La Crescenta Raises Cash For Memorial Fund via Eco Touch

On Saturday March 13th, the students of Crescenta Valley High School came together to raise money for a good cause through the Eco Touch Waterless Car Wash Fundraiser Program. Read the details below - courtesy of Glendale News Press/Melanie Hicken.

Carwash raises cash for memorial fund

Crescenta Valley High School senior Suzie Lee, 17, cleans a windshield during the CVHS "waterless" carwash fundraiser for her family at the school Saturday. Lee's father, Joo Lee, was struck by a hit-and-run driver on New Year's Day on in Montrose and died of his injuries at a hospital six days later. (Raul Roa/News-Press)

CV High students work to help family grieving after hit-and-run death Jan. 1.

By Melanie Hicken

Published: Last Updated Sunday, March 14, 2010 9:31 PM PDT

LA CRESCENTA — Students from more than a dozen Crescenta Valley High School clubs and organizations came together Saturday to raise money for the family of a classmate whose dad was killed by a hit-and-run driver.

Cars streamed in and out of the high school’s overflow parking lot on Ramsdell Avenue early Saturday morning for a waterless carwash to raise money for the Joo Lee Memorial Fund.

Lee was struck by a hit-and-run driver in Montrose on New Year’s Day and later died from his injuries. No one has been arrested in connection with Lee’s death.

“There are no active leads that we have currently,” said Lt. Gary Montecuollo. “It is still an open case. We regularly discuss the facts of the case with other law enforcement agencies and review other traffic collisions and information.”

At Saturday’s fundraising event, students also passed out fliers with information about the January accident.

They said they hoped the event could raise awareness about the accident to help develop new leads for the police investigation.

“We’re trying to let the community know about what happened,” said junior Kevin Park.

On Saturday, Lee’s oldest daughter, Suzie, a senior at the high school, said she and her family have been amazed by the outpouring of community support.

“I feel really blessed to have such great friends and classmates,” she said.

The carwash was organized by Crescenta Valley sophomore Peter Lee, who said he wanted to do all he could to help his friend and her family during a time of tragedy.

“She’s like a sister to me,” he said.

So far, more than $8,000 has been raised for the family entirely through donations, and Lee said he hoped to raise another $2,000 at the carwash.

In an effort to adhere to the area’s water conservation restrictions, the students teamed with the Crescenta Valley Water District to host a “waterless” carwash that used a nonhazardous chemical to clean the cars. The district donated enough of the spray to wash 500 cars, Peter Lee said.

On Saturday, students sprayed the chemical on cars, and wiped them down with rags Saturday, dancing to music as they worked.

Freshman Sevag Alexanian said he doesn’t know Suzie Lee well, but he still came out early Saturday morning to do anything he could to help.

“We’re all here to make our contributions and help out,” he said. “Our hearts go out to the family.”

Anyone with information on the January incident is asked to contact the Glendale Police Department. Anonymous tips can be made by calling Glendale Crime Stoppers at (818) 507-7867.

9 Ingredients to Avoid in Car Care Products

1. Synthetic fragrances/scents - used to mask the smell of the chemicals used in the product. Manufacturers typically opt for the synthetic version of a chemical because it is far less expensive than their natural counterpart. Essential oils are a much better alternative than synthetics.

2. Synthetic dyes/colorants - change the appearance of a formula so it is more pleasing for the consumer. The majority of dyes derive from coal tars or petroleum. Coal tar contains various toxins and carcinogens.

3. Teflons, Fluropolymers - used by car care manufacturers as a gloss/protective agent for car surfaces. Traditionally found in quick detailers, car waxes and car wash products. During the production of teflons and fluropolymers, a hazardous chemical known as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is used. PFOA is a toxicant and carcinogen in animals. In people, it has been linked to birth defects, increased cancer rates and changes to the immune system.

4. Kerosene - a synthetic distillate which is used as a grease cutter. Kerosene can damage lung tissues and dissolve the fatty tissue that surrounds nerve cells. Found in all purpose cleaners and degreasers. [1]

5. Methanol - a solvent derived from wood and petroleum. It is acutely toxic and can cause blindness. Found in window cleaners and windshield wash.

6. Sodium Hydroxide (lye, caustic soda, white caustic, soda lye) - extremely strong caustic substance that damages skin, eyes and mucous membranes. Blindness is reported in animals exposed to as little as 2% dilution for just one minute.

7. Ammonia - a corrosive substance which causes burning of the eyes, nose, throat and respiratory tract and can result in blindness, lung damage or death. Boosts the nitrogen levels in soil and water which adversely affect marine and animal life.

8. Phosphates - phosphorus occurs naturally in rock formations in the earth's crust, usually as phosphate. They are of high nutritive value to plants and animals at normal levels in the environment. However, phosphates are also used as detergent builders in some car care products, which causes aquatic plant life to flourish, thus decreasing oxygen levels for other organisms. Found in car wash soaps.

9. Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) - Polyvinyl Chloride is recognized by the recycling symbol #3. PVC is highly toxic because during its production, it is mixed with softening chemicals known as plasticizers, the most common variety being phalates. Exposure to PVC and plasticizers have been linked to an increased risk of the following: hormonal imbalance, reproductive problems, allergies in children, brain cancer and tumors. PVC is used in packaging for several major car care manufacturers. The sensible alternative would be to switch to #1 PET or #2 HDPE.

Want to avoid the ingredients listed above? Check out Eco Touch's line of Waterless Car Wash & Detailing Products.

[1] - Healthy-Communications.com

The 5 Myths of Waterless Car Washing

Myth #1: A Waterless Car Wash will scratch my car's paint.

Avoiding scratching and marring comes down to technique and common sense.

First, make sure you are using quality microfiber towels. My personal preference is to use towels with a minimum weight of 300 GSM (grams per square meter). Either look on the tag or ask the manufacturer for the weight of the towels.

Next, when wiping the Waterless Car Wash formula from the surface of the vehicle, use light strokes to pick up dirt. There is no need to aggressively rub the formula on the car's surface. I typically take the approach of "wipe and lift" so that the contaminants are not dragging on the surface of the vehicle.

Lastly, use common sense. If you are dealing with a surface that is muddy or sandy, you will obviously need a pre-rinse. Many people will argue that a pre-rinse defeats the purpose of a "waterless" car wash. Not in my opinion. With any method of washing your vehicle, whether it's waterless, rinseless or a hose and bucket...you'll need to somehow removes those heavy contaminants before cleaning the car. Otherwise you will definately run into problems.

Myth #2: It's not really "waterless", you have to clean the microfiber towels in water.

To tackle this myth, we need to first clarify what "waterless" means. When people first hear the term they automatically think it means using absolutely no water at all. While this would be nice, it's not realistic. In my personal opinion, it means using significantly LESS water than the other methods available to consumers. What are those methods? See Myth #5.

So yes, you will need to clean the microfiber towels. The towels can easily be washed by letting them soak in a 1-gallon bucket of hot water with a little dish detergent. If you have a bunch of towels, save them all up and do one full load versus cleaning individually. There is also the misconception people have that the towels are disposed of after one use. Not true. The average microfiber towel can be wash and re-used up to 50 times. Considering that the average person cleans their cars once ever two weeks, the towels will last you for about two years before disposal.

If you want to truly be "waterless" then perhaps you should not clean your car at all. But, for most of us who want to keep our vehicles looking nice and increase their longevity, a Waterless Car Wash is a great option.

Myth #3: A quick Detailing product and Waterless Car Wash product are the exact same thing.

I can't speak for all brands on this point, but will do my best to address this myth. Typically Waterless Car Wash products have greater cleaning power than quick detailers. Waterless car wash products combine surfactants, lubricants and pH builders to help break down surface grime more effectively. Quick detailers on the other hand are primarily used to add an instant shine/gloss to a car's paint and are not specifically engineered for cleaning purposes.

Myth #4: All Waterless Car Wash products are the same.

Not quite. There are actually many differences between the various waterless car wash products out there. Here are some questions to ask when viewing the vast array of products:

• Water-based or petroleum-distillate based formula?
• Full ingredient disclosure on packaging and all CAS numbers on MSDS sheets?
• Does formula contain protective agents (e.g. silicone emulsion, carnauba wax, teflon, PEG, etc)
• Is there isopropyl alcohol used in the formula?
• Are bottles and sprayers 100% recyclable?
• Can the formula be used on both paint & windows?
• Is the product a private-label brand?
• Is the product made in the USA?
• Are there fragrances or dyes? Are they synthetic or natural?
• Aerosol or pump sprayer?

If you need any help answering the questions above, shoot me an email jdudra[at]ecotouch[dot]net and I will do my best to answer.

Ultimately in the end it will come down to trying different products and finding the one which suits your needs best.

Myth #5: Using a Waterless Car Wash product doesn't really help the environment.

The best method of analysis is to compare Waterless Car Washing to the other options available on the market today for consumers.

Environmental impact by method:

Hose and bucket wash
Production and transportation of chemicals -> distributor -> retail store -> consumer
80 - 140 gallons of water per wash (data from the International Car Wash Association)
Discharge of soapy suds, brake dust and car oils into environment
Water sanitation costs and energy
Disposal of packaging

Commercial car wash
Production and transportation of chemicals -> distributor -> car wash facility
Disposal of packaging (drums)
45 gallons of water per wash
Energy required to run equipment and reclaim water
Fixed sites impact on the land

Waterless car wash
Production and transportation of chemicals -> distributor -> retail store -> consumer
4 - 6 oz of waterless car wash formula used per car
Disposal of packaging

Comparing the three most common methods available to consumers today, Waterless Car Washing has the least environmental impact. The savings in water, energy and chemicals is only compounded as you think of the millions of cars being washed on a daily basis.

In the future, it would be great to do a full product life cycle analysis on the Waterless Car Wash method and find what our true net impact is.


Have any other myths you think exist for Waterless Car Wash products? Have a question on one of the points above? Shoot me an email - jdudra[at]ecotouch[dot]net and we can discuss.

Quick and Easy Dilutions for Eco Touch Portable Waterless Wash System

The Eco Touch Portable Waterless Wash System holds 3.5 gallons of formula. Listed below are quick dilution ratios depending on the vehicle you are working with.

Light cleaning (dust, pollen, pre-rinsing)
Pour 20 oz Eco Touch Waterless Car Wash Concentrate into tank and fill remainder with water

Moderate cleaning (normal driving, road grime, heavy dust)
Pour 40 oz Eco Touch Waterless Car Wash Concentrate into tank and fill remainder with water

What we have found is that Eco Touch Waterless Car Wash Concentrate is very forgiving in terms of dilution ratios. The figures shown above are approximate. So, if you scale upwards or downwards the formula will still work correctly.

Click here for a full dilution chart

Win 1 Gallon Eco Touch Waterless Car Wash Concentrate

We have launched our newest contest at the
Eco Touch Online Forums. You have a chance to win 1 gallon Eco Touch Waterless Car Wash Concentrate - valued at $149! That's enough product to clean 250 cars!

Entry into our contest is simple.

Choose from one of two options below:

• Post a relevant new topic in our forums.
• Respond to an existing post thoughtfully.

Every new new post and/or topic counts as an entry towards winning the gallon of concentrate. Maximum of 10 entries per user.

Contest runs until September 17, 2009.

Click here to enter!

Eco Touch My Ride 2 Contest!

Is your ride in desperate need of an Eco Touch? We are giving away one lucky winner an Eco Touch Car Care Kit valued at $50!

Entry is quite easy.

• Log onto Twitter
• RT "Just entered to win an Eco Touch Car Care Kit. Just follow @ecotouch and retweet. http://tinyurl.com/lz6ypr"

We will select a random winner on July 24th. Good luck!

Eco Touch How To Videos

We are in the process of posting a new series of how to videos for the Eco Touch product line. Window Clear & Dashboard Protect have now been launched!