How to Keep Your Car Clean With a Hosepipe Ban (Including Video)

During a hosepipe ban, it is prohibited to use a mains-fed hosepipe or a mains-connected pressure washer at home to clean privately owned vehicles, taxis, and minicabs. However, just because you can't wash your car in this way, it doesn't mean you shouldn't keep it clean. It is a legal requirement to keep all windows, mirrors, lights, and number plates free from dirt.

Drivers must maintain:

• adequate visibility
• visible lights
• legible number plates

No hose? No worries! You can still use a self-service jet wash (found at select petrol stations) or a rinseless wash process at home. We've compiled some handy tips and information in this blog to help you keep your car clean during a hosepipe ban. 

We've even put together four wash kits for no/minimal water usage:

• CARPRO Waterless Wash Kit
• Koch-Chemie Waterless Wash Kit
• CARPRO Forecourt Wash Kit
• Koch-Chemie Forecourt Wash Kit

The Forecourt Wash Kits come complete with a bucket and gamma seal lid, perfect for storing in the boot of your car. 

What To Do vs. What Not To Do

DO

• Double-check the specific rules issued by your local water supplier
• Use two buckets, lined with grit guards, and a wash mitt
• Fill buckets from an indoor tap or water butt
• Use waterless or rinseless wash
• Visit a self-service jet wash at your nearest station
• Check if your pressure washer can be connected to a water butt
  
• Use a decent sealant to protect all vehicle surfaces; paintwork, glass, wheels, plastics

DON'T

• Connect your pressure washer to the mains tap
• Use a hosepipe directly to wash the car
• Let any chemicals dry on the surface of your vehicle
• Let bird poop sit on the surface of your paintwork
• Skimp on protection; the better you protect your vehicle the easier it is to clean
• Store wet cloths and mitts in buckets, dry them first to prevent mold

Forecourt Method Step by Step

Pressure washing a car can use up to 500 litres of water whereas using two or three 25 litre buckets can reduce that to just 50-75 litres. However, you can still cut down on water usage using a self-service jet wash and our dedicated forecourt wash kits.

Most machines charge roughly £1 to £5 for 2 to 5 minutes of active washing time. Follow these steps to minimise water usage and cut the costs. 

1. Dilute the all-purpose cleaner in the trigger spray and apply to the whole vehicle from bottom to top.
2. Rinse using the self-service jet wash (x minutes).
3. Spray wheels with wheel cleaner and agitate with a brush before rinsing using the self-service jet wash (x minutes).
4. Dilute shampoo in the bucket according to product dilutions. TOP TIP: Use a second bucket for rinse water.
5. Dunk your clean wash mitt in the soap mixture, clean a panel at a time, regularly rinsing in the rinse bucket before going back to the wash bucket.
6. Rinse using the self-service jet wash (x minutes).
7. Apply the spray sealant to wet panels.
8. Rinse off using the self-service jet wash (x minutes).
9. Dry panels with clean microfibre towel.
10. Use quick detailer to go over any imperfections or water spots.

The video below shows how little time you can use a pressure washer for on a regular maintenance wash.

TOP TIP: You can sticker your buckets for easy allocation.

Waterless Wash Method Step by Step

1. Fill a pump sprayer with a waterless / rinseless wash solution (diluted according to chemical instructions).
2. Spray liberally over the car, a panel at a time, to encapsulate and lift surface dust and dirt.
3. Use a clean microfibre cloth to wipe, keep your cloth neatly folded into fours, and rotate every wipe to give you 8 goes on the cloth before you need to change to a new one.
4. OR use a clean wash mitt and rinse in a bucket lined with a Detail Guardz Dirt Lock and Scrub Wall Attachment often - at least 2-3 times per panel.
5. Wipe up any residue or water with a clean drying towel. 

Final Tips

One of the most important factors in maintaining your vehicle's shine year round is protection. A ceramic coating or wax reduces the need for frequent cleaning, making your maintenance washes quicker and easier whilst reducing water usage. Coating your wheels, glass, paintwork, and plastics will prevent dirt, grime, dust, and other contaminants from sticking to your car. These don't need to be professional grade coatings! A spray sealant or spray wax can take minutes to apply but still produce great results.

Make sure to keep your cloths clean! Using a waterless wash with microfibre cloths subjects the fibres to more contamination such as dirt particles and mineral deposits. Microfibre wash is designed to loosen contaminants from microfibres so they can be safely washed in your washing machine!

It is possible to feed a pressure washer from a water butt but you would need to check the machine you have (most Karcher machines are equipped for this). Take a look at your user guide or enquire with the manufacturer to see if you are able to do this. 

The above detailing methods can help you to minimise water usage. Whether you try a rinseless or waterless wash, pay to use a self-service pressure washer, or even just practice sensible bucket usage, you can effectively lessen water consumption.