We recently opened our ninth eco-friendly car wash and our first in the San Fernando Valley, at 15650 Sherman Way, in the wonderful community of Van Nuys. In keeping with our commitment, we donated a new freshwater well to the nonprofit Wells Bring Hope, as we do with each new eco-friendly car wash opening.
Giving Back
In a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new site, I happily presented Barbara Goldberg, the founder of Wells Bring Hope, with a check for $6,100, the amount needed to fund a new well, this time financing the first solar-powered apparatus for providing clean water to villages in Niger, the world’s poorest country. As self-described “water warriors,” we’ve been working with the nonprofit for several years in its mission to bring safe water to rural villages in Niger, West Africa.
In the Community
Last month, in celebration of Earth Day, we hosted an event with students from Ulysses S. Grant High School in Van Nuys that included a visit from a NASA scientist who spoke about climate, drought, and our roles in protecting the earth. The special session was arranged as a gift to the community, marking the opening of the new car wash in the neighborhood. We’re always looking for ways to be a positive and giving part of each new community we join.
Drought & Washing Cars
We’re aware that home car washing may soon become prohibited because of California’s extreme drought conditions. We also know that the average person uses 100 gallons of water, per car wash, at home and is unlikely to capture and recycle it. On the contrary, the Bliss system saves 55 gallons of water, per car, by recycling it.
Home car washing means that water, soap, contaminants, and chemicals, run off driveways and into the local waterways, unfiltered. The water then goes into storm drains and pollutes our precious waterways. The reclamation system at Bliss captures soapy water in floor drains as it runs off cars and puts it through a filtration tank that removes chemicals and contaminants that have been washed off the cars. The water is then recycled.
The Bliss car washes use technology that continually monitors freshwater usage, keeping it down to approximately 24 gallons, per car wash, and using 70 percent reclaimed water. We use only cleaning products that are biodegradable and our machinery is low-energy consuming. Visiting Bliss will give you that peace of mind that you’ve put little impact on the planet while maintaining your car.
A Sustainable Proposition
We have seen that our method of operating a needed service, while treading lightly on the planet, is a winning proposition to customers. We operate with the pledge to make our communities, and the world in general, a greener and better place. We love what we do and remain water warriors no matter what the local conditions dictate!
