Environmental Sustainability

Did You Know…

Washing your car in the driveway or parking lot leads to dirty polluted rivers and lakes? It creates a small but toxic flow of detergents, surfactants, oils, rust, engine grime, brake dust, wax and degreasers. This water flows down your driveway into the storm sewers that go directly untreated to nearby creeks, rivers, streams or lakes.

What’s the Impact?

Detergent concentrations of only 2 PPM (parts per million) strip away a fish’s protective coating causing it to absorb double the amount of chemicals than it would normally.Significant fish kills occur when detergent concentrates are near 15 ppm.
If you use harsh chemical detergents or cleaners to wash your car, you may be exposing yourself to chemicals that can be harmful to your health. These chemicals can cause skin irritation, respiratory problems, and even allergic reactions.
If you use hot water for washing or use energy-intensive tools like pressure washers, you are indirectly contributing to higher energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

If you need to wash your car, a commercial car wash is your best option. This is because they are connected to the sanitary sewer and the wastewater treatment plant, where the water is treated, cleaned and released back into our rivers and streams.

Did you know

Cities and towns have two sewer systems: the storm drain that takes the rain and snow run off directly to the rivers and streams.

Washing cars in your driveway takes the dirty soap water directly into our rivers and streams, and contaminates them. The sanitary sewers take our household waste from our sinks, toilets, bathtubs, laundry tubs, dishwashers etc to a treatment plant where it gets cleaned and released back into our rivers and streams and lakes. Professional car washes release dirty water into sanitary drains, where water is treated to eliminate any chemicals before releasing into our rivers, streams and lakes. Over half the population falsely believes that washing cars in driveways is safe and believe that storm sewers go to a treatment plant or are absorbed by the land.

Did you know

Washing your car in the driveway not only pollutes our rivers and streams it uses on average more than 440 liters of water.

That’s more than 2 bathtubs full of fresh water. Engineering studies have shown that washing your car in the driveway can use up to 80% more water than a professional car wash.

Did you know

Professional car washes like Valet use less water to wash your car then a typical home washing machine.

The automatic car wash uses a small amount of water and squeezes it into high pressure. Computers precisely turn the equipment on and off when required. The self-serve bays use even less water than the automatics. Unlike water used for industry, agriculture and food processing almost all the water a car wash uses goes through the sanitary system where it’s cleaned and released back into our rivers and streams. So, in fact a car wash is basically a large water recycling plant.

Washing your car in the driveway saves water!

Myth ①

Quite the opposite, engineering studies have shown that washing your car in the driveway can use up to 10× more water than a professional car wash.

Take Valet Car Wash… their automatic car wash uses a small amount of water and squeezes it into high pressure. Computers precisely turn that equipment off and on when required. If it’s the personal touch you like while washing your car then use one Valet’s self serve bays which are known to be the most eco-friendly option to wash cars.

Self serve bays use even less water than automatics and offer a variety of options and functions. Car washes are often labeled as water hogs because of their high visibility, however professional car washes in fact use very little amounts of water to keep your vehicle looking like new.

Does washing your car in your driveway benefit the environment?

Myth ②

Not at all! It also happens to be illegal in many cities in Canada. When you rinse off your car, all of the water and chemical residues get washed into storm drains, which get deposited directly into our lakes and rivers.

If your driveway happens to be next to your lawn, the water can also leek underground and pollute water tables and harm beneficial soil organisms. At Valet Car Wash, all waste water is sent directly to sewage treatment facilities, so that all chemical residues are removed and the water is purified before returning to the environment.

Does washing your car at home do a better job?

Myth ③

Some people may swear by it, but when was the last time you tried a professional car wash? At Valet, our automated exteriors start at a very nominal price, take only three minutes to wash your car clean, and are a fantastic way to get your vehicle sparkling clean without harming the environment.

If you really enjoy taking on the task yourself, then look no further than our self-serve bays. They save water, don’t pollute the environment, and still provide you with the opportunity to give your vehicle cleaning that personal touch.

Enhance the appearance of your car while protecting the environment. Visit Valet Car Wash today. Located in the prime cities of Southern Ontario- South Guelph, North Guelph, Cambridge, South Mississauga, North Mississauga, Brantford, Chatham, St. Catharines and Kitchener.