Washing cars, boats, bikes and vans
We all love some shiny clean wheels, but getting there can use excessive amounts of water and impact the environment.
Quick tips
The best place to wash your car is on the lawn or gravel. The benefits are the:
- lawn is watered
- soapy water will fertilise the grass
- grass or gravel will prevent the soapy water from entering the stormwater system and threatening plants and wildlife.
Wash your car, bike, boat or caravan:
- using a bucket or a hose fitted with an adjustable trigger nozzle to control the amount of water use
- using greywater from your bath or shower
- using a biodegradable detergent
- parked in a shaded area
- using a non-abrasive cloth and waterless detergent
- less often.
Using a commercial car wash service?
- Use a car wash which has Australian Car Wash Association approval. The accreditation, indicated by a 5-star water saving rating, recognises car wash operators for environmentally responsible business practices.
- Consider using a waterless car wash.
- Select a low flow/high pressure wash.