The charity carwash is a great way for any school, club, or non-profit to raise money. It’s fun and you’ll usually get a good turnout. One thing that’s often overlooked is the environmental impact of a charity carwash on our water supply. Let’s stop and think about this for a moment. You’ll be washing dozens of cars in a small area over the course of a few hours. All the pollutants you’ve just scrubbed off your patrons cars, including brake dust, oils, exhaust fumes, and heavy detergents, has now entered into the environment completely untreated. Not only is this illegal (see the EPA’s requirements), but it also going to have a serious impact on local waterways.
There are a few preventative measures your group can take before you hold one of these events. One of the best ways is to team up with a local carwash. Their facilities will use less water, be faster, and most importantly, treat any water before it’s released back into the environment. You’ll safely be able to comply with EPA regulations, while also holding a more efficient fundraiser.
Another alternative is to hold a charity waterless car wash. These products will allow your group to wash cars without using soapy suds and hoses. What’s nice about waterless car wash products is that they give you greater flexibility of where you’d like to hold your carwash. Since there is no need for a water-hookup, you’ll be able to pick and ideal location.
A great online resource for more information is the Puget Sound Car Wash Association. They help local charities coordinate an eco-friendly car wash. I’d definitely recommend checking it out for more ideas. Good luck!
Urban Car Washing
You own a car, you live in the city. The next question becomes, how do you keep your vehicle clean? Perhaps like many urban dwellers, you live in a large apartment complex. Washing your car be a tricky situation if you don’t have water hookups. Or, even if you do have hookups, there can be restrictions on their uses. So what is a car owner to do who wants to keep their car clean?Cleaning Microfiber Towels
Microfiber towels are a handy tool for cleaning just about anything these days. From cars to countertops, these towels cover a wide range of surfaces. An added benefit, is of course the fact that they can be re-used multiple times. This means you can ditch the old rag bin you keep under the kitchen counter.Does Waterless Car Washing Work?
There has been a lot of buzz circulating around lately for waterless car wash products. If you’re not familiar with how they work, let me first explain. Essentially you spray a small panel of your car with a waterless car wash formula, let it sit for a few seconds, and wipe off with a microfiber towel. When I first heard about these products a cheesy infomercial popped into my head. But, in reality I was pleasantly surprised at their effectiveness.