How Brown Bear protects our environment
Toxic chemicals that build up on your car have been proven to harm salmon, trout and other marine life. This is a problem that has been recognized nationwide, and a study by Environmental Partners Inc. confirms that water quality in the Puget Sound region is affected by curbside car washing. We separate road pollutants including oils, heavy metals and antifreeze from the car wash wastewater we discharge. Once we've removed many of the toxic substances from the water we use wastewater is then released into the sewer treatment system, and not storm water systems, for further cleaning. When you wash your car in your driveway the run off can end up in the storm drain system, where it receives no treatment at all. If this occurs, what comes off your car can end up in local waterways like Lake Washington or Puget Sound.
Download Practical Fish Toxicity Test Report
We use environmentally friendly products
Brown Bear uses environmentally friendly cleaning solutions specially formatted for our region. Our detergents are biodegradable and contain no phosphates or caustic solutions.
Why hand-washing can be bad for your car and for the environment:
Hand washing can hurt the finish
Sponges and rags can easily collect and retain tiny bits of abrasive particles. Accordingly, hand washing can be like taking fine sandpaper to your car's paint.
You can't really rinse clean
Your garden hose may not produce the volume of water or the pressure needed to rinse away detergents completely. This residue then settles on your car for days after you wash, potentially damaging the finish.
Pollutants go right into the watershed
There's a lot of toxic stuff that can build up on your car—heavy metals, phosphates, motor oil, antifreeze and other toxic substances. If you are not careful, all of this can go straight into the storm drain system-which doesn't receive any treatment-and in many cases goes directly into the Puget Sound.