As the price of fuel rises, sales of new vehicles tend to fall. And many of us are driving around in cars that are not, perhaps, as sexy and new as we would like them to be. For now, all we can do is cross our fingers in the hopes that water-fueled engines are just over the horizon... and keep our older-than-desired cars as clean as we can. Which means a lot of trips to the car wash.

A car wash, however, can harm the environment and use up lost of water. It can be difficult for the person who both wants to keep their car clean, and keep the environment safe. And for those of us whose math skills do not allow us to instantly calculate how many gallons of water are gushing out of a hose, it can be hard to know what kind of car wash is easiest on the environment. The answer? All or none. To find out more about the good and bad effects different car wash types have on the environment, read on.

Home Car Wash: One good thing about washing your vehicle at home is having complete control over the soaps, etc., you use, as well as the amount of water. Some soaps and products used in washing cars can really harm the earth. With a home car wash, however, you can control what you use, and use soaps and cleaners that don't do as much harm to the environment. As a bonus, a home car wash gives you a bit of exercise, the warm sun on your back, and who knows? Maybe a fun summer water fight with your kids in the front yard. However, washing your car at home is also the option that uses up the most water. On average, a person washing his or her car at home uses at least 50 gallons of water. That said, it's important to keep in mind that, if you'd like to limit the amount of water you use, you can... you have total control.

Self-Service Car Wash: The best thing about a self-sevice (generally coin-operated) car wash is that you'll use much less water than you'd normally use at home. At a self-service car wash, washing a normal sized car uses up about twelve to fourteen gallons of water (if it's not too dirty). Plus, if you're using a self-serve wash with your own products, you can choose what to use. You lose the ease of a full-service car wash and the convenience of washing up at home, however.

Full Service Car Wash: There are a lot of great things about using a professional car wash. The obvious thing is that it's ridiculously easy... and gets your car ridiculously clean. A professional car wash also requires less water than using the hose at home; 11 gallons or so for a small car, and 20 gallons or so for a truck or sport utility vehicle. However, some full-service car washes can be unfriendly on the environment. More than a few of them use products that drain hazardous chemicals into the oceans and ground water. There are some, however, that "go green" with environmentally safe soaps and products... you simply have to choose the right one.