Future looks bright, clean for waterless car wash operators

The steady march of human innovation has produced a new wonder for planet Earth: a waterless car wash.

But some things never change.

On a recent Friday, Josie Soto paid to have her sport utility vehicle washed by a new Las Vegas company that cleans cars without the benefit of water. Moments later, it began to rain.

Oh well, Soto said with a shrug. At least her conscience would be clean.

The sales representative for Entravision Communications said water conservation played a major part in her decision to do business with Australia-based Ecowash Mobile, which opened its first franchise here in August.

"They don't use water," she said. "That's important especially now, when we don't have any water in Las Vegas."

Ecowash is the latest addition to the Southern Nevada Water Authority's Water Smart Car Wash program, which promotes water-efficient alternatives to hosing off your car in the driveway.

Of the 42 commercial car washes on the authority's Water Smart list, Ecowash is the only one that doesn't use any water at all.

"It's like dry cleaning for your car I guess," said water authority spokesman J.C. Davis.

Actually, the process involves special washcloths and spray bottles filled with various cleaning agents -- 16 of them in all, each specifically designed for a different part of your car.

"The first time, the people don't believe it," said Juan Bolaños, operations director for Ecowash in Las Vegas.

Ecowash Mobile claims to have saved almost 7.6 million gallons of water since it was founded as a two-car operation in Australia in 2004.

The company now operates in seven countries.

The Las Vegas franchise represents its first foray into the Western Hemisphere. Its second came about a month ago, when Guillermo Crespo set up shop in Henderson.

Now there are plans for Ecowash franchises in Miami, San Francisco and Chicago.

"We're also talking about (serving) all of Central America, from Guatemala to Panama," said Bolaños, who is a native of El Salvador.

A basic wash can take up to 30 minutes, the premium an hour or more. Bolaños said he once spent four hours giving a motor home the full treatment.

"It takes maybe a little more time than a normal car wash. It's very detailed," Crespo said.

The basic wash starts at $25 for a standard car and goes up from there based on the size of the vehicle.

A premium Ecowash will cost you $45 to $70. The extreme Ecowash tops out at $140.

Soto swears by the service. She was one of the company's first customers, and now she is a regular. Every two weeks, she has Bolaños and Crespo come by her office in their bright orange, Ecowash-issued Toyota Yarises to clean her SUV.

Conservation isn't her only motivation. Water spots she gets from some other car washes drive her crazy, she said.

"I love my car. I work for that car. I won't eat for a week to make the payment."

Ecowash was designated a Water Smart Car Wash in September, after being checked out by the water authority's conservation office.

To participate in the program, car washes must limit their consumption by returning water to the sewer system, reusing it on-site or not using it at all.

The authority launched the retail partnership in January 2005 to help educate the public regarding water-efficient car washing.

The authority provides signs and educational posters to the participating businesses and promotes them through its Web site by offering links to coupons.

"They're getting business out of it. We're getting less driveway loss from people washing their cars at home. There's no downside that I know of for anybody," Davis said.

Under the water authority's current drought restrictions, home car washes are limited to once a week per vehicle and require the use of garden hoses equipped with positive shut-off valves.

"But even with a shut-off valve, you're looking at a minimum of 50 to a couple hundred gallons of water to wash you're car at home," Davis said.

Conservation has proven to be a strong selling point for Ecowash, Bolaños said. The company's two local franchises average about 15 car washes a day, and interest seems to be growing.

Bolaños said he and Crespo are in talks with several local car dealerships and government agencies to provide waterless car washes to their entire fleets on a regular basis.

But Ecowash does have its limitations.

"If you have a lot of mud, we can't do the job," Bolaños said. "More than one centimeter (of buildup) we can't do it."

And like any car wash, it doesn't work so well in the middle of a downpour.

For Soto, though, this story has a happy ending. Last week, Bolaños and Crespo went back out to Entravision and finished the job on her beloved SUV.

Contact reporter Henry Brean at hbrean@ reviewjournal.com or (702) 383-0350.