Water is a precious commodity, and it is becoming scarcer by the day in some parts of South Africa. We should avoid wasting water and especially when washing our cars. Here are some tips on how to be water-wise.
THE DROUGHT SCENARIO IN THE WESTERN CAPE IS A STARK REMINDER
The current drought situation in the Western Cape should remind us of how precious water really is. This should be an incentive for all South Africans to be more careful or water-wise, irrespective of whether there is a drought or not. Being water-conscious doesn’t happen overnight, and is rather a culture that needs to be instilled into our minds over time.
THE OLD DAYS WHEN WATER FLOWED FREELY
Gone are the old days when we would clean our cars with hose pipes that were left running with gay abandon. First, you would spray the car to remove any dirt and other muck. Then after applying soap, you would use a cloth to wipe everywhere thoroughly, followed by another dose of water as a final rinse. And if you didn’t feel like being that energetic, you would take the car to the local car wash, and you’d see the car-washers doing this while you watch from the sideline.1
SHOULD WE USE NO WATER AT ALL FOR CLEANING CARS?
We can avoid becoming too extreme in our water-saving efforts, this would be something like not cleaning our cars at all. This behavior can seriously damage the paintwork of any car. Bird droppings, in particular, contain natural acids and these can eat away at body paint if they are not removed soon enough with water. But instead of washing the whole car for the bird dropping try using a spray bottle and just spraying the spot itself and using a good cloth to wipe it down. This should do the job. 1
TIPS ON HOW TO CLEAN CARS WITH AS LITTLE WATER AS POSSIBLE
Let us stick to the following tips on cleaning cars. 1
USING A BUCKET OF WATER
Using a bucket of water means cleaning a car with only a little and limited amount of water.1,2 In fact, a bucket uses about 7% of the equivalent water used with a hosepipe.3 Dust can act like smooth sandpaper, so gently dust off your car with a good soft cloth or even a feather duster. Afterward, add soap to the bucket, wash the car, and wipe the soap away from the wet surface with another cloth. Your car will shine like new, after drying and polishing.
USING A HIGH-PRESSURE WATER SYSTEM
Cleaning a car with a high-pressure system reduces water usage to only 14% of what would have been used with a hosepipe.4 High pressure causes cleaning to be done in a much shorter time.
WHAT DOES APPLYING WAX DO?
Applying a coat of wax to your car means it will take longer to get dirty. Any dirt should just run off such a water-proof barrier. 1
WILL RAIN OR GROUND WATER CLEAN YOUR CAR?
Driving your car through rain will make it even dirtier because the road’s grime is splashed onto your car by other traffic. Be careful to check the quality of borehole water when tempted to clean cars with it. It could mark the paintwork if it is too alkaline or acidic. 1
REGULAR DUSTING WILL PROLONG THAT CLEAN LOOK
Dusting your car off frequently will keep your car shining for longer periods. 1 Be careful and make sure that you are gentle when doing so in order to avoid any scratching of the paintwork. Use a spray bottle for removing any nasty bird droppings.
CAN YOU CLEAN A CAR USING NO WATER?
The pressure of drought has caused many ‘water-wise’ products to be available for sale, which don’t require water for cleaning. Such products are sprayed onto the car to loosen the dirt, which is then wiped off with a cloth.1 You will be amazed how shiny your car will look afterward.
Many of us are using more water than what we can afford. If each of us contributes something towards saving water, it will make a huge impact. After all, a bucket full of water is made up of lots of individual drops. If anyone challenges you about your clean car, you can say with a smile that you used very little or no water.
Sources:
1 https://www.group1hyundai.co.za/blog/water-wise-car-washing/
2 https://www.santam.co.za/blog/home-advice/smart-ways-to-be-more-waterwise-and-save-money-on-your-water-bill/
3 https://www.autopedigree.co.za/blog/the-easy-water-wise-way-to-wash-your-car/132
4 https://www.kaercher.com/za/water-wise.html
Disclaimer:
This article was prepared by Eric Sandmann in his personal capacity. The views and opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the views and opinions of Prime Meridian Direct (Pty) Ltd, FSP41040 (car insurance and life cover products). The views and opinions in the article should not be attributed to anyone but the author unless expressly stated. Nothing in this article should be relied upon as advice, this publication is presented for informational purposes only. No person should act or refrain from acting in reliance on any information found in this article, without first obtaining proper financial advice from the appropriate professional. The author makes no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, or completeness, of any information linked to, referred to or contained in this article. The author reserves the right, to edit and change the content of this article.
.The views and opinions in the article should not be attributed to anyone but the author unless expressly stated. Nothing in this article should be relied upon as advice, this publication is presented for informational purposes only. No person should act or refrain from acting in reliance on any information found in this article, without first obtaining proper financial advice from the appropriate professional. The author makes no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, or completeness, of any information linked from, referred to, or contained in this article. The author reserves the right, to edit and change the content of this article.