New Milford, NJ., January 28, 2008 - We have all heard these terms recently. "Going green", "eco friendly", "environmentally safe", and more are more than just catch phrases. We know what they mean and why we should heed the call. Some of us may drive more fuel efficient automobiles or hybrids, we may use energy saving light bulbs in our homes, we all hopefully recycle as much as we can, but when we look at "going green" from a detailing point of view what does that mean to us?

Many of us unfortunately may look at this as a nuisance. We are all creatures of habit and are used to doing things a certain way. But we have to look at what we have been doing and examine the fact that can we possibly change? Can we be as effective, or more effective and still be environmentally friendly? Going green does not necessarily need to be a way that slows us down or does not get cars as clean as we are used to. Before we look at the "new school" or eco friendly ways we can clean and detail cars, let's look at the "old school" ways we have been doing things

Car washing
There has never been any other way to clean something, especially an automobile, other than with the use of large amounts of water and soap. We wet the car and rinse it first, then wash the car with a soapy solution to lift the dirt, and then rinse the entire vehicle with large amounts of water. It's always seemed to work and it's always been an accepted process. We have always washed cars this way and nobody has ever told us otherwise. However, we are now being told! There are drought problems all over the country which will severely limit the amount of water (if any) that can be used to wash a vehicle. There are also major concerns about polluting our streams and rivers which nobody really cared about years and years ago. Some foreign countries are not even allowing homeowners to wash their vehicle at home anymore. There was an article not too long ago in the Wall Street Journal banning car washing in some towns right here in the USA. Many municipalities are now keeping an eye on car washes and how much water they use. They must reclaim and recycle the large amounts of water being used. Water needs to be treated before it can enter a sewage system. Mobile detailers need to know the rules about water usage and reclaim in the areas that they service as well. The problem is REAL and it's not going away anytime soon

The cleaners we use and V.O.C.'s
Not only is car washing a major issue in being eco friendly, but the kinds of cleaners that we use on vehicles to get them clean. We know that soap will not clean very much other than light dirt. Once the cars get caked with heavy soils and grease and ground in crud, we need other, stronger, more dangerous and non environmentally friendly products and cleaners to get the cars clean. Our use of high PH alkaline all purpose cleaners and degreasers are one example. Wheel acids are another example. Heavy solvents such as lacquer thinner, gasoline and kerosene (yes some detailers still use this) to remove grease from interiors as well as tar from the outside of the car. Even the buffing products we use are not very environmentally friendly.

It all comes down to VOC's or Volatile Organic Compounds, and no, that's not a brand name for a compound! This measures the amount of pollutants a product has that is being emitted into the atmosphere. Car manufacturers and body shops know what this is because they need to keep strict track of what products they are using and the VOC level of each. They must chart the use and the waste of those products and safely get rid of them, or face heavy fines or closure. The companies themselves that make these products are under strict limitations of how much VOC is in each product. If it's over a specified number, they must go back to the drawing board. This is affecting us already and you may not even know it

My favorite product is not as good as it used to be!
Have any of you noticed that a great product you used to use is either no longer available, or has changed? Sometimes for the worse? And have you noticed the prices of some products getting more and more expensive? The reason is because the product companies have had to reformulate many products to meet the new VOC guidelines and become more eco friendly. Most every buffing product and cleaner has a degree of solvent in it. This aids in the formulation and mixing of the products as well as aiding in the way it performs and cleans. Some solvents are very harsh for both you and the environment and have been outlawed. There are now new, safer solvents in almost every product. But some detailers feel that they do not clean as well as they used to. In some cases this may be true, but the unsafe and dangerous products of the past are going to be long gone in no time. We are "going green" regardless of whether you like it or not. So how do we embrace it? How do we make this "going green" idea have legs and use it to our benefit? Let's look at some solutions.

A different way to wash- old school vs. new school
There is an alternative. Washing with conventional soap is actually 100 year old technology. Soaps require rinsing first and having something, in this case the vehicle, already wet. The soap will only emulsify and lift the dirt because water (and lots of it) is present. Then, water (and lots of it) must be used to flush and rinse the surface to remove all the dirt, oils and soapy residue. If any soap is left on the vehicle, we will see streaks and hazing, and the surface will be sticky. The other bad thing about soap is that you cannot re-emulsify soap once it dries. You basically need to repeat the process to get the same results. Also, believe it or not, many soaps are actually aggressive and can cause more harm than good, and many will strip wax, leave a paint surface less glossy and slick than when you began. This is very "OLD SCHOOL"

The newer technologies which are called designer polymers are being used to clean vehicles with very little water or no water at all. This is the "NEW SCHOOL" way. Polymers can be made to do many things. They can be linked and chained together to accomplish anything that is needed. (In this case getting a paint surface clean). These polymers have a much better ability to dissolve oils and grease, emulsify dirt and lift it off a vehicles surface with less product and much less water. The polymer creates a barrier between the paint surface and the dirt and carries it away. The polymers bond better to the dirt and will also bond to the paint surface leaving it with more gloss, a much slicker feel, and even some protection. Many of these new design special designer polymer products can be used with a small amount of water mixed in a bucket. The operation of cleaning is simply to immerse a micro fiber towel in the bucket and go about wiping the car down and freeing the dirt. This will even work on an extremely dirty vehicle.

How much time will this take?
Time is always a factor in detailing. We always prefer to get a car done sooner rather than later. I have always thought that the best case scenario was to wash a car the conventional way if possible. This consists of pre- wetting the car, using soap to wash the car, rinsing it off, and drying it. This does take time but has always shown to be effective. There is no argument there. However, by using the new polymer technology, we are saving a few steps. We save the pre rinsing step (if the car has not been, lets say, 4 wheeling), and we save the post rinsing and drying step. We still need to wipe the car down and remove the dirt, which may take a bit more time because we will be constantly dipping our towel in the bucket and basically moving "panel to panel". So, in some cases we may save time on a less dirty vehicle and we may add a bit more time on very dirty vehicles. However, what we need to look at are a few things.

Some detailers are now being "forced" to find other ways to wash. This is a fact. In drought areas you see it already. Water restrictions are in place and may not go away anytime soon. And even if you're in an area of the country that is not water restricted, we have all probably been through it at one time or another. It's far better to have an alternative and stay in business, even if washing takes slightly longer, than to be shut down because there is no water allowed. I was very skeptical of these new methods and "designer polymer technology" but until you have actually tried it and have seen it work, you may never believe it. It does work and vehicles will get clean, they will have a great gloss, and they will have a slick feel.

There are still other ways to be GREEN and effective
Let's say you work on VERY dirty vehicles all the time. Let's also say you are a mobile detailer working in a cold climate where even if water is allowed, it may freeze on a vehicle during the winter months. We have all had challenges of trying to wash a cold car. Metal and glass hold cold very well and freeze very quickly. Water hitting a cold vehicle can re-freeze almost instantly. Water hitting the ground will also freeze very quickly. This creates a hazardous situation unless you have ice skates on. This makes washing a car almost impossible no matter what kind of product you are using. There is still another alternative……STEAM CLEANING!

A great….not just good….and certainly not a cheap steam machine can do wonders on the outside of a vehicle. To be able to pre wet the paint surface (or any surface) with just extremely hot water vapor can be a huge asset in "green" cleaning. There will be almost no water runoff, and you can use one of these "great" steamers to basically help wash and rinse the car. It can help clean all areas of the vehicle including wheels, door jambs, rocker panels, and even engines without slowing you down, or the steam machine running out of steam. Again, I was a big skeptic until I purchased a "great" steam machine and saw what it can accomplish. These machines can be such a gigantic aid in "green" cleaning and actually staying in business. It's a great advertising and selling point to a customer. Also don't forget the fact that in cold climates, this machine will keep you working. It can "thaw" vehicles and allow for the products to work. If the temperature is below freeing, it's no problem. The steamer will warm the car up, dissolve any ice or frost, or even melt snow, thus allowing you to work in harsh conditions.

This is still another, even "greater" steamer that will work for you even faster and more effectively. There are units that are heated by propane and are basically a combination steamer and pressure washer. But the water output is far less. These units combine a small amount of water injected along with very hot steam and run at about 600 PSI to produce cleaning like you have never seen before. While these units use slightly more water than a conventional steam machine, they will be much faster to use and even more effective. These units will also inject your favorite designer polymer cleaning solution at the gun tip to further help clean the vehicle. The water savings are immense and the results are fabulous!

Change is on the horizon
Regardless of whether we like it or not, change is coming. Gone will be the old school ways of car washing, possibly even for conventional car washes. However, instead of being resistant to change, embrace some of the newer greener methods. Luckily the technology is NOW available to make these changes. Consumers are looking for detailers who are eco friendly. Consumers are looking for "everything" that is eco friendly. Using these new products and equipment will not only make you an environmentally friendly detailer, it will produce the results that you are used to and maybe even save you some time. It may even keep you in business. And, if you advertise about being green and eco friendly, you will surely get more customers and generate more interest when people see you using different equipment, products and techniques than they are used to seeing. It's not just a catch phrase anymore. It's a way of life. Embrace it!