What you do on our streets ends up in our waterways.

Oct. 5, 2011 - PRLog -- WHAT YOU DO ON OUR STREETS ENDS UP IN OUR WATERWAYS.

The simple chore of washing the car can have a serious impact
on our waterways and marine wildlife.

In many cases, pollution from washing cars is captured by stormwater drains that flow into our creeks, rivers and beaches.  This toxic waste contains detergents as well as dangerous heavy metals such as copper, zinc, hydrocarbons, petroleum and diesel which potentially cause algal blooms, damage our wetlands and have a serious impact on sea grass and marine wildlife.  

Extensive research has determined that between 6 and 11 gigalitres of contaminated waste water and pollutant sludge ends up in our storm water systems across Australia as a result of vehicles being washed on hard surfaces such as driveways.  That is the equivalent of 3000 to 4000 Olympic-sized swimming pools of toxic waste being washed into oceans and rivers every year.

Commercial car washes are heavily regulated so that contaminated waste water is contained and treated and then disposed of according to EPA requirements.

“Waste water that is captured at our commercial car wash requires EPA waste treatment, oil separation and proper sewage treatment.  The heavy metals and pollution never get the chance to reach our pristine rivers and oceans,” says Cars We Wash spokesperson Mark Tucek.

Commercial car washes are environmentally friendly in other ways as well.   They require very little fresh water as they use fine mists and high pressure hoses in the cleaning process and reclaim, filter and recycle the water used for each car.  This means that a normal car wash will use the same amount of drinking water as one load of washing or a 5 minute shower.  

“Cars We Wash recycles up to 90% of the water used for each car and uses only biodegradable detergents.  Large filtration systems filter our water so that we only need to use a small amount of fresh water for each car washed,” says Tucek.  “Using a commercial carwash is far more environmentally friendly than washing the car at home on the front driveway.”

Cars We Wash is proud to have been accepted as a member of the Australian Car Wash Association, an organisation committed to promoting the highest environmental standards for the commercial vehicle cleaning industry.

# # #

Remember when you were young and your parents took you through a car wash? It was so cool! The swishing and sloshing, the movement and the colour; just like a giant washing machine. Re-capture your childhood and give the kids in your family their own happy memories by visiting Cars We Wash. It’s like going back to the 50’s.

Enjoy our old fashioned drive-in service as we greet you at your window - you don’t even have to get out of the car! Tune your radio to 89.1FM to hear the movie projected inside the car wash and be dazzled by the bubble machine and disco ball. Then, sit back and enjoy the ride

The Cars We Wash tunnel is a terrific system for washing cars in an environmentally friendly and sustainable way. We recycle the water, filtering it before re-using and we use only biodegradable cleaning products making us proud members of the Australian Car Wash Association.

At Cars We Wash, we wash cars. We do it well, we do it quickly and we do it with a lot of fun.