In this article, Diane MacEachern (author of "Big Green Purse: Use Your Spending Power to Create a Cleaner, Greener World") explains that when it comes to buying a "green" car, most consumers focus on fuel efficiency: The more miles per gallon, the more eco-friendly the car.
But what about keeping the car clean?
From washing off the grime that accumulates outside to cleaning up the dashboard inside, how you maintain your vehicle can either protect the planet - and your own health - or take a toll. Why not choose the greenest options? In most cases, they'll save you money, too.
Here's how:
Window Cleaner:
There's enough road rage to go around these days. Don't make matters worse by using commercial cleaning products whose chemicals leave you cranky or give you a headache. Start by using cheap and simple ingredients to make your own window cleaner. Mix half cup white vinegar with two cups water in a spray bottle. Add a few drops of pulp-free lemon juice for fragrance. Apply directly on a lint-free cotton cloth so the cleaner doesn't spray all over the car. Once you wipe the windows clean, buff them with a micro-fiber cloth for extra shine.
Air Freshener:
My personal pet peeve is those little fragrance bobbles that hang from rear view mirrors and completely stink up the car with some sickeningly sweet odor. They give me an immediate headache that lasts long after the car ride is over. And no wonder: most commercial fragrances contain toxic chemicals like benzene and diethyl phthalate that can become particularly insidious if you're inhaling them in a space as small and closed as a car interior. The alternative? Remove the source of the smell. Usually, it will come from something like food scraps (from fast food or snacks) that have started to rot, forgotten, under the car seat or that have been squished into a floor mat. Whenever you leave the car, take the trash with you. Open the windows for a few minutes while you're driving to let fresh air circulate through the car. Use hot soapy water to wipe down interior doors, handles and vinyl seats. Rinse off floor mats (which will force you to lift them up and out of the car, possibly discovering more stinky stuff you'll need to get rid of to make your car more pleasant to drive). If you take your car to a car wash, make sure they don't spray the interior with air freshener when they finish vacuuming. If they've done their job properly, the car should smell just fine without it.
Interior:
Keeping a car clean shouldn't require the use of industrial strength chemicals. Use a whisk broom or hand-held vacuum to remove dirt and dust from floor mats and seat cushions. Keep a cloth napkin within reach so you can wipe up spills when they occur. Dust surfaces with a damp cloth once a week to keep grime from building up. For spots on the steering wheel or console, sprinkle a little baking soda on a wet towel and gently rub. Wipe with a clean damp cloth.
Car Wash:
Many consumers believe they'll save energy and water if they wash their car in their own driveway or on the street. Just the opposite is true. When you wash your car at home, the wash and rinse water - loaded with dirt, exhaust fumes, oil, and detergent - washes down the storm drain and eventually into the ocean, rivers, lakes, and streams. All that dirt can contaminate the water and threaten the fish, birds, and other wildlife that live there. Plus, washing a car at home usually uses far more water than at a car wash, since so many people just leave the hose running while they wash the car.
The alternative? Go to a commercial car wash. By law (in both the U.S. and Canada), commercial car washes must drain their wastewater into sewer systems so that it is treated before being discharged back into waterways. An added advantage? Commercial car washes use computer-controlled systems and high-pressure nozzles and pumps to minimize water use. Many facilities also recycle and re-use the rinse water. As a result, automatic car washes may use 50% less water than someone who washes her car at home: 45 gallons per car at the car wash compared to between 80 and 140 gallons at home.
If you must wash your car at home, do so on lawn or gravel to minimize run-off into the street. Use a biodegradable liquid soap that contains no phosphates or synthetic fragrances. like Dr. Bronner's, or brands like Greenworks or Bright Green that are easily available in most grocery and big box stores. Turn off the hose while you're soaping the car up; rinse quickly. Skip throwaway paper towels in favor of sponges to scrub and cotton towels, used t-shirts, or microfiber towels to dry. My little trick: I often wipe down my car when it's raining. The rain looses the dirt and grime; I wipe off the dirt with some towels that I can then launder. When the rain stops, the car is clean. It didn't cost me anything, and it didn't pollute, either.
You can also try waterless car wash products like Eco Touch and
Freedom Waterless Car Wash, both of which are phosphate-free and biodegradable. Eco Touch claims you can save up to 800 gallons of water per bottle!
Want more tips on green living and shopping?
Stop by www.dianesbiggreenpurse.com, or pick up your own copy of "Big Green Purse: Use Your Spending Power to Create a Cleaner, Greener World" available from your local book store or on Amazon.com.
by Diane MacEachern
www.dianesbiggreenpurse.com
Author, "Big Green Purse: Use Your Spending Power to Create a Cleaner, Greener World"
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