The Waterwise Way to Washing Your Car

Did you know that the average run-off-the-mill garden hose uses roughly between 34 – 64 litres per minute? 

In the days of old before more South Africans became aware of the dire drought-stricken conditions the country was in, running a hose to wash our cars with was standard practice. Doing this for Just five minutes would equate to at least 170 litres of water down the drain –because when it comes to cars, more water doesn’t mean more cleanliness, as we’ll explain later.

Why be waterwise?

Water tariffs in Joburg increased by 6.6% in 2020, and the rates increase the more you use. The SA Reserve Bank noted that municipal rates have increased markedly over the last ten years, way above inflation, for example:

• Electricity is up by 177%

• Water is up by a whopping 213%

Using water and electricity sparingly could help to bring our monthly bills back to normal, but we all have to work together and make every bit count. 

Figure 1: Municipal rates price hikes over the past ten years

Responsible car washing

There are as many ways to wash a car as there are ways to cook a potato, the key to washing with less water lies in understanding the two main factors of what makes a car clean. 

Breaking down grime

Firstly, it’s not about how much water you use, but rather what you do with water. Water is used to help lift dirt and grime. It’s the product you use with the water to break down grime that’s important – spraying down your car with a garden hose in the hope that it will lift dirt is ineffective (doesn’t work well) and inefficient (wasteful and unproductive). 

There are products that require just a bucket of water, and products that don’t require any water at all (or just a cup), for example:

• Products like Wynn’s Kwik Kwik Wash and Wax Car Shampoo uses one cap to 5 litres of water. Rinsing can be skipped and you simply dry and buff paintwork and windows with a clean, soft cloth. 

• Waterless car cleaning products work by encapsulating dirt particles with high lubricating properties that allows waterless and rinseless washing. They break the dirt particles away from the paint of the car.

The method is quick and relatively effortless and involves spraying the product onto the car surface, lifting the grime with a damp microfibre cloth, and drying with a second cloth. Both products also leave a protective layer of wax on your car providing a nice new-car gleam.

Lifting grime off

Once you’ve broken down the grime, now you need to lift it off with a damp cloth. Using an old-running t-shirt may work very well to polish your boots with, but keep that thing away from your car’s paintwork. You want to use a good quality thick-pile microfibre cloth. It may be called the waterless method but you will need about a cup of water (to wet the cloth with).

Use this method regularly before letting grime build up and the task will be even quicker and easier.

In conclusion

Hoseless car washing makes a lot of sense, both economically and ecologically. More water doesn’t result in a cleaner car. In fact, it’s a messy affair, all that water dripping down into crevices and crannies, and if you fail to dry it all up properly it leaves unsightly streaks in places. 

So what would you do if you were to wash your car at home? Choose or continue with the 170 litre method because – hey, it’s good fun on a hot summer’s day – or get with the times, go water-less, and drive a really clean car. 

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