Solid advice on car washing straight from Borås

The municipality dispersed some friendly recommendations on the matter

Spring has arrived and you might already be feeling the need to get the winter dirt and grime from your car, but you would also like to be more environmental about it. Just in time, the Swedish municipality of Borås has posted some useful advice on that matter for its residents and we immediately felt we should share it with you.

Like any other human activity, this one has an impact on the environment

The authorities in Borås warn that any harmful substances used in the washing process will go directly into rainwater wells and drainage, which are meant to collect stormwaters, and thus flow directly into streams and rivers without going through a treatment station first.

You see how this soapy residue goes from your car straight to aquatic life without a hitch. Products used for cleaning the vehicles are replete with substances, such as cadmium, zinc, chromium, nickel, lead, copper, oil and phthalates.

What to do about it? After all, even washing the car in your garage or lawn can have harmful effects. The garage drains might also lead straight to the stormwater system, and even if they do not there is a chance that the substances might disrupt treatment plants operations. As for the lawn option, it goes without saying that these elements would not be any good for the soil and plants.

The municipality says the simplest solution is to use car washes. These of course do not necessarily mean splurging a lot and burdening your wallet since there are automatic and do-it-yourself sections. The advantage of these facilities is that they have oil separators and perhaps even an additional purification step so that they can meet emission requirements set by national regulations.

If you choose the do-it-yourself option, make sure that you opt for eco-labelled car care products. These also contain surfactants (harmful to the environment) but ones that break down easier and faster. And as for degreasers, using environmentally friendly ones is preferable since these ones are just as effective but do not contain micro-emulsions. The municipality also recommends degreasing the car only in wintertime.