulously. Here is a direct link to a chart showing their products, benefits, etc.. They're not over-priced and can be found almost anywhere, ie. Target, grocery stores, etc..

-Grab a bucket instead of the hose. The average home car wash uses up to 110 gallons of clean drinking water, if you use a bucket instead you can save at least 80 gallons! Also, just washing the car less frequently or using an outdoor rainwater tank is a great SIMPLE alternative.

-Wash your car on the lawn! The waste water can contain oil, degreaser's, residue, etc.. IF your using "Simple Green products" this will help tremendously but you still want to prevent the water run off as much as possible which will eventually go into rivers, streams, lakes and the ocean. Especially with the current oil spill, let's try to reduce the pollutants we put in the water around us as much as possible. The lawn will be able to contain and help prevent them from reaching these water sources.

-If you must go to a commercial car-wash, examine to see if they treat their waste water before they dispose it. A lot of new companies recycle and reuse the water, so supporting them is a great thing, but please check, they are all around the same price. You, the environment, your car, and the ocean are better off supporting an Environmentally friendly Commercial car wash company.

(The above tips are from this awesome site!)

Also, please make sure to read June's Tip on how YOU can help with the Gulf Oil Spill!

Have fun this summer and remember to keep it simple and keep you car washing simply green!