Giveaway: The benefits of washing your car at the carwash

With summer's hot temperatures, washing your car in your driveway sounds like the ideal way to cool down and save some money at the same time.  but before you grab that bucket and hose, think about what it's really costing you.  When you wash your car yourself, you use a LOT of water -- and  all that soapy water flows into storm drains and maybe even the ocean.  It's actually better to take your car to a professional car wash!  Many professional car washes treat and recycle their washing water, which helps \save water, protect aquatic life and preserve the environment.

WaterSavers®, a consumer awareness campaign from the International Carwash Association® (ICA), has some eye-opening information about the environmental benefits of washing your car at a professional carwash:

Whether a Saturday morning ritual or charity fundraiser, washing vehicles on driveways, parking lots and streets can do far more harm than good. That’s because the dirty water entering storm drains from pavement washing does not undergo treatment before it is discharged.

A study by the City of Federal Way, Wash., found that residential car washing led to numerous pollutants being released each year into their storm sewer system, including 190 gallons of gasoline, diesel and motor oil; 400 pounds of phosphorus and nitrogen; and 60 pounds of ammonia.

You may be surprised to learn that professional car washes are typically a much greener option for washing vehicles than washing your car in the driveway at home. Washing at home with a garden hose can use more than 60 gallons in as little as five minutes, but most professional car washes treat and recycle water, virtually eliminating waste. The average homeowner uses 116 gallons of water to wash a car, according to the Mid-America Regional Council, and most commercial car washes use 60 percent less water for the entire process than a homeowner uses just to rinse the car.

WaterSavers professional car washes use only 40 gallons or less of fresh water per car wash – that’s less than the typical home washing machine uses per load. The process cleans and re-uses the water for future car washes, or it undergoes treatment prior to returning it clean to the environment. For more information and to find a certified location near you, visit WashWithWaterSavers.com

A car wash can cost as little as $5 for a basic run-through service; with a coupon, I pay just $13 for a wash and wax plus interior vacuum and dusting!  It saves time, hassle and the environment!

Win a WaterSavers prize pack
One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will receive a special WaterSavers prize package which includes:

· Branded USB Car Charger
· Pop-Up Trunk Organizer
· Car Vent Clip
· $15 VISA Gift Card

Required entry:
Leave a comment on this post with a tip for saving water this summer.

Extra Entries
For extra entries, you can do any or all of the following. Please leave a separate comment for each extra entry with a way to verify the entry (i.e. tweet link, blog post link, Facebook id, Twitter id, etc.).

1) Follow bonggamom on Blogger (1 entry)
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4) Pin this giveaway on any of your Pinterest boards (1 entry -- you can use the "Pin It" button at the bottom of this page!).
5) "Like Bonggamom Finds" on Facebook and write this on my wall (1 entry):

I entered the Water Savers giveaway! http://ow.ly/mZPPc

6) Tweet this once per day (1 entry per day)

RT @bonggafinds Enter to win a $15 Visa gift card and road trip car kit from @Water_Savers !  Giveaway ends 7/30 on http://ow.ly/mZPPc

7) Join any open giveaway on Bonggamom Finds (1 entry for every giveaway you join)

The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on July 30, 2013; I will draw a winner at random on August 1 and post their name after they confirm acceptance. Canada and US residents only. For additional giveaway rules, click here.

PS: I'm in the running for the Circle of Moms Top 25 NorCal Mom Bloggers! Please vote for me!
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Disclosure: I am working with the International Carwash Association to share these tips; they are providing me with one prize pack for the giveaway and a second one for me.  The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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