Go to the car wash

Perhaps surprisingly, going to a commercial drive thru car wash is actually your best option. Since car washes are required to treat their dirty water, they are eco-friendly. Additionally, commercial car washes use computer systems and high-pressure nozzles and pumps, allowing them to minimize their water usage and maximize their water efficiency. These car washes also focus on convenience as part of their customer service, so they are generally a quick and affordable option as well.

Doing it yourself

If you prefer to pull out the hose, bucket, and soap at home, you can still be efficient and thoughtful about how you do it. Here are some tips for staying eco-friendly and energy efficient:

• Use biodegradable, phosphate-free, and water-based cleaners. Phosphates, sodium, potassium, and other harmful chemicals are common in many car-washing products. These chemicals can be dangerous for aquatic life, especially since dirty water from home car washes will eventually find its way to streams, lakes, and rivers.
• Use soap sparingly. Even if you are using green products, they likely still include some level of toxin inside. Therefore, use as little as is necessary to get the job done!
• Use a water spray gun attachment to limit water usage. The precision of a spray gun gets the job done quicker and uses much less water than your regular hose attachment.
• Wash your car on the gravel or grass. This way, the dirty water will be filtered before it enters the ground. If you simply wash your car in the driveway, water might find your storm drain or some other path that won’t filter the water before it reaches its final destination.
• Dump your dirty bucket into the toilet or in the sink. Household wastewater is treated before it reenters waterways, so this ensures that the toxins and chemicals (not to mention all of that dirt and grime) will be safely taken out.

Of all of these options, going to a commercial car wash is definitely your best choice for energy efficiency and eco-friendly!

Looking to increase the energy efficiency and eco-friendliness of your car? Check out our Bright Insights blog post to learn how to choose the best green car for you and your family!

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Generally, the filament or electrode is the part of traditional light bulbs that burns out fastest. So, eliminating this part of the bulb and replacing it with magnet power greatly increases the longevity of induction lighting units.  According to iGrowlights.com, the results can be amazing: some systems boast the capacity to last for 100,000 hours–that’s 11 years of 24/7 operation or 25 years if used for 10 hours per day.

In addition to long life, induction lighting units offer the following benefits:

• Virtually maintenance-free operation
• High efficacy, commonly 60–70+ lumens per watt
• No flickering, strobing, or noise
• Low-temperature operation
• Dimmable capability with some units

However, induction lighting units do have a high initial cost and are absolutely a long-term investment.

There are also some important considerations for potential widespread use of induction lighting technology. The iGrowlights.com figures above relating to 100,000 hours of use are from complete systems that require a ballast—these systems are not directly compatible with the average consumer’s light fixture. One such induction bulb does exist, but is only rated at 15,000 hours of life and only 1,100 lumens of output.  However, it can be screwed into a conventional light fixture, which can effectively replace an incandescent or compact fluorescent bulb.

Lastly, just as with fluorescent bulbs, induction bulbs contain a small amount of solid mercury. While solid mercury is relatively safe in the case of bulb breakage, it is still important to dispose of these bulbs in a safe way due to their mercury content.

With these considerations in mind, there are many practical potential applications for induction lighting use, including:

• Hard-to-reach locations that make maintenance costs high or places with high ceilings where there is near or fully continuous operation, such as street lamps and lighting systems in tunnels
• Cold environments, like walk-in coolers and freezers
• Where reliability and longevity are essential

For more information about induction lighting, visit the US Department of Energy’s website.

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