Washing your car

Today the weather is nice.  The high temperature for the day is about 52 degree Fahrenheit, which is warm for this time of year. A storm is coming in tonight, bringing 4-8 inches of snow.  For the next several days, every road will be covered with muck, and so will every car that drives on the roads. This morning on the way back from the grocery store, I looked over at the local car wash and counted seven cars, in spite of the forecast.  I have tried to think of reasons why it would be important to wash a car today, knowing that it will get dirty tomorrow, but have not thought of enough reasons to account for that many cars, much less the rest of the cars that will likely be at the car wash throughout today.   ​

Washing the car uses resources and generates dirty water that needs to be treated.  While washing your car occasionally is important to keep it in good condition so it lasts longer (a good sustainability goal), think about how often the car really needs to be washed.  Perhaps you can save some resources by thinking about when and how often you wash your car.  When you do wash your car, try to use methods that save water and energy.  If you use a hose at home, don’t leave the water running when you are not actively using it.