This 90° Texas weather has got me thinking about summer vacations and road trips! I have teamed up with WaterSavers®, a consumer awareness campaign from the International Carwash Association® (ICA), to share with you a few tips and a giveaway to help you gear up for any upcoming road trips!
WaterSavers® created these four Eco-friendly car tips to get you back on the road:
1. Wash your car at a professional car wash. Using a professional car wash is a great way to protect the environment. According to the International Carwash Association, WaterSavers professional car washes use an average of 40 gallons of water or less per car while recycling and filtering their water to prevent harmful chemicals from going into our rivers and streams. Professional car washes also remove salt from the undercarriage of your vehicle, which is a must after a long winter. By comparison, the average home washing machine uses 41 gallons per cycle, and a garden hose uses 63 gallons of water in just five minutes. You can learn more, and find a WaterSavers wash at Washwithwatersavers.com.
2. Give the inside a deep clean. Outside elements are hard on the exterior of your car, but many people forget the abuse the vehicle’s interior takes as well. Think of how many times you’ve crawled into your vehicle with dirty feet and you can begin to understand why cleaning the inside is necessary. Apply some baking soda and a rubber sponge to your floor mats for an environmentally friendly and efficient clean. Then, wipe down interior surfaces with a microfiber cloth and vacuum the fabric and floor to remove dirt, sand, salt and dust.
3. Don’t forget the maintenance check. Summer is almost here, but that doesn’t mean your vehicle can skip an overall maintenance check, especially if you want to save energy. Make sure to have your oil changed and give your vehicle an once-over. Check the fluid levels as well. The more efficiently your vehicle runs, the more gas you’ll save.
4. How’s your tire pressure and alignment? Low tire pressure will cause your vehicle to overexert itself and waste gas so make sure your tires are up to the task. Your tires list their recommended pressure on the side. If you can’t find it, you can find the recommended tire pressure in your owner’s manual. It is also a good idea to have a certified technician conduct an alignment test since it could have been thrown off by driving over pot holes during the winter months.
Before your next road trip I hope you follow these tips and have a safe summer vacation!
The WaterSavers® program aims to inform consumers that professional car washes are safer for the environment than washing a car at home and on pavement. For more information and to find a certified location near you, visit WashWithWaterSavers.com.
Connect with WaterSavers on Facebook and Twitter.
Win It: WaterSavers Prize Package
This giveaway is open to US residents, 18+ only. The giveaway will end at 11:59 pm CST on 5/31.
Prize Pack Details
We have created a special WaterSavers prize package for you which includes:
· Gap Stick
o A versatile auto accessory to help access the hard-to-reach areas of a vehicle. Designed with a strong magnetic hook, the gap stick can pick up a key ring, jewelry or anything else that has slipped between the seat and the center console.
· Phone Caddy
o A plastic phone holder that clips to air vents in any vehicle to keep your phone in view for GPS usage and close to charging outlets.
· Auto Trash Bag
o A sleekly designed bag with a bottom zippered compartment for extra garage bags or hand wipes.
· $50 Visa Gift Card
Disclosure: rays of bliss received the products mentioned above for free. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. rays of bliss is not responsible for sponsors who do not fulfill prize obligations.
Lisa Brown
I learned: there is 60 pounds of ammonia being dumped into the storm sewer system after washing cars.
Julie Wood
I learned that when I wash my car on pavement, the run-off carries the grime and chemicals into the soil and storm drains that empty directly into our rivers! I am shocked about this. I will have to take my car and get it washed at a car wash.
Janet W.
I learned that residential car washing led to the following being released into their storm sewer system: 190 gallons (719 liters) of gasoline, diesel and motor oil, 60 pounds of ammonia, 2,200 pounds of surfactants, etc.
Mary Happymommy (@mami2jcn)
I learned WaterSaver car washes use only 40 gallons (151.5 liters) or less of fresh water per car wash — less than the typical home washing machine
HS
I learned WaterSavers car washes prevent water pollution by routing wash water to treatment prior to its return to the environment.
Tiffany Kaminski
I learned 190 gallons (719 liters) of gasoline, diesel and motor oil into our storm sewage systems – gross!
steve weber
I learned WaterSaver car washes use only 40 gallons (151.5 liters) or less of fresh water per car wash
Sandy VanHoey
I learned According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the average home washing machine uses 41 gallons of water per load.
Sandra VanHoey
I had to add another email on FB in order for the Rafflecopter to let me sign in through Facebook. I wrote them and nobody seemed to know what was wrong and how it could be fixed so I had to create a new email on Facebook. I still have both emails on my FB acct. but it is signing me in finally on Rafflecopter & giveaway tools but with another email address, same name. I am only doing daily entries on giveaways I have already entered so it doesn’t give me extra entries in this. So sorry for the confusion and glad it is fixed finally
Claudia
Email subscriber with email
nclaudia25 at yahoo dot com
blessnel
I learned that we can use only around 40 gallons for our car and save water!
kayla sutton
I learned that According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the average home washing machine uses 41 gallons of water per load. To think that we use that much water just astonishes me!
Nancy
Here’s what I learned! WaterSavers® car washes prevent water pollution by routing wash water to treatment prior to its return to the environment. These car washes also use only 40 gallons (151.5 liters) or less of fresh water per car wash — less than the typical home washing machine.
isisthe12th
We use over 40 gallons of water to wash our cars. Wow thats alot.
Kelly O'
I learned how much safer for the environment the WaterSavers car wash is. It makes me very aware of how much water things take. Even the WaterSaver wash uses 40 gallons of water. That is so much.
Kate J
I learned that WaterSavers car wash uses 40 gallons of fresh water. Less than a load of washing machine laundry.
Betsy Barnes
I learned that WaterSavers car washes prevent water pollution by routing wash water to treatment prior to its return to the environment. 🙂
Tee Mcc
I learned
Positive Impact
By reducing water pollution in our communities, we are protecting our streams, rivers and water tables.
jalapenomamamn
I learned that when you wash your car on pavement, the rinse water runoff — along with all the chemicals it contains — can go to storm drains that empty directly into rivers and streams. This pollution has been proven to negatively impact aquatic life and ecosystems.
form name Barbara Montag
angela
they offer fundraising opportunities…. that is cool
susana
i learned that, water saver has Quality Cleaning. Through their innovative techniques, they use an average of no more than 40 gallons (151.5 liters) of fresh water per car. That’s less than most washing machines!
Seth
I learned the car washes use just 40 gallons of water.
patricia
I learned that there is a WaterSavers station just three miles from my house using the locator tool!
smithdw2026
I learned that all of the water used to clean the car is either recycled or returned to the environment cleanly.Unfortunately there aren’t any location near my house.
shaunie
I learned it best to go to a watersavers carwash than to wash at your home to conserve water
Amanda Sakovitz
I learned washing your car actually pollutes the environment.
Jasmine P
I learned that it uses recycled water!
Eva-Maria Virnas
Hmm, we wash our cars ourselves but we should certainly think about professional car wash. Somehow, washing our cars at home seems cheaper way but maybe it really isn’t…