Green Detailing

Green detailing: is there such a thing?

When you think of detailing or just washing your vehicle, you probably think about soap and what other cleaning chemicals to use. To really clean a car there are a fair amount of chemicals that are used and in most cases also a fair amount of water.

All the things used will have a environmental impact, some products more than others. One way to avoid using stronger chemicals that might be harsh both for the person using and the environment is to not let your car get dirty to the point where these have to be used. For example, a wheel that is cleaned before the break-dust and grime is really baked on can be cleaned with just soap or a mild degreaser instead of a wheel acid. The wheel acids are very effective, but can burn your skin or do real damage if you get it in your eyes.

When I detail or wash vehicles, I aim to use the weakest chemicals I can get away with using and still get the result that you as the customer expect to see. To get there sometimes the concentrated degreaser and wheel acids have to be used to remove the dirt and contaminants. To reduce water usage, I also use a rinseless wash method when that is appropriate. For maintenance washes between details that is almost always is the right solution. As much as possible, I choose high quality reusable products like towels, brushes, and sponges to help decrease waste.

I am also taking additional steps to reduce the impact that my small business has on the environment by changing out some of my current products to ones from IGL https://iglcoatingsusa.com/. By signing up with IGL, I will also be able to start offering additional services. More on that will be announced in the near future, so keep a lookout for that.

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