Zips Car Wash will be thrilled to celebrate Mars Day if we humans ever reside there, but for now, Earth Day gets all the love. 1970 was the first year for Earth Day and it has grown like a redwood ever since. This environmental movement has mobilized over 1 billion people to help protect our home planet! 

None of us alone can save Earth from greenhouse gasses, plastic pollution, or the damage to our waterways. But together we can chip in to protect the beautiful planet that allows us to live and breathe. Not just resources either. But also, the calming benefits associated with being in nature. 

What You Can Do to Help 

See, humans need the natural world to be and feel our best. So, it’s a no-brainer to take steps to ensure this wonderful planet gets the healing and protection it deserves. Why? Because a healthy Earth means healthier citizens (that’s us, Earthlings!). The official Earth Day website has a great quiz to show the power of nature. Check it out here. 

There are countless little things we can all do to clean up our world and keep pollution in check. Here are a few to consider: 
 

1. Take shorter showers and use a water-saving showerhead.  
2. Pick up trash while enjoying outdoor activities - hikes, walks, kayaking. 
3. Reusable grocery bags keep endless plastic bags out of our oceans. 
4. Protect bees and butterflies by avoiding pesticides. 
5. Buy local food to reduce the distance from farm to fork. Tastebuds love homegrown! 
6. Reusable water bottles keep mountains of plastic bottles out of landfills. 
7. Save water and keep lakes and rivers clean by skipping driveway car washing. 

More Earth Day tips. 

Ride-through Car Wash vs. Driveway Wash 

It’s easy to see how shorter showers help the Earth, but how is a drive-through car wash better than washing your ride at home? Ride-through car washes like Zips Car Wash re-use most of the water used in every wash by pumping it through a system of separators and microfilters. This reduces the overall amount of water the car wash facility needs. Washing in your driveway requires a hose and lots of fresh water – a running hose can waste over 12.5 gallons of water per minute! 

In addition to dirt and oil, most soaps contain phosphates that flow from your driveway into storm drains. Ending up in our precious waterways, harming fish and other species that depend on clean water. Humans included! But most soaps and additives used in car wash facilities are biodegradable and free of phosphates. 

Ride-through car washes minimize dirty wastewater and are a better alternative to driveway washing. And if your local car wash has free vacuums as Zips does, it just makes sense to wash your car the eco-easy way. 

Unavoidable Driveway Car Washes 

There may be scenarios when you have to wash your vehicle in the driveway. Perhaps you’re visiting the parents and have no cell signal to search for “car wash near me.” Or your dad insists on hand washing his prized possession. After all, his roof, his rules, remember? 

In these situations, you can limit the harm to the environment by: 

• Using non-toxic, biodegradable soap 
• Wash the car on a lawn or gravel so there’s less runoff 
• Wring sponges / towels into a bucket, then empty it in an indoor sink 
• Use a spray attachment on your hose to minimize water consumption 

Earth Day and Everyday Clean Water  

Of course, we encourage you to avoid driveway car washes as much as possible. Our scenic waterways deserve our protection so we can keep enjoying sunsets, swimming, and catching healthy fish at our favorite lake or bay, right? 

The simplest way to keep your vehicle and the Earth clean is a Google search for “Zips Car Wash near me.” With a Zips Unlimited Wash Club membership, you never have to worry about a dirty ride any day of the week. More importantly, it keeps you from dragging out the hose at home and sending toxins downstream.  

Please enjoy Earth Day! We’re glad we’re in this together.