Vehicle Maintenance Tips

When washing your vehicle or doing engine maintenance, location matters. Vehicles washed and serviced in driveways and parking lots allow soap, oil, heavy metals and other toxic materials to wash into storm drains – all substances that are unhealthy for people, fish, and other living things.

Vehicle Maintenance Tips:

• Use soap sparingly and try to use non-phosphate products
• Wash your car on a permeable surface such as grass or gravel so the ground can filter the water naturally
• Use a hose nozzle with a trigger to save water
• The best solution is to take your car to a commercial car wash that reuses wash water before capturing it back to send to the sewer system for treatment.
• Do a regular check up for drips and oil leaks and fix them promptly
• When performing engine work at home, use dropcloths or drip pans beneath your vehicle
• Collect used oil in a leak proof container. NEVER dump oil or other engine fluids down the storm drain or onto the ground. Recycle used motor oil