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"Tests conducted by the University of Texas to compare surface disturbances showed that a single home hand wash on an automobile can produce scratches that penetrate as deep as 1/10 of the total thickness of the automobile's paint.
These test findings at the University of Texas substantiated tests done over ten years ago by the Technical University of Munich, Germany, in association with Mercedes-Benz, which at that time showed that similar damage was done to an automobile when using detergent, low water volume commonly found in hose nozzles at home, buckets of water, sponges and towels used in the average home car washing."
"Water from residential driveway or fundraising car wash events is usually allowed to run down the street or across a parking lot and into the nearest storm drain, and empties, untreated, into the nearest stream, river or lake. This wastewater may carry detergents, trace amount of metals (copper from brake dust and zinc from tire wear) along with small amounts of gasoline and diesel fuel, oil, grease and antifreeze.
Environmental Partners, Inc., Issaquah, Washington conducted two tests in 2006 to measure the effects of untreated car wash affluent from domestic and charity-type car wash events on juvenile rainbow trout. The independent study was commissioned by Seattle-based Brown Bear Car Wash. ."
