My neighbor called me out for washing my car in the driveway. He was right.

I live in Arizona where water is a big deal, so I get the concern. But I always figured it was a few buckets, no big deal. Then my neighbor across the street, retired guy named Dave, came over last Saturday and told me I was wasting about 100 gallons each time. He showed me his water bill from using a commercial car wash versus washing in his own driveway and the numbers were wild. I did the math on my own setup after he left, I use a pressure washer that runs for like 20 minutes easy. So I started taking my truck to the self-serve spray booth at the corner of McKellips and Power Road. Costs me 5 bucks and uses way less water. Has anyone else had a neighbor call them out on something and they actually changed their habits?

3 comments

3 Comments

david_jones3815d ago

Whoa wait... 100 gallons per wash? That can't be right can it? I mean I'm not a math guy but I figured a pressure washer uses like a garden hose with more pressure... 100 gallons is like a whole bathtub full of water just for one car. That really makes me think twice about my own driveway washes now.

hollyl259d ago

Why not just wet the car down, soap it up with a bucket, then rinse fast to save water?

ray35615d ago

David that number is real and it's why most people don't think about how much water they waste on stuff. @david_jones38 you're right to double check because even a garden hose left running for 15 minutes hits close to 100 gallons too. The bigger pattern I see is most folks think a pressure washer saves water but really it just blasts it out faster. Your driveway wash probably uses triple that if you're doing it for 20 minutes straight. Nobody stops to add up these numbers until someone points it out.