Washing Your Car and the Environment

All American Detail cares about the environment and is a member of the Surfrider Foundation. The Surfrider Foundation's mission is "the protection and enjoyment of oceans, waves and beaches through a powerful activist network."

Car washes in Orange County are required to recapture their wash and rinse water and run it through a series of clarifiers. This process separates dirt, oil, detergents, and other pollutants from the water before it enters the sewer system. The water goes to the OC Sanitation District where it is cleaned (paid for by the car wash) and returned to the natural water supply. This is required by County, State, and Federal law.

This information is to help you be aware of what happens when vehicles are washed, detailed, or otherwise cleaned in driveways, parking lots and streets. It is wasteful of water (80 to 120 gallons versus 15 to 25 at a car wash), and when the job is complete, detergents, solvents, oils, and greases are rinsed onto the driveway, into the street, into our storm drains, and into our rivers and oceans. All American Mobile Detail cares about the environment and so we reclaim our waste and deposit it to the local sanitation district at the end of the day.