How Do We Keep Our Cars Clean In Melbourne After 1/1/07?

[Pickles]

After the 1st January 07, we cannot use water to wash our cars in Melbourne. So how do we keep our cars clean? As far as I'm concerned, if I can't clean the GTO, to maintain it in concourse condition, then I'll just leave it in the garage.
So, for those of you who are subject to stage 3 restrictions, how do you intend to keep your vehicle in pristine, "clean" condition, without using water?
Cheers, Pickles.

[Padina]

There are plenty of those self cleaning car wash places around mate and these I dont see being shut down as they use recycling water. I've used them for a while and no scratches on the paint at all, unlike those automatic "lazy" car washers they have at many petrol stations.

Cheers... :D

[kryten2001]

After the 1st January 07, we cannot use water to wash our cars in Melbourne. So how do we keep our cars clean? As far as I'm concerned, if I can't clean the GTO, to maintain it in concourse condition, then I'll just leave it in the garage.
So, for those of you who are subject to stage 3 restrictions, how do you intend to keep your vehicle in pristine, "clean" condition, without using water?
Cheers, Pickles.

What a bunch of BS I reckon...

How come as soon as Melb gets down to 40% water supply, they reckon they're scaping the bottom of the barrel and hit the panic button.... Over here in WA (if I remember rightly) we hit 17% and the govt just built us a desalination plant...

If you live in a capital city there's no bloody excuse for not having reasonable access to water. All the govt has to do is get off its a$$ and build some more of these plants.... Ours is supplying 30% of our water supply already, all thanks to the ocean.

Surely it's something you victorians can privatise?

[German Statesman]

We're Stage Four up here in Brissy, and Toowoomba is Stage 5 with only windows and windscreen allowed.

Car washes are exempt provided the submit a water useage plan which inckudes recycling.

[XLR8 V8]

We're on Level 4 restrictions up here in Brisbane,and the Carlovers etc places still operate.
Whenever I need to detail the car, I just head down to one of these places at a late hour (after the staff have left), and wash my car using my cleaning gear, bucket and wash mitt. I only use their spray gun for initial rinse then rinse off.

[VooDoo]

I dont have any probs keeping my car clean :stick:

[Drewie]

Is a bit of a problem, I just recently bought a Karcher too and was just getting used to it. Our local carwash guy doesn't seem to mind you bringing up your own bucket and favourite wash detergent providing it is in the off peak times, before I bought the Karcher I used to arm myself with a few $1 coins, take all my stuff up there, give it a hose down then fill my bucket and that took care of the first dollar, then proceeded to do maybe half a car then pop another $1 hose off then continue. He said ok with him providing it is not peak time, maybe try in the evening as they are usually unattended then.
I have a friend in a Level 4 restrictions area and he said a lot of the carwash places have shut down. I was hoping that we might have been able to run the Karcher from a bucket, but it looks like no carwashing at home at all looking at the restrictions.

[joeboss]

Level 5 where I have been living.

You get used to it, even though it can be tough.

[Drewie]

I wonder how the local used car lots will get on? I usually see them washing their cars down most mornings using their pressure cleaners.

[mark05]

Goulburn has no water. Been on level 5 for 2 years.:flame:

[heavychevy]

Something I didn't realise untill a few weeks ago....

Quote from Melbourne Water:

"The Eastern Water Recycling Proposal could free up 139,000 megalitres of drinking water currently allocated to power stations and industry in the Latrobe Valley," he said.

"This is equivalent to more than one quarter of all the water used in Melbourne.

That's 380,821,917 litres of drinking water down the gurgler every day :doh:

[mark05]

How about a watertank with pump.:rolleyes:

[Alex(AUS)]

So when are they going to do it?

Alex

[clixanup]

After the 1st January 07, we cannot use water to wash our cars in Melbourne. So how do we keep our cars clean? As far as I'm concerned, if I can't clean the GTO, to maintain it in concourse condition, then I'll just leave it in the garage.
It's a shame you feel that way. Waste of a good car.

Since you have a garage, why not just chamois it using water from a bucket? If you do that every time you use the car (since it sounds like you don't drive it every day anyhow) it'll stay pretty clean. And if you do it inside the garage, nobody will see you. ;)

PLEASE drive the thing! I assume you bought it to enjoy it? How can you do that if it's locked away?

[German Statesman]

I dont have any probs keeping my car clean :stick:

Funny that :D

[Y2kGoofball]

recently Ive started to suss out the local car wash places because Sydney aint that far behind ... we're less then 40%.

Theres a new one thats opened that I tried last week at lunchtime with one car, then again later on with another. It wasnt too busy and was setup well. The bays were wider then usual, then you drive through to the chamois area, then across to the vac area and your done. They do however open the gates at 7 and close at 9. The attendand was a nice fella who didnt mind me using a bucket the second time round because no one else was there, but I was warned that if theres customers I needed to ditch the bucket, and if theres another attendant on they may ask me to leave.

as mentioned though theres also another car wash about 10 mins the other side of town which is open 24/7. They have an auto high pressure wash, if you head there on a Sat or Sun theres a line up because the boys get out, stop the machine and hand wash the car for you, then re-start the machine to let it do its thing. But their opened all night so you can sneak in with your bucket, mitt and carwash and just spend a couple of bucks for the high pressure water in one of the bays. Both have been setup to use tanks with recyvled water so they wont be forced to shut down in the near future.

I suppose its an inconvienience and an extra $10 or so each week to maintain a clean car, but its worth it, gets you out of the house for an hour or so, and I reckon its not a bad idea because the drive home allows the brake pads to squeeze out moisture, wipes off any shite that might have got on the discs during the wash, and also cleans out built up water stuck in the water channel. Plus some wash places are convieniently located next to or near a servo and fuel is at the bottom end of the price ladder on a Saturday morning!

[Sidewindr]

What sucks is I don't water my lawn or garden to conserve water and now I am not allowed to wash my car which I don't as often as I should to conserve water. I have a 60L drum with a tap that I am filling for use on my high pressure cleaner :) Surely they cannot fine you if you are using a water source that is not mains water fed???

[Glenn@Autowerks]

What sucks is I don't water my lawn or garden to conserve water and now I am not allowed to wash my car which I don't as often as I should to conserve water. I have a 60L drum with a tap that I am filling for use on my high pressure cleaner :) Surely they cannot fine you if you are using a water source that is not mains water fed???

I do the same thing here in Syd, it was on the Sydney Water Website that as long as the high pressure cleaner is not directly connected to the mains it is fine !!!

Nice clean Clubbie here :stick:

[HARMSY]

What annoys me with all this hype over saving water is that our mains tap has been leaking for 2 months, contacted south east water and they said they will get around to it.....still haven't come to fix it

[PWNAGE]

Here in Bendigo we can't water anything or wash our cars at all. We have less then 300 days of water left then it's all gone. Pretty much every nature strip and lawn is dried up. We have some swimming pools shut down and some sporting ovals etc. that are no longer being watered in a bid to save the little water we have left.

I go down to the car wash to pressure wash the dust off once a week and hand wax it every 4 - 5 weeks, because i don't drive it much I don't have any bugs to clean off which makes it easier.

I thought the restrictions were a load of crap when i moved to Bendigo 3 months ago and that it was an over reaction, i was majorly pissed that i couldn't wash my car.

Through my new job at the council I soon found out we really are in the sh!t and started thinking about the bigger picture rather then the need to keep my car shiny at all times.

Now I feel bad for even thinking that keeping my car shiny is more important then saving water.

[pagey]

The day the government pays for my car maintenance etc is the day they get a say it how to look after it.

I wash mine with the hose on the lawn..

[Animal]

Car wash next door to my office - $200 for a book of 10 washes, all claimed on tax ( upkeep of motor vehicle ) and I get a nice coffee whilst fellas do their thing. No complaints here :cool:

And the Karcher from a non mains water ( a drum with a hose fitting being filled with the hose ) is the go with my neighbours too :rolleyes:

[ProVK]

Im just going to put a 10,000 litre tank of my Shed, should be good for washing the car and looking atfter the turf, only of we get some rain one day.

[korrupt]

So when are they going to do it?

Alex
January 1st 2007 in Melbourne.

[BennyMac]

Its going to be hard for us all. I mean i try and save water where ever i can. Hardly flush the toilet and only shower once a week whether i need it or not.

[hsvcsv]

Down here in Geelong(vic) we're on stage 4. Car washes down here have had huge water tanks installed at which then the water is trucked in too fill the tanks up. If they dont comply they aren;t allowed to operate.
If you have tank water you can hook a high pressure cleaning device upto it. Other option is to fill a large bucket up with your tank water and gravity feed it into the high pressure cleaning device, this is what i do, works a treat. Just be sure to get all the air out of the hose first.

[VX2VESS]

What sucks is I don't water my lawn or garden to conserve water and now I am not allowed to wash my car which I don't as often as I should to conserve water. I have a 60L drum with a tap that I am filling for use on my high pressure cleaner :) Surely they cannot fine you if you are using a water source that is not mains water fed???

60 ltrs i've been doing the pressure washer for years from a 20 ltr home brew bucket with a tap. never use more than 20ltrs

[sh|tbmxrider]

im just going to wash my car at work....

(im a truck salesman, we have 2 big washbays with kartchers etc)

[TigerMon]

Some water tank stuff...

Annual Rainfall per location
http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/climate/rainmaps.cgi?page=map&variable=totals&period=12month&area=vic

Now calculate how much you can capture using your roof area..
http://www.polyworld.com.au/calculations.htm

If you've got your own place, you should have one serious aim these days - independence! Collect as much water as you can, grow as much food as you can = :cool: plant local trees, etc. Then solar.

Seriously all this restriction stuff is a con, they made this mess with their dumb planning. The country goes dry all the time, hello :stick:

[AndrewW]

luckily ? we live off tank water, so even though we are on level 4 water restrictions I am allowed to use the water to clean my car.

we must live in the wettest part of Brisbane, we have a 40K litre water tank and we are yet to run it dry ...

just don't tell Beattie, he might want to build a dam on my property :doh:

Andrew.

[jerrel]

why dont u go to bp and give it a wash there?

[CalaisRider]

Go to VooDoo and Mr Sparles in Bris - they do a great job!!

Just jokin LOL. We've been on water restrictions for so long now its part of daily life!!

Pete

[BA$TAD]

restrictions are all fine and good for the short term but i want to know what they're (the government) doing for the long term. for example if there is no rain how are we keeping the dams topped up? Maybe a de salination plant to keep the dams with water until some decent rainfalls occur?

[Hammer]

put the car in the backyard and wash it. you dont pay rates/water for it not to be used...

but were on level 2 up here

[markone2]

The day the government pays for my car maintenance etc is the day they get a say it how to look after it.

I wash mine with the hose on the lawn..



You too….and so long as drinking water continues to run QLD Power Stations my car stays clean……

[German Statesman]

You too….and so long as drinking water continues to power QLD Power Stations my car stays clean……

This is true - they're up our arses about keeping water useage down, but they won't re-use grey water and our drinking water is used by businesses for the most wasteful purposes :soap: :slap: :banghead:

[bruce350]

A few good suggestions on here...I like the one about visiting Carlovers in off peak taking your own gear. I'm onto that one!

Another tip - if you don't have a water tank, get a 44 gallon drum, detach your downpipe from your verandah and run it into the drum. Heaps of water for the garden & car using a bucket if you need it. My in-laws have got two of these and they are always full with the intermittent rain they get that runs off the back verandah which would otherwise go into stormwater and 'not in the catchment area'.

[VZSS250]

How much tax do we pay here? Given all the great cars that everyone owns, I would assume some of us here are paying $25k+ a year each (except for those jerks that are in the cash economy). And the government can't even provide us with water? Just disgraceful. Its bad enough we've had to invest in a pressure washer, now we can't even use that!

[joffa]

Yes it's bullshit! Bracksie needs to get his head out of his ass and do something... QUICK!

[EddieVE06]

I have a house with no grass either front or back...all paved. Three cactii plants and thats it. Now I cant even wash my car anymore which is 1 week old. Oh well looks like i'll be up at 2 am doing it in the privacy of my own home. The govt in Vic absolutely sucks. The have ranted and raved for 5 years and where do we find ourselves....in exactly the same position we were back then. There must be some way to collect water.
Where do the water drains in our streets finish up.....Cant it be collected at the opening and treated.

My mission now is to see how many govt gardens are being watered during the day and when i see one i will drive my car on the grass into the garden there and let it get a good soaking, then equipped with my chami, and tech wax i'll dry it.......Stick it right up em!

[TRY-300]

Well as stated you can go to the car wash or even use your rain water tank water to wash the cars.

but be advsied that in stage 4 if that ever comes in (hopefully not)
most of the commercial car washes will be shut down as well..

A little inside info as i work for South East Water Ltd.

Well you know the govt. down ere they are more concerned about how they can make $$$ and solve actual problems at hand.

Tolls, fines, rates, etc.

As long as their pockets are full nothing else matters

[O5BRKY]

Yeb agree with the above ^^^^, How much fresh water is still being wasted on the CityMint Tunnels and the EastMint building Tollway, yeah they say they use reclaimed water, but what a load of croc, peolpe have taken heaps of photos with water trucks filling up.I can undersatnd a little, BUT I reckon they are probably using heaps.

[Nutter]

I will wash mine inside my garage when ever the **** I like, if they don't want us to run out of water they can desalinize sea water with some of their 16 Billion dollars surplus I think it was.

Why should I drive a crud bucket to save the Gov having to invest money in other areas, I couldn't give a flying **** who has the biggest surplus in election year, what I do care about is looking after my shit.

[Sidewindr]

60 ltrs i've been doing the pressure washer for years from a 20 ltr home brew bucket with a tap. never use more than 20ltrs

It sits under the gutters usually so I have more than enough for a wash or two in between rain. I wouldn't use more than 20L either per wash.


The govt in Vic absolutely sucks. The have ranted and raved for 5 years and where do we find ourselves....in exactly the same position we were back then. There must be some way to collect water.
Where do the water drains in our streets finish up.....Cant it be collected at the opening and treated.


I certainly didn't vote for them .. and they still retained power :moon:

[LTH-00L]

Just wash it where no one can see you.. or just be discreet.. like me. :burnout:

[ASSASIN]

We dont have such harsh restrictions in W.A but what gets me is its alright for the mines to run 5 watercarts that dump 80,000 litres in about 30 mins and there is nothing said about that they just sink bores whenever they want and use what they want so why are we (the people who have to pay for our water) told how to use it. I am all for conserving this precious resource but there is so much more the goverment could do rather than passing the buck onto us all the time

[swingtan]

There must be some way to collect water.
Where do the water drains in our streets finish up.....Cant it be collected at the opening and treated.


Collecting water is easy, get a rain water tank as already mentioned. Let's face it, to build another dam out in the bush and pipe the water around is not only going to cost billions of dollars, but will also destroy a huge amount of the bush. Up until a couple of years ago, it was illegal in Melbourne to have a rain water tank. The government wanted you to use town water for "health" reasons. Now that there is no town water you can get a tank.

If the government was really serious about this, they would bump up the rebates on rain water tanks to get more people to use them. As yet I haven't got one, but have planned the whole thing, including a grey water tank for bath / shower / washing machine waste. ( one point on grey water, officially you are not meant to use it for the vege garden...... ). Collecting water from the drains would be a great idea if there weren't so many idiots out there that dump very nasty stuff into them. When I think about the numbers of used syringes, oil, dead animals and industrial waste that goes in them, I'd much rather drink treated sewerage. ( Actually I'd be happy to used treated sewerage now if it meant I could was the car and water the garden ).

I think I'll be implementing the rain water option early in the new year... Oh, and for all you people that have an evaporative cooler, run a pipe from the outlet onto the garden or into a drum. It's amazing how much water you can get from there and it's perfectly legal to use that.

Simon.

[amckiwi]

What sucks for me is i use way less than the average consumption for my situation (so says the water company) but am still not allowed to wash my car.

I bet they are still watering the gardens at parliament and the Govener's mansion.

Stu

[spank]

i was driving down st kilda rd in melb this morning at 2 am and there was water running down the road from the sprinklers been on too long from watering the median strip, a couple were defective and were spraying directly onto the road, next time one of my cars needs a wash ill go down there with my bucket and sponge and wash the car on the side of the road :doh:

[NeSStor]

Sorry fellows but I'm a little confused.

I've just looked at the restriction levels in Syd, Mel and Bris.

In Melbourne, currently on level 2, you can use a bucket, water can or a high pressure device.

In Sydney, level 3, bucket and water can is OK.

In Brisbane, level 4 from Nov 2006, the rule reads 'Washing with buckets filled directly from a tap is permitted at any time'.

The above info is from the Water Boards/Councils web sites for each City.

Are the rules for each restriction level different for each state? I can wash the car with a bucket in Sydney on level 3 but not in Melbourne when it comes out in January? And how about Brisbane on level 4? Is the level 4 in Brisbane less strict then level 3 in Melbourne?

Or is the article in The Australian 'Car-washing banned with worse to come' exaggerating a little in regards to the vehicles.

Cheers,
Kris

[harey]

Sorry fellows but I'm a little confused.

I've just looked at the restriction levels in Syd, Mel and Bris.

In Melbourne, currently on level 2, you can use a bucket, water can or a high pressure device.

Cheers,
Kris

Yeah thats what it is currently, the title of the thread says after 1/1/07 which it goes to stage 3 and that means no washing cars period.

[CLUB_819]

Hey fellas,
Its pretty grim situation with all this water talk, But I don't get it if you look at Silvan Damn u couldn't even piss in there it's that full.

I wonder if they put as much effort into preserving water as they do speed cameras, fines etc... whered we be.

It's funny because they amount of water households use compared to big industrial plants is so min-ute. My old man did a big project in the early 90's for a paper plant and they have 4 10inch unmetered mains running into just one of there plants pumping 24/7 365 days. which is still in operation today.

Cheers
Scotty

[SLE355]

i was driving down st kilda rd in melb this morning at 2 am and there was water running down the road from the sprinklers been on too long from watering the median strip, a couple were defective and were spraying directly onto the road, next time one of my cars needs a wash ill go down there with my bucket and sponge and wash the car on the side of the road :doh:


Exactly what pisses me off, they were going a few weeks ago when i was walking to my mates place at south bank, what a waste.

[T_Kiwi]

piss in a bucket till ya have enough to wash ya cars haha

[Knight Phlier]

Thats a lot of pissing!

[SiLENCE]

i was driving down st kilda rd in melb this morning at 2 am and there was water running down the road from the sprinklers been on too long from watering the median strip, a couple were defective and were spraying directly onto the road, next time one of my cars needs a wash ill go down there with my bucket and sponge and wash the car on the side of the road :doh:

went through there the other day as well when i was waking my mrs to work.. car got sprayed to the shithouse with sprinkler water, which just happened to make my nice clean black car dirty up one side...

i then had to go home and use even more water to wash the thing..



all this talk of water is making me thirsty.

[NeSStor]

Yeah thats what it is currently, the title of the thread says after 1/1/07 which it goes to stage 3 and that means no washing cars period.

The point that I was trying to make is that if Sydney and Brisbane can wash their cars with a bucket at level 3 and 4, why not Melbourne?

Perhaps it's just press making a dramatic statement and the guys in Melbourne don't have to panic as yet.

I guess, we'll know soon enough.

Cheers,
Kris

[Brendan]

Perhaps it's just press making a dramatic statement and the guys in Melbourne don't have to panic as yet.

http://www.citywestwater.com.au/about/589.htm

I'll just keep using the hand car wash I've used for years and keep drinking coffee while the lackeys do their thing.

[ExVic]

Just checked out the Karcher web site. This is what it says... "Karcher High Pressure Cleaners dont need to be attached to a mains tap as they can draw water straight from a bucket or water tank." Has anyone done this?

Anyway, I'm gonna give it a go and see if it works. If it does, then i'll get a 44 gallon drum and fill that with woter or even fill up the "green wheely bin".

Cheers

[cutter bob]

i feel sorry for you guys. i have recycled water here and there is no restrictions on that. Have all the sprinklers going every night, i can wash the car whenever i feel like it :woohoo: , and if i wanted to i could hose down the driveway without a care in the world .

[SSBarney]

Just checked out the Karcher web site. This is what it says... "Karcher High Pressure Cleaners dont need to be attached to a mains tap as they can draw water straight from a bucket or water tank." Has anyone done this?

Anyway, I'm gonna give it a go and see if it works. If it does, then i'll get a 44 gallon drum and fill that with woter or even fill up the "green wheely bin".

Cheers

I'm guessing u cant be bothered reading the whole thread:stupid:

[ExVic]

I'm guessing u cant be bothered reading the whole thread:stupid:

dont see no mention of a wheeky bin, ya dil

[SSBarney]

dont see no mention of a wheeky bin, ya dil


DER:stupid: if it works in a 44 Gallon drum( and u asked that), then do u need someone to actually tell u that it might work in a wheelie bin.

[NeSStor]

I'll just keep using the hand car wash I've used for years and keep drinking coffee while the lackeys do their thing.

Thanks for the link. I guess this clears it up. There is also a brief description of Level 4 restrictions on the Questions and Answers page.

Level 4 in Melbourne means no car washing, even at commercial car wash. Lets hope it does not come to that or people will start smuggling water accross the state line. :lol:

Cheers,
Kris

[EL2]

The day the government pays for my car maintenance etc is the day they get a say it how to look after it.

I wash mine with the hose on the lawn..

Get yourself a novated car mate. Car washes and anything related to your car are claimable at the end of the FBT year, if you can't claim them directly on your package at the time of sale.

I certainly keep all my carwash receipts!

[Timmy]

Guys, I have a pressure washer its a large one 2700psi for memory. Does anyone know if this thing would run from a big gallon drum?

Im assuming it would but because of its size im unsure.

Timmy

[hsvcsv]

Just checked out the Karcher web site. This is what it says... "Karcher High Pressure Cleaners dont need to be attached to a mains tap as they can draw water straight from a bucket or water tank." Has anyone done this?

Anyway, I'm gonna give it a go and see if it works. If it does, then i'll get a 44 gallon drum and fill that with woter or even fill up the "green wheely bin".

Cheers

Works fine directly from the tank, if you're pulling the water from a bucket be sure to get all the air out of the hose first.

[Drewie]

Works fine directly from the tank, if you're pulling the water from a bucket be sure to get all the air out of the hose first.

I am unsure if you can even use the Karcher from a bucket looking at the wording of the Melb restrictions. I have not long bought a new Karcher so would be nice if you could, but I think it says no car washing at home at all.

[swingtan]

Guys, I think you may be missing the point here. In Victoria, once we go to Stage 3 restrictions, you are not allowed to wash your car at home, end of story. You cannot use a hi pressure cleaner from a bucket, from a tap or any other container that you fill from the mains. The Stage 3 rules are here...

Vic Water Restrictions Stage 3 Listing (http://www.ourwater.vic.gov.au/ourwater/dsenowof.nsf/LinkView/9BE78E3528C1EC70CA257247007EDE0F8F80BC95553C2C5BCA 257245001C60F5)

The wording that we care about is this...



Vehicle washing:
Hand-held hoses or high pressure cleaning devices cannot be used for vehicle washing, at any time. A bucket filled from a tap can be used to clean windows, mirrors and lights; and spot-remove corrosive substances. A commercial car wash can be used.


That's correct, you can only clean the windows, lights and mirrors which is a "safety" loop hole. You can remove "corrosive" spots like bird droppings etc, but only as a spot clean. So unless you have very, very large birds in your area, you may be fined if you try washing your whole car. I'm not trying to put a downer on every ones plans, just making sure you are made aware of the real rules.

Now for the good news.....



Greywater, rainwater and recycled water:
Greywater and recycled water can be used at any time. For guidelines on safe use, visit: www.epa.vic.gov.au. No restrictions apply to rainwater collected in a storage tank, provided it is not supplemented by the mains water supply.


So get your 44 gallon drums and plastic containers ready as it's meant to rain this week Start collecting for the sake of your car !

[Timmy]

[QUOTE=swingtan;795424]Guys, I think you may be missing the point here. In Victoria, once we go to Stage 3 restrictions, you are not allowed to wash your car at home, end of story. You cannot use a hi pressure cleaner from a bucket, from a tap or any other container that you fill from the mains. The Stage 3 rules are here...

BUT we can use a pressure cleaner/washer that is run from rain water, am i understanding things correctly?

What will happen to car wash shops when stage 4 hits? Will they still be in operation?

Will we all have our cars permanatly dirty?

Timmy

[swingtan]

Read the last quote in my post. there are no restrictions on the use of collected rain water, grey water or recycled water. So if you have access to any of that water, wash away!

[hsvcsv]

I am unsure if you can even use the Karcher from a bucket looking at the wording of the Melb restrictions. I have not long bought a new Karcher so would be nice if you could, but I think it says no car washing at home at all.

Sorry i should have made myself clearer. The bucket of water you would be using would be filled up from the tank(assuming you have one and it has water in it). We are on stage 4 and any water apart from using mains can be used for anything you wish as stated in our stage 4 restriction pamphlete, ie, tank water, recycled water, etc.

[
What will happen to car wash shops when stage 4 hits? Will they still be in operation?

Will we all have our cars permanatly dirty?

Timmy[/QUOTE]

We are on stage 4 and the car wash has installed a HUGE!! water tank and then the water is trucked in(recycled water)to fill the tank up.Without these measures they were told they would have to shut up shop. At the car wash $2 would get you 3mins 30 now try 2mins. I guess trucking the water in isnt cheap but you still have the option of washing your car.

[EddieVE06]

A quick question. Grey water? Does that mean water from sinks, washing machines etc etc. If so does that mean you can just run your washing machine drain pipe into a drum and then use it to wash a car.

What stopping someone from just taking water from their tap adding some car shampoo and pretending its grey water and it cam from the washing machine or sink drom rinsing dishes?

[OzJavelin]

After the 1st January 07, we cannot use water to wash our cars in Melbourne. So how do we keep our cars clean? As far as I'm concerned, if I can't clean the GTO, to maintain it in concourse condition, then I'll just leave it in the garage.
So, for those of you who are subject to stage 3 restrictions, how do you intend to keep your vehicle in pristine, "clean" condition, without using water?
Cheers, Pickles.
How dirty does your car actually get in Melbourne? Drive down many dirt roads in the GTO? As it doesn't rain, I'd think it won't be too bad. However, if you can't stand it being slightly dirty, then I suppose you can just exercise your right to not drive it ..

[swingtan]

A quick question. Grey water? Does that mean water from sinks, washing machines etc etc. If so does that mean you can just run your washing machine drain pipe into a drum and then use it to wash a car.

What stopping someone from just taking water from their tap adding some car shampoo and pretending its grey water and it cam from the washing machine or sink drom rinsing dishes?

Yes, grey water is any "used" water that isn't sewerage. However I'd be a little careful about using it to wash the car, especially if you mix different sources of the grey water. For example, I'd never want any water from a dish washer near my car. The powder you use in a dishwasher is based on caustic soda, the same stuff that is used to clean old engine blocks. If you care about using "car shampoo" to wash your car, you won't want to be adding is to a highly alkaline water. The water from the clothes washer isn't too bad, but there is a chance that it may contain undissolved powdered detergent and other dirt. So you'd need to be careful as well. My preference would be to use grey water for the garden and rain water for washing. As for trying to pass off fresh water as grey, I guess it'll be up to you to convince the man with the fine book. Remember that in times like these, you'll be guilty until proven Innocent....

Oz Javenlin: It's not just a case of dust, but also the fact that in Melb we still get dew settling on the car at night. If you have a light layer of dust and then the dew gets to it, it turns to a hard crust. Also any minerals in the dust may turn the moisture in the dew acidic or alkaline and stain the paint. This is one of the problems with the rules, how do you tell if the stuff on your car is going to damage the paint ?

[Drewie]

[QUOTE=swingtan;795506] My preference would be to use grey water for the garden and rain water for washing. As for trying to pass off fresh water as grey, I guess it'll be up to you to convince the man with the fine book. Remember that in times like these, you'll be guilty until proven Innocent....

Re the man with the fine book, I guess even if you were using rain water with your Karcher and a neighbour dobbed you in, it may be a bit hard to prove it was rain water and not water from the mains you were using.
The way those restrictions are worded are bit confusing, in one instance it says no car washing at home at all and no pressure cleaners and then it says no restrictions on grey or rain water, so a good chance you may get dobbed in if someone sees you using your Karcher on the car.

[Dug]

Re the man with the fine book, I guess even if you were using rain water with your Karcher and a neighbour dobbed you in, it may be a bit hard to prove it was rain water and not water from the mains you were using.
The way those restrictions are worded are bit confusing, in one instance it says no car washing at home at all and no pressure cleaners and then it says no restrictions on grey or rain water, so a good chance you may get dobbed in if someone sees you using your Karcher on the car.

Don't quote me on this, but I believe that if you use recycled water, you must display a sign stating as such in plain view on your property. Anyone who can confirm, or shoot me down in flames, please feel free. I can not recall where I heard this info, so can't substantiate it.

I'll be p1ssed if i can't use my karcher. Got it for my birthday a week ago, and haven't even opened the box yet!

[swingtan]

I think it'll come down to the old "Rain water in use" sign. It won't stop nosey neighbours dobbing you in, but it will show that you are trying to do the right thing. I think another thread talked about how the water can be tested for things like Fluoride and Chlorine, if there is any in you "rain water" you'll be in a spot of bother. Of course I have no idea what they'll do if you tell them you dumped some pool chlorine in the rain water tank to stop algae and bacteria. I'm trying to find a big drum now to hook up, before going the 3000lt tank next year.

Oh and remember the water savers moto.....

If it's yellow, let it mellow....
If it's brown. flush it down !!!!

[SSBarney]

Just picked up me 1000lt water tank from bunnings ($499), now i just need the rain to wait until i hook it up this weekend:thumbsup:

[OzJavelin]

Re the man with the fine book, I guess even if you were using rain water with your Karcher and a neighbour dobbed you in, it may be a bit hard to prove it was rain water and not water from the mains you were using.
Most water authorities are checking "suspect" tanks for fluoride/chlorine to determine if it was filled from mains water ..

[BarneyG]

A few good suggestions on here...I like the one about visiting Carlovers in off peak taking your own gear. I'm onto that one!

Another tip - if you don't have a water tank, get a 44 gallon drum, detach your downpipe from your verandah and run it into the drum. Heaps of water for the garden & car using a bucket if you need it. My in-laws have got two of these and they are always full with the intermittent rain they get that runs off the back verandah which would otherwise go into stormwater and 'not in the catchment area'.

I'm a big fan off bringing your own sponge and bucket to carlovers after hours, and just use there water.:driving:

[Avalanche]

we have ordered our tank up here. its a pity that there is a shortage on tanks at the moment. have to wait till mid jan for delivery. already had 2 down pours which would have filled it easily. we are just getting in before we get hit with more restrictions. 4000L should look after washing the car & kepping the outdoor areas clean & some grass alive.

[EddieVE06]

Thia is the stuff that really pisses me off and we cant wash our cars even with a high pressure hose.

"MOBIL has been branded an "absolute disgrace" for using million of litres of drinking water to test huge petrol storage tanks.

The company confirmed today it used two million litres of water - equal to two Olympic swimming pools - from the mains supply to test a giant tank at Yarraville, although the test had been done in August before stage two restrictions. "

Who knows what else has been tested without us little people knowing.

About time the govt gets serious with big industry not use poor buggers who are almost never home during the week due to work and all we want is about 30 litres to wash our cars if that.:cussing:

[HRT 8]

Most water authorities are checking "suspect" tanks for fluoride/chlorine to determine if it was filled from mains water ..

Now see that there I would have some issues with.
My tank is in the rear yard which also contains a mighty fine ex VicPol German Shepherd named Boz.
Id pay good money to see the water man with his fine book come into my back yard to test for ****ing flouride. Where does he get the authority to enter someones rear yard?

On a side note. Ive been using the grey water from the washingmachine on the back lawn for quite some time. Its never looked greener. Go the Cold Power!!!

[Drewie]

You could probably collect enough clean waste water each week to wash your car, for example we would waste probably half a bucket of water waiting for the shower to heat up of a morning, if you collected that and put it in a drum over a week probably more than enough for the Karcher to do a wash,
problem though it would have the chlorine/fluoride content, so question is would this be classed as 'Grey' water or fresh water from the mains.
I am thinking of doing this as every morning quite a few litres goes done the drain.

[Animal]

Now see that there I would have some issues with.
My tank is in the rear yard which also contains a mighty fine ex VicPol German Shepherd named Boz.
Id pay good money to see the water man with his fine book come into my back yard to test for ****ing flouride. Where does he get the authority to enter someones rear yard?

On a side note. Ive been using the grey water from the washingmachine on the back lawn for quite some time. Its never looked greener. Go the Cold Power!!!

Dam funny :lmao:

Can I borrow Boz for a few hours, I want to see him do it too

[PWNAGE]

Probably a stupid question but is using rain water to wash cars better or harsher on your paint then mains water?

[swingtan]

I doubt that rain water ill be "better" than mains, but I can't see it being any worse either. After all, if it was going to be an issue, it should effect the paint when your car gets rained on.......

[VZSS250]

These water restrictions separate the cool neighbours from the absolute dogsh*ts out there. The one guy in my neighbourhood that is always on the lookout to dob someone in has not worked all his life and hasn't paid a cent of income tax as well. He has anti-Howard posters on his front fence, yet hasn't bothered to wash his shorts for a month.

[wagnman]

Anyone who keeps their car in a lock up garage can keep their cars nice and clean by using one of those bloody excelant "mop like" dusters every day and then use a good quick detailer like Meguires or turtle wax every couple of days to a week depending on how many little marks you get. I have found this works very well especially if you keep the car waxed with a good carnuba wax too. My wagon always looks sweet as and I have found that if I keep on top of it it only takes like 5 min per day to keep the car looking good.
The secret is to know when the car is too dirty to use the duster or the quick detailer. If there is anything more than a fine layer of dust you still need to go to the car wash. This way you dont scratch your paint by trying to wipe off dirt. The finish on my car is getting smoother and smother as time goes on and with the overhead lights in the garage I can see any marks in the paintwork and they are going away leaving the surface like glass.:thumbsup:

[boyley]

I havebeen working in the Industrial sector fot he last decade and I can tell you all that its not you that uses the water. In fact Melbournians and the rest of australia for that matter use only about 35% of all water that falls from the sky. The sooner the big companies are enforce dto save water you and I have no chance unless Noah is building the arc again.

I have seen industrial plant comsuming potable water for cooling all sorts of plant and they use megalitres per day, yes per day.

One Mine in south Australia is draining the great artesian basin of its water a t a rate of 200 Megalitres a day. The pump the water from queensland in bore form and then desalinate it to three gardes demineralised, potable and town water. The basin took millions of years to fill and its basically seepage from the see to the inladn basin.

The big companies are pillaging our water supplies. Take a coal fied power staion for instance the recycle their water and treat it to reuse but they have huge evaporation levels so where do the get the water from. basically our taps.

Dont let the commies tell you fibs and dont be wastefull with water but the average Joe uses SFA

[Smiler]

Man, and I thought we had it bad here around London!

[Sidewindr]

Here's my car washing solution ...

Step 1. Take an ordinary down pipe ..

http://www.ls1.com.au/stuff/side/downp.jpg

Step 2. Modify down pipe to point into a 60L Drum.

http://www.ls1.com.au/stuff/side/mods.jpg

Step 3. Repeat 5 times. and wait for the rain.

http://www.ls1.com.au/stuff/side/drums.jpg

I presently have 300L of rainwater from Friday night's rain and the 6th 60L drum is under a down pipe waiting for the next sprinkle. Was cheaper than putting in a full blown rainwater tank. Incidently the drums filled in like 5 mins when the rain started to come down... :shock:

[mavss]

I started taking my car to the car wash when we were hit with water restrictions back in the late 90's and haven't looked back since.

I do use my own bucket and sponge and find I don't cop too much flack for doing so, even though the "No Bucket" signs are posted everywhere.

Shouldn't cost more than $3-4 if done properly.