Green Car Care Tips

If you drive a car on a regular basis chances are it is like a second home. Even if you are only in one occasionally it can sometimes seem like a little cone of silence. Therefore, why not treat your car experience like you are hopefully treating your daily living experience, with conscientious, environmentally responsible choices. Your vehicle may not be the high end electric hybrid whirlwind you may like it to be so until you can score one, make yours roll with the planet in mind.

No Need for Toxic Feed

When you clean your car don’t let that green or blue chemically laden car cleanser drip to the curb and ride the runoff directly into your municipal water system. This water will often drain into streams and rivers, contaminate wildlife, and feed the cycle of residential pollutants. Purchase a natural, organically biodegradable car detergent or make your own. Baking soda fully dissolved in a bucket of warm water can scrub off bugs, grime and grease just as well as any toxic choice. Use three parts water to one part baking soda. Also use a natural, organic sponge.

Lawn Care

Use a vegetable based, phosphate-free, organic car cleaner and if your lawn can withstand the weight, wash your car right in the middle of your patch of land. The water will be used by the grass and the shampoo will give nutrition. It is a win-win. Plus you can have some great water fights if you add in a few green toy water shooters so family and friends can join in.

Ready to Go Green

Stock your car with easily accessible items that can keep you green on the run. Throw four or five reusable canvas or other fabric shopping bags in your trunk. Store some refillable water bottles or even those that come with their own built in filter for fast, clean, package-less water on the go. Designate a refillable coffee/tea mug to your car. In fact, some coffee companies like Starbucks encourage refillable containers by sometimes offering a price incentive. Either way, reuse stops planet abuse.

Avoid the Leach

Using microfiber clothes and natural, organic interior cleaners will help reduce vapor leaching. When chemically riddled cleaners are used in such a close setting as the cabin of a car, inevitably undetectable toxic fumes slowly leach into the surrounding interior air putting you in harm’s way every time you go for a drive.

Don’t Get Pressured

Keeping your tires at the proper pressure level can save gas as well as elongate the life of your tires. Look on the inside of the driver’s side door (where the lock connects to the car body). There is often a label that gives the PSI (Pounds per Square Inch) that usually estimates a cold pressure setting at about 32psi. Over inflating can be dangerous as this decreases traction capability and under inflating can create ‘drag’ causing the car to burn more gas.

Hopefully these green car care tips will remind you of ways to keep the eco-momentum going.