Automatic and self-service car washes use water efficient equipment, such as computer controlled systems and high-pressure nozzles and pumps, to clean cars thoroughly while conserving water.

Professional car washes use an average of 32 gallons of water per vehicle. If this sounds like a lot of water, consider this: Washing your car at home can use up to twice this amount. In fact, some studies show that washing your car in the driveway can use up to 10 times more water than taking your car to a professional car wash.

The Clean Water Act, established by the government in 1972, mandates professional car washes to pipe dirty water to treatment facilities or into state-approved drainage facilities.

Quite the opposite, home car washes pollute the environment as soap and road grime (oil, tar, dirt) end up in storm sewers that flow into lakes, streams and rivers. Many North American cities have even banned driveway or parking lot charity car-washing events, which result in soapy discharge and wasted water. Increasingly, professional car washes are considered as better site options for such events.