Hosepipe bans are due to be imposed in southern and eastern England from 5 April – even though washing a car with a hose is up to four times more efficient than using a bucket.
That was the shock finding of an Auto Express investigation, and it shows that advice from the authorities and water companies is misleading.
According to figures from Waterwise – an independent, not-for-profit organisation that works with the UK water industry and sits on the environment minister’s Water Saving Group – washing a car with a hose uses 300 litres of water. But in our experiment, it took only 30 litres to clean a small family hatchback with a hose.
The reason for the discrepancy is simple: official figures assume motorists leave the water running constantly for 30 minutes.
For our test we did what most drivers do when washing their cars, and fitted a cheap jet nozzle that only allows water to flow when the trigger is pressed.
Thanks to the pressure it generates, the jet not only controls water output, it cleans the car more effectively than random splashes from a bucket – which took a far more wasteful 110 litres.
Even so, motorists using a hose to clean their car during a ban face a fine of £1,000 – despite the fact they’re being more efficient.
How water usage compares…
Jet wash
Usage: 35 litres
Pressure washer maker Hozelock told us one of its products would use
just 35 litres to clean a Ford Focus-sized car.
Car wash
Usage: 120 litres
A car wash gets through 120 litres, according to supplier WashTec, but can also recycle to use just 20 litres of new water.
Hose wash
Usage: 30 litres
Fixing a jet nozzle enables motorists to wash their car with a mere 30 litres of water.
Bucket wash
Usage: 110 litres
To get a decent result from a bucket takes more than 100 litres, our test found.
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Although I prefer using a combination of hosing car before and after hand washing with a bucket, with a bucket alone it should be possible to wash the car with about 30L or so.
Each bucket is about 14L to the brim, so figure on an average of about 10L in each bucket in normal use.
1 Bucket to pre-rinse + 1 Bucket with suds to wash + 1 Bucket to post-rinse = 30L.
Where on Earth did you get 110L from??
I bucket-washed my 2000cc six cylinder Datson 200L in KSA for several years and got it down to a fine art as it was a long walk around to the tap. You had to be quick or else it would dry off. One bucket would do a pre-rinse if it was not winter and the vehicle's lower half covered in hard-as-cement-like scum. Wash with another two buckets of fresh water as it dirties up quickly. Rinse quickly while its still wet from roof down with 2.5 buckets, half-roof, half each side, half bonnet-grille and half boot and back panel. That's 5.5 buckets plus another bucket for the wheels and a half fresh bucket to wipe the dust out of the interior and you have 7 buckets or 98litres. Anything less in that environment and you wouldn't be doing a very thorough job.
"1 Bucket to pre-rinse + 1 Bucket with suds to wash + 1 Bucket to post-rinse = 30L"
It takes me 3 full buckets of Autoglym Car Shampoo to wash the car and do the wheels, and then five or six buckets to rinse. A bucket for the front, back and two sides and wheels.
How can you rinse an entire car with one bucket?
Easy. Wash it often so it doesn't get so bad. Work from top to bottom so the water stays as clean as possible till the end, and then do the wheels last.
When I lived on a terraced street and had no access to a hose, I did my car washes like this for years.
For once Autoexpress, I think you are making a valid point and should push the government and water companies for clarification on this issue!!! I only use a hose fitted with a trigger so water isn't wasted - does this not constitute using an open "hosepipe" based on what you are saying..?
It is incredibly stupid for everyone to be forced into using buckets to clean their cars (and therefore wasting larger amounts of water) rather than using a hose with a nozzle or trigger!!! I was already convinced that using a hose directly where it is needed was more efficient than spashing water about with a sponge.
Come on AE, please pursue this!!!
I use one of these so only dispense water when I come to rinse after shampooing, doing 1 side of the car at a time, then drying off so not to leave water marks. With an open hose, I agree water will be wasted. Don't think I "waste" that much water rinsing with sprayer vs bucket / garden watering can (5litres each).
I use a hose with a trigger gun and know I use a lot less water than I would using buckets. And if I use my jet wash instead, I use even less. You can tell because the what is left on the ground. The power washer is far more efficient - but if I was using it, I'm sure a neighbour would report me. I'm all for saving water and will do my bit, but washing the car with a bucket just because I can't be seen using the hosepipe is madness.
Why is it that the general public are treated so badly? I mean we are not like water companies that have leaks everywhere along their system that they do not fix and then charge above inflation rates on the bill, which we have no choice but to pay.
There are people, as demonstrated, who have basic common sense and use (where possible) such attachments to hoses to SAVE water, not waste.
This article highlights an important point and shows even more that people with influence who come up with such policies have no sense or are in touch with reality. Sometimes its better to get your hands dirty and be practical rather than reading reports all the time...rant over
Every two weeks I use a 5 litre bucket of water and car shampoo to wash the car (a Vectra) and a 5 litre watering can to rinse it off and a leather to dry it. Good results every time. A ridiculous assertion that it takes 110 litres.
The simplest & fairest method of saving water (concerning car washing) would be to simply make it illegal to wash a car either on or off the road unless its washed in an approved car was (one that recycles water). Easier to control & would certainly save water. Anyone who doesn't like car washes, can drive around a dirty car which probably won't get very dirty anyway with so little rain. In some countries that take water consumption more seriously, this law already exists.
Even less with a pressure washer!
Jon, we did send you an email about these findings. Totally disagree with the pressure washer findings. The Karcher pressure washer range on average uses 7L per minute. There is no way it takes 5 minutes on the trigger to wash a car. 15 seconds per wheel, 30 seconds pre-spray and 30 seconds to rinse shampoo off. Try it this weekend with a stop watch on your phone. On this basis the pressure washer only uses 15L of water and is bar far the most efficient! Saying that I do agree 100L of bucketed water is excessive too. We have a suction hose that will allow you to run the pressure washer off a bucket or even your wheelie bin. Not sure if we can link it here but if any Administrator will allow I can post link for everyone. It is on eBay if that helps!
We are installing many recycling systems now in the UK car wash market - both hand and automated. Even the simplest can recycle up to 85% of water used. Although water boards are slowly making it more difficult for car washes to open without reclamation systems it is still possible.
In Germany it is not possible to open a car wash of any description with a water reclamation system and its alot more difficult to wash you own car at home in many part of Germany too even during normal water usage times.
Sorry last comment and a bit of fun! These guys did it with just ONE bucket of water!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...
HI @KarcherCenter - thanks for your comments.
We have responded to you email, but please let us know if you have any further questions.
Thanks again,
Auto Express
Having seen the fact I will soon start being affected by the Hosepipe Ban I started using OneDryWash. It is basically a way to clean your car without water and works really well! (I’m also on a water meter so save a lot of money there too!)
Hope it can help you out too –
http://fingerprintds.co.uk/def...
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayI...
Fingerprintds.co.uk if above links don’t work.
Cheers and Good Luck!
You can do anything in an intelligent or a stupid way. However, if you are going to compare things, do one or the other. The figures you challenge are based on a stupid way of using a hosepipe and so make it look wasteful. You use anastronomical amount of water from goodness knows how many buckets to make that look unattractive. Do a proper comparison with someone who has the intelligence to do both methods efficiently and then say which is most water efficient. My bet would be the bucket, but not by much.
I live on the eight floor of an "urban living" block. Buckets and hosepipes are, as you'd guess are not really an option (unless someone can recommend a 300ft hosepipe !) I use around 100ml of waterless car wash to clean mine ! - I recently bought a product called Showroomsheen from their site, (www.showroomsheen_dot_com) - since then, I've not used a hosepipe or bucket and it cost me less than two quid a wash !
I am on a water meter and live in a none hosepipe ban area, but thought best to test this theory out.
I was my ford focus with two buckets of hot water and then used the hosepipe to rinse off. Did not try to skimp on water but the water meter went on 35ltrs
So how can Uswitch and others say it take 400+ltrs
This artical test out correct, and the water companys need to get there house in order.
With all the cheap paddling pools on sale in ASDA, this is the waste of water by consumers. Leaking pipes and profits is the water companys