Attention Detailers: The world is going green! Why not you?

As you see today every time you turn on the TV, read a newspaper, or see some type of publication talking about "Going Green" or eco-friendly? Going green encompasses many things and is such a widely used term today. Simply said it is the idea of living a sustainable, eco friendly lifestyle that has a minimal impact on the environment. The Detailing Industry environmental impact is typically focused on water conservation and controlling run-off / discharge. In an effort to help educate the Detailing Industry, this is the first of several articles. Future articles will address specific education opportunities, the most common questions detailers have and the solutions.

Rules & Regulations are in place, and evolving:
The clean water simple definition for us to know is that it was originally termed the Federal Water Pollution act of 1972 and was later amended to the Clean Water Act in 1977. It defined the laws where the main objective was to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation's waters. These laws also allowed the Environmental Protection agency or better know as the EPA, the right to set and enforce the appropriate standards.

Washing the Car:
With these laws in place car washes and professional detailers had to ensure that the water is drained or recaptured to the appropriate place or recycle or re-use the water. For the car wash industry this was easier than for the traditional detailers. Car washes were able to avail themselves with having more efficient equipment, such as computer controlled systems, high pressure nozzles, and pumps that minimize water usage.

Washing a car at home may use in the neighborhood of 80 to 140 gallons of water versus a commercial car wash averages less than 45 gallons of water usage.

For detailers today the most common ways to recapture the water is by using a portable wash mat, wash boom, sand or wash berm, or a simple triangle shaped "puddle scoop" hooked up to a water discharge pump to collect the water and prevent running into the storm drain. (See E.P.A. Link) The professional detailer would simply pump the water into a reclaim tank and properly dispose of it.

There is no clear data in this research that approximate how much water an individual detailer uses but it could range from anywhere from 10 to upwards of 90 gallons of water for a single car! In the United States and Canada, there are more than 230 million cars and light trucks, and at one point or another-as frequently as weekly-they are all washed.

A 1999 survey by the International Carwash Association found that 44.5% of Americans prefer home washing as a method of vehicle care. Furthermore, at least 75% of all cars are washed at home one or more times a year.

How to handle run off and discharge?
Many City, State and Counties have their own Best Management Practices that are available. In order to avoid costly code enforcement fines, they must be followed.
What is the difference between a sanitary sewer and a storm sewer?

• Sanitary sewer- are a series of underground pipes that take sewage from bathrooms, kitchens, sinks, and other means of plumbing to a wastewater treatment. Most fixed based detail location require a discharge permit, and require installation of a clarifier or separator that will remove solids from the water, prior to discharge. Check with your local governmental authorities to clarify and determine what type of permit (if any) is need for your jurisdiction.
• Storm sewer or "storm drain ditches" are designed to carry the runoff and other drainages in underground pipes or open ditches and are discharged untreated into streams, river, lakes and other surface body of waters.

Detailers are never allowed to discharge into the Storm Drain system, and will result in significant code violations and fines.

Comment on Eco Friendly Products:
Currently today in the Professional detailing and car washing industry there is a constant "buzz" as to what product or products are the best to properly clean and detail your vehicle.

First and foremost is the hot topic on using a Biodegradable soap which by definition is that the soap will break down over time and does not necessarily guarantee it is better for plants, animal or the environment.

Some of the biodegradable soaps which are still being used are still toxic to fish and other aquatic species because they have cleaners that may harm fish by destroying the external mucus layers that protect them from bacteria and parasites which also may cause damage to the fish's gills.

Bottom line is try to use soaps that are labeled non-toxic, phosphate free, and that are vegetable- or citrus-based is the best choice.

Lastly, no matter what products or chemicals you are using, if you are not capturing your run off, the contaminants coming off the car you have detailed, brake dust, rail dust, road grime, grease, etc., are far worse for the environment than most soaps used to remove them from the car.

Another eco friendly choice is waterless car wash products. These products have been on the market for quite some time and are increasing efficiency and in popularity.

"Waterless" is a misleading label. Products in this category are water based, so it would be like saying coca cola is a "waterless" drink. It is the low level consumption of water that yields the name, for lack of a better categorization.

Some of the waterless car wash contains wetting agents, lubricants, and protectants. This allows the car to be cleaned, and if used properly, cleaned without scratching, while using around one quarter a gallon of water. It also provides a great shine and leaves a layer of protection that will bead water and prevent color fading by shielding UV Rays.

Emerging technology today seen in the United Kingdom, Australia, and other countries the technology is slowly trickling to the United States.

Washing and detailing cars this way has opened many doors for entrepreneurs who are able to open up independent businesses or franchises in a traditional mall or corporate office parks allowing high volume of cars in a retail setting with higher ticket pricing adding convenience to the customer as well as promoting eco-friendly practices.

It has been seen that extremely dirty cars are an issue for any type of car washing method. Operating in cold weather environments also present challenges for this waterless or near waterless technology.

Their has been other methods that are still being tested at various levels throughout the industry by the use washing the exterior (in addition to using it in the interior) by the means of a high pressure steam.

Most recently some of the machines on the market have its own reservoir of water that can wash up to 15 vehicles with 5 gallons of water converted into steam powered by propane, kerosene, diesel or electric. Some of these propane models are completely mobile and can easily be setup anywhere to effectively clean a vehicle inside and out

Anthony has personally tested and consulted on numerous machines and believes that this technology is emerging for washing cars for the future.

The machine is effective in colder climates for melting snow and removing heavier dirt buildup on vehicles that need the extra time spent on them to prepare for an eco friendly wash.

Another unit as tested by Kevin Farrell of Kleen Car Automotive most recently attaches to an external water source and is also powered by propane as well can reach up to 100 PSI and has no battery source for ignition. As proven it can be very effective in the use of cleaning and interior as well as washing the exterior in combination with a waterless wash or no rinse product.

How to clean rims and wheel wheels of a vehicle with a low water consumption waterless method is another issue raised by detailers, and will be explored in future articles. It can be done with a hand method and low atominization but it is more labor intensive. High pressure steam may be the answer?

The technology with steam is still being developed for the United States for car washing and detailing.

Steam is a prominent way of cleaning in European countries as seen in various researches about this subject.

Please let us know what priority opportunities you would like us to focus on and please don't hesitate to contact Anthony at anthony@giasmobile.com or Jim Fitzpatrick at prontowash@msn.com anytime. Good Luck!