June 23rd, 2009 · No Comments

By Barbara Kessler
Green Right Now

It sounds like an oxymoron – a car “wash” that uses no water.

But some of the best green ideas turn traditional practices upside down. Bayes High Performance Waterless Wash/Detailer reinvents the car wash by subtracting the water. It’s not a “wash” in the conventional sense and the only water used is that contained within the biodegradable cleaner itself.

When we heard about Bayes, we were quite excited to think that you could save the 25 to 50 or more gallons of fresh water you might otherwise use to scrub off your car’s cape of road dust. (During droughts, we drive dirty, to avoid squandering a natural resource. So this opened up possibilities!)

But we were also skeptical. We feared that the Bayes would not work well. We thought it might be greasy, smeary or difficult to buff. We had tried a different waterless cleaner earlier, only to be disappointed that it a) came in an aerosol can; b) had a noxious smell c) was a petroleum product and d) left streaks. And we had buffed with some of those stiff waxes on the market, an exhausting work out.

The Bayes High Performance Waterless Wash/Detailer relieved us of all of these concerns. It sprayed on without singeing our delicate noses or skin. It buffed off easily with microfiber cloths and left a wonderful shine on the family Honda. It felt clean and green, and we’re happy to be able to recommend this nifty eco-cleaner, which is already endorsed by Hollywood’s go-to greenie, Ed Begley Jr.

What’s more, we were able to commandeer an 11-year-old and a 14-year-old (who owed us some time) to execute this project, and we were comfortable that no adolescents were harmed during this experiment.

Bayes is a biodegradable product that’s safe for teens, adults and the environment. It relies on technology that’s similar to other green cleaners, using biodegradable polymers to encapsulate dirt and whisk it away without scratching the vehicle’s paint. All the ingredients are non-toxic as well as biodegradable, says Mark Cunningham, co-founder of Lab-Clean LLC, which makes the Bayes products in the U.S..

“I really believe this is the future of car washing…look how much water we can save and also eliminate all the toxic runoff from the road grime going into our storm drains,” he says.

Not to mention the shiny results. “You are basically washing and waxing your car, every time you wash,” Cunningham adds.

So skip the driveway bath for your car or truck, or even the local car wash, and go waterless.

Bayes is available at many retailers, and online at many stores or at its own online store for $10 for a 16 ounce bottle or $17 for a 32 ounce bottle. Each 16 ounce bottle should provide four to six vehicle cleanings, and it safely cleans the whole car, including the windows, chrome, vinyl and rubber. Bayes also makes several other eco-sensitive cleaners, for wood, granite, stainless steel, leather and bamboo. They are sold at Ace Hardware stores, Kroger, Sprouts and Harris Teeter groceries and other retailers.

Bayes does have environmentally friendly competitors in the car cleaner sector. Those include a line of car care products called Eco Touch, which makes a waterless wash and other car cleaners such as a dashboard protectant and an upholstery cleaner.

There’s also the G.E.T. Green line of car care products made by Green Earth Technologies. Their green car wash uses water, but is biodegradable. They also offer a wheel cleaner, brake dust shield and tire shine product, all using plant-based and biodegradable ingredients.

We’re actually most intrigued by GET’s new G-Clean line of concentrated cleaners they’re introducing for outdoor cleaning projects, like washing off the deck or driveway or cleaning the house siding. These cleaners, intended for use with pressure washes, use eco-friendly ingredients to get rid of mold, mildew and grease stains without using environment-damaging chlorine bleach. That’s an advance we can get behind, and a story for another day.

Hey kids, got another project for you….

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