What a trip to the car wash really costs
One wash seems like nothing. Multiply it by a year, then by your team: here is the bill in water, CO₂, time and money.
Adjust the assumptions
Your 10 cars at the car wash, over a year
- 1 wash
- 150 L
- 1 year, 12 washes
- 1,800 L
10 people, 1 year
18,000 L
that’s 120 full bathtubs
- 1 wash
- 2.2 kg
- 1 year, 12 washes
- 26.4 kg
10 people, 1 year
264 kg
as much as 1,218 km by car
- 1 wash
- 30 min
- 1 year, 12 washes
- 6 h
10 people, 1 year
60 h
that’s 7.9 days off
- 1 wash
- €12.70
- 1 year, 12 washes
- €152
10 people, 1 year
€1,524
wash and fuel for the trip
18,000 L of water and 246 kg of CO₂ saved
We wash without water, in the car park where the car is parked, while you work.
- Water
- 0 L
- microfibre and biodegradable product
- CO₂
- 18 kg
- our on-site wash: 246 kg avoided
- Time
- 0 min
- you stay put: before/after photos on your phone
- Price
- €14.45
- per wash · group discount -15% included · €1,734 a year
6 h back every year for each person, for €1.80 more a month
From 5 cars washed together, the group discount applies (up to -35%). From 8, the organiser’s interior + exterior wash is free.
How we calculate
- Water: a car-wash visit uses about 150 L, roughly a full bathtub. ParkWash uses none.
- CO₂: 0.9 kg for the wash station (the low end of studies that go up to 4.5 kg) and 1.3 kg for a 6 km round trip in a petrol or diesel car, not counted for an electric car. Our on-site wash: 150 g at most. Sources: life-cycle analyses published in 2025 (Sustainability, GJESM) and the ADEME Base Empreinte.
- Time: 30 minutes of driving and waiting per visit, plus 15 minutes when you do the interior yourself (vacuum, plastics).
- Money: adjustable car-wash price, plus fuel for the trip (about €0.70, €0.30 for an electric car). ParkWash price: public price for a standard car, with the group or subscription discount that applies. Working hours are only counted for a company.
These are cautious estimates. You can change the car-wash price and the cost of a working hour under “Adjust the assumptions”.
FAQ
How much water does a car-wash visit use?
About 150 litres, roughly a full bathtub. A ParkWash wash uses none: dirt is lifted with microfibre and a biodegradable product.
Is ParkWash cheaper than a car wash?
Not always per ticket: a station programme often costs €9 to €15, a ParkWash exterior wash €17 for a standard car. The difference is elsewhere: no trip, no queue, no water, and a discount from 5 cars washed together (up to -35%). For a company, the working hours saved are worth far more than the price gap.
How much CO₂ does an on-site waterless wash avoid?
About 2 kg per wash for a petrol or diesel car: 0.9 kg for the station and 1.3 kg for the round trip, minus 150 g for our own wash. For an electric car we don’t count the trip: 0.75 kg.