Six tips for holding a successful waterless car wash fundraiser

For groups looking to raise money, the days of hose and bucket washing are long gone. Water restrictions, stricter EPA regulations and the limitations of having a water hookup nearby have all but ended this traditional fundraising method.

Enter the era of Waterless Car Wash Fundraisers.

Armed with a 22 oz bottle and several microfiber towels your non-profit, charity or school can easily raise money for its cause without infringing upon the environment or relying upon a commercial carwash facility.

Over the past month, Eco Touch has sponsored several of these Waterless Car Wash Fundraisers, with great results. If you are considering holding one of these events, we have put together a top tip list to help get you started.

Tip #1 - Advertise, advertise, advertise

Posters, flyers and press releases are a great way to get the word out. Begin your campaign at least a week in advance by coordinating with local newspapers and media outlets. Offer coupons, discounts or other incentives to help draw people to your event. On the day of the event strategically place team members roadside to bring more customers to the waterless car wash.



Tip #2 - Assemble your team

Both kids and adults will need to participate in order to make your fundraising event a success. We recommend having three teams: sales/marketing (pitching your services to customers), washing/drying (physical labor), and support (cash transactions, food, etc).

Also note than some areas of the car are difficult for smaller children to reach, so have taller team members focus on these areas.



Tip #3 - Optimize your location

Make sure the lot you choose has enough space to support multiple cars and does not interfere with regular traffic. You will need to queue cars, so plan accordingly. Also be sure to check with your local municipality before the event to see if a permit is required.



Tip #4 - Divide and conquer

Split responsibilities of applying formula and drying between team members. This will ensure a quicker and easier cleaning process. Be sure to have one team member who is solely devoted to changing microfiber towels and cleaning them in a separate bucket of wash water.



Tip #5 - Keep it shady

For optimal results with your Waterless Car Wash, work under a shaded location. When car panels are too hot the formula can evaporate quickly. Be wary of Waterless Car Wash products which claim they can be used in direct sunlight. They are most likely contain high concentrations of petroleum-based solvents, alcohols and other nasty chemicals (some of which are listed on California's Prop 65).

Look for water-based products that openly disclose all ingredients.



Tip #6 - Stay energized

All that Waterless Car Washing takes work. Keep your team members energized with a nice spread of food and refreshments.



These are just a few tips to help you get started. For more detailed information visit:

Eco Touch's Waterless Car Wash Fundraiser Program.

Cleaning heavily soiled microfiber towels.

Because microfiber towels consist of thousands of tiny 'scoops' they can become heavily soiled with stains from grease and oils. Here's a quick tip for helping clean your towels more effectively.

1) Squirt Eco Touch Carpet + Upholstery onto the stained area of the towel.

2) Take a second clean Eco Touch Microfiber Towel and agitate. You'll begin to notice foaming.

3) Blot the foam dry and let air-dry.

4) Re launder*, and your towel will be much cleaner than before.

*To clean microfiber towels, place in washing machine with regular detergent. Do not use bleach or fabric softener. Line dry or place in dryer (air or low heat only) and voila, your towels will be clean!

Have some tips of your own? Please share with us!

Ten tips for a commercial waterless car wash.

1. Create a system for applying and drying each vehicle. Many detailers who use Eco Touch's products on a commercial-level, work in teams. One member applies the product while the second one dries, working their way from the top of the vehicle down.
   
   
2. Use a garden-style/backpack sprayer to ensure consistent application. You can find many of these at a local home & garden center.
   
   
3. Know your product dilutions! Eco Touch's newly released dilution chart (pdf) shows how versatile product can be.
   
   
4. Work out of the sun if possible. This can be tough if you are on-site, but aim to clean on cool vehicle panels. If you can't avoid the sun, then see tip five.
   
   
5. For hot car panels or heavily soiled vehicles try a pre-rinse first. Eco Touch Waterless Car Wash + Polish can be diluted 1:20 ratio to help cool the panels first or rinse off tough heavily soiled area.
   
   
6. If you encounter streaking, make sure the product is applied and then quickly toweled off within 10 seconds. Leaving the formula on the car's surface for longer than 15 - 30 seconds can lead to streaking/hazing.
   
   
7. Have multiple dilutions ready to help expedite the cleaning process. For the exterior Waterless Car wash try having a 1:5 (heavy), 1:10 (moderate) and 1:20 (pre-rinse) available at all times.
   
   
8. For large surfaces have a variety of microfiber cleaning tools available. Microfiber mops with extensions work great for taller car panels. Also include mitts and extra towels in your arsenal.
   
   
9. To eliminate runoff concerns, such as drips from the Waterless Car Wash, lay a towel underneath each section of the car you clean to catch excess formula.
   
   
10. Check with your municipality first on their regulations for cleaning vehicles, especially if you are a mobile washer. And always be sure to abide by the Clean Water Act.
    

Now in Cambridge, MA Whole Foods

We are pleased to announce that Eco Touch is now be carried at the Whole Foods Fresh Pond in Cambridge, MA. Products stocked include:

• Waterless Car Wash + Polish
• Microfiber Towel Pack

Check for the rest of the family soon :)

Find the Fresh Pond location here!

Heading to SEMA...

That's right, Eco Touch will be making its debut appearance at SEMA in Vegas from Nov 4 - 7. Come join us at booth #12780 in the car care and appearance section. We are super excited to debut several new products which will begin shipping in the next few months. See you there!

Eco Touch Huddler Interview

Well, the Huddler interview is up with complete answers. For those of you wanting to read more, check it out here ---> GreenhomeHuddler Interview

Got a question? Ask us at Greenhome Huddler

This week, the good folks over at Greenhome Huddler are opening up questions to Eco Touch. The best 10 questions will get sent over to us, and we'll post answers next week. So got something you've been itching to ask Eco Touch? Ask away here!