Wash your car the waterless way

MANILA, Philippines - Of all things environmentally friendly, this line of car wash products – aptly named Eco Solutions Car Wash – may just be among the most unthinkable. It’s green, not because it uses less water, but it hardly uses water.

Just spray and then wipe with a towel, and that’s it. And, oh, it uses biodegradable ingredients, by the way.

Ironically, the Philippines is in a tantalizing situation of being surrounded by water but facing a constant drinking water supply problem. As it is, Metro Manila is facing a potential water shortage if we don’t get enough rain this season to replenish Angat Dam in Bulacan, which supplies Metro Manila’s drinking water.

Several days ago, authorities put out a call for Metro Manila residents to conserve water because Angat’s water level has fallen below the 160-meter critical mark to a record low at 157 meters because of last summer’s record temperatures. However, if it really pours, the catch is the kind of freak flooding that Ondoy spawned in September last year.

So far, we have managed to avoid the acute water supply problems in some countries such as Australia, where a drought forced some cities to pass water use restrictions such as watering lawns and washing vehicles. However, Monet Casimiro, owner of Eco Solutions Car Wash (www.ecosolutionscarwash.multiply.com), sensed a potential water supply crisis and spotted an opportunity.

She says the Philippines’ fast growing population – 92 million and counting – is creating a growing unsustainable demand for water. Note: a person needs an average of 19 liters of water (1 liter = 0.26 gallon) for his daily needs, according to the World Health Organization. You can do the math.

That’s why Casimiro markets her product line as one eco solution to our long-term water supply problem. This is an example of how going green is good for business. “I firmly believe that now is the right time when people should start thinking ahead. I believe that the government should do more to explain directly to the people the effects of water scarcity on our daily routines and impose guidance on how to conserve water.”

A typical professional car wash uses 20 to 45 gallons per wash. At home, you can use up to 140 gallons (or 530 liters). Casimiro boasts that a single wash using her products consumes as low as 100 ml of water.

Professional car wash outfits that use high-pressure pumps that blast jets of water have also found that they also save on the electricity bill by going green and switching to Eco Solutions. Casimiro currently supplies to over a dozen car wash businesses all over Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

There are three types of products. One for cleaning the car body, another for the windshields and windows, another for the tires and engine. They each come in one-gallon jugs and may be bought in bulk.

For the cost conscious, Casimiro assures, the products make economic sense. A one gallon bottle of car wash is good for about 120 washes (average P11.89 per wash), 250 washes with the tire and engine cleaner (average P4.76 per wash), and 370 washes with the glass cleaner (average P2.11 per wash).

For the environmentally conscious, the products are coconut-based and made up of ingredients found in cosmetics and lotions. It also means hardly any waste water going into the sewer system that empty into rivers.

However, there is still this petrifying fear of paint scratches. Car owners, especially those who take the extra mile to avoid the minutest scratch on their ride’s paint job, cringe at the thought of cleaning without water. After all, water is synonymous with “clean” in our subconscious.

Changing that mindset is Casimiro’s biggest challenge. Obviously, she can’t sell if she can’t convince a potential customer to try her products. Car wash operators have found it necessary to inform their customers how Eco Solutions work to assure them that their car won’t have scratches.

To begin with, Casimiro explains, a 1:1 ratio of water needs to be mixed with the product before it is sprayed on the vehicle. The cleaning agents then separate dirt, dust and other particles without causing harm to the vehicle. Eco Solutions come with microfiber towels that is used for applying the cleaners and buffing.

Given our current water supply situation and the importance of water for survival, Casimiro says we have to think long-term if we are to avoid a future crisis.

“It is unfortunate that it was only after experiencing nationwide catastrophes that people start to realize the significance of water. People are starting to realize that water is actually a finite resource, and that our daily lives are affected by its scarcity,” she says. “Using water to wash cars is simply unreasonable.”