PFAS: The ‘forever chemicals’ found at the local car wash

A routine car wash may hide a toxic threat

It’s a hot summer day, so you decide to swing by your local car wash for a quick rinse. A thick coat of soap foams up on your car, then washes away. That’s followed by a spray, a bright wax finish and an air dry. Everything looks clean and shiny, so you drive off, satisfied and ready to hit the open road.

But while your car looks good, you, the workers at the car wash, and the surrounding community may have just been exposed to a class of toxic chemicals that neither break down nor stay put. 

What are PFAS, and why are they harmful?

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of at least 9,000 synthetic chemicals that have been used since the 1940s to make products resist water, stains and heat. They’ve been found in everything from nonstick pans and stain-proof carpets to firefighting foam and cosmetic items. And yes, they’re also found at the car wash. 

That’s cause for concern for a few reasons. First, PFAS degrade very slowly in nature, meaning once released, these chemicals can persist for decades, spreading through water systems, accumulating in soil, and building up in the human body. 

This toxic buildup can lead to some serious health implications. PFAS exposure has been linked to kidney and testicular cancers, reduced fertility in adults, and lower birth weights in infants. Some PFAS have been proven to disrupt hormone regulation and the endocrine system, which can interfere with growth, reproduction and development. Others may weaken the immune system, harm the liver, or impede thyroid function. 

Even small amounts of PFAS can be harmful over time, and exposure is already widespread. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), around 97% of Americans already have detectable levels of PFAS in their blood.

How PFAS get released at the car wash

So PFAS are toxic, and (while we hate to be the bearers of bad news) probably already in your body. But all that doesn’t explain how they end up at the car wash. 

Available evidence suggests that PFAS chemicals may be found in at least some car waxes or polishes, which, unsurprisingly, are valued for their ability to shed water and provide a glossy finish. 

Some waxes and polishes are sprayed directly onto the surface of a vehicle during detailing or washing. But once applied, they don’t necessarily stay on the car for long. As these chemicals rinse off, the runoff water may pick up other contaminants, including road debris, oil and grease. This toxic, potentially PFAS-laced, sludge can then flow into local storm drains and waterways, contaminate nearby groundwater and waste systems, or leach into the soil.

What does this mean for your health and community?

If you’re a customer, the occasional car wash likely isn’t your biggest source of PFAS exposure. Unfortunately, these chemicals are found in dozens, perhaps hundreds, of household products that you’d never expect, and probably already own. 

But, if PFAS are being used in carwashes across the country, and they are being rinsed into drains and absorbed by local water systems, the risk is no longer just individual; it’s widespread and environmental. 

Once it reaches drains or waterways, runoff from commercial car washes doesn’t stay put. Instead, it can move and travel with the water, often unpredictably, meaning chemicals sprayed on your car to improve the shine could end up leaching into someone’s drinking water miles away. 

The simple act of taking your car for a wash could result in toxic, potentially deadly, chemicals leaching into your reservoirs, contaminating your local recreational waterways or poisoning native aquatic wildlife. 

How to reduce PFAS exposure at the car wash

We’re not saying that you should never wash your vehicles again. But if you’re a frequent car wash customer, there are a few simple steps you can take to reduce your exposure to PFAS chemicals:

• Ask your car wash or auto shop whether their waxes, coatings or lubricants contain PFAS. 
• Skip the potentially toxic extra shines and wax treatments.
• Ask your local officials to test your town’s water and drainage systems for PFAS contamination. 
• Wash your car at home, and avoid products labeled with “Teflon” or “PTFE.” Instead stick to basic soap and water. 

For car wash facilities and workers, minimizing PFAS exposure means phasing out the products treated with these chemicals, especially coatings, waxes and lubricants. Facilities should also test their wastewater regularly and report levels to local authorities or environmental agencies. 

If a car wash still relies on PFAS-laced sprays or finishes, it should provide workers with adequate protective equipment, including gloves, arm covers, masks and eye protection. 

We need stronger rules to stop this contamination

While taking precautions to protect yourself, your family and your community from PFAS contamination is important, the real solution to this growing threat is better state and federal regulations.

We shouldn’t have to rely on the vigilance of consumers, workers and facility owners to ensure that our drinking water is safe. We need more policies, stronger regulations and more frequent testing to limit this pollution and the detrimental risks it poses to our health. 

States like Washington, Vermont and Colorado have already taken action to ban PFAS from products like furniture, cosmetics, food packaging or cookware. While these bans are promising, we still need more action to phase out PFAS from consumer products and keep it out of our environment and bodies.

Getting a new wax for your car, purchasing a new shirt or cooking with a pan shouldn’t come at the cost of your health or your community’s safety. 

Together we can urge our legislators, lawmakers and agencies to take a stand against PFAS contamination, and help make America a safer, healthier and more sane place to live.