A question about automatic car washes?

[Bsavulis]

Like many here in the North East and I am sure elsewhere, I visit my local carwash frequently during the year to wash off the road chemicals used to melt snow and ice. I drove by the local wash this morning, which has been completely rebuilt in recent months, and a thought popped up.
Do car washes recycle their water? If they do, I am sure it is heavily filtered, but how would they remove the dissolved chemicals like road salt? Am I just spraying my car with salty water from the person before me?


Brian

 

[Quaffer]

It depends on the market, cost of water, and regulations. The range is from no recycle to sophisticated systems.

If you are worried about residual chemicals, check to see if the wash offers a spot free rinse option. Spot free rinse, to my knowledge, always uses a fresh water supply.

 

[JTKub]

I have read that the big chain car wash in the western NY area do recycle wash water for some of the process, but the final wash/rinse is tap/fresh water. I hate it, but I don't bother going through automatic car washes anymore. By the time I get home, the vehicle is a salty mess again anyway. Another theory I've read is, the spray blast from car washes can also force corrosive materials where they ought not go. Rust belt life is rough. FWIW, I fluid film and/or woolwax my vehicles myself.

 

[MossRoad]

It depends on the market, cost of water, and regulations. The range is from no recycle to sophisticated systems.

If you are worried about residual chemicals, check to see if the wash offers a spot free rinse option. Spot free rinse, to my knowledge, always uses a fresh water supply.

Our local car wash chain uses soft water.