# Wash car (not Car Wash!)



## rospapergirl

Hi everyone. I've been searching the internet to find out about washing a vehicle by hand. Rumour has it that it's illegal to do that in Spain. My car isn't insured so I can't get to car wash but it's got 6 inches (I don't do metric much!) of dust on it and needs washing. There are people around me who do wash their cars but I want to know if it's allowed, please? Don't want some local "VIP" giving me verbal!


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## xabiaxica

rospapergirl said:


> Hi everyone. I've been searching the internet to find out about washing a vehicle by hand. Rumour has it that it's illegal to do that in Spain. My car isn't insured so I can't get to car wash but it's got 6 inches (I don't do metric much!) of dust on it and needs washing. There are people around me who do wash their cars but I want to know if it's allowed, please? Don't want some local "VIP" giving me verbal!


I'd be interested to know definitively

my spanish teacher when we first came here told us that it was illegal to wash your car by hand in the summer months





maybe you should just wait till winter


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## Chica

I'm pleased you mentioned that coz I was going to wash the car tomorrow. I just never give it a thought as it would have been with a bucket of water, not a hose. Oh well, off to the automatic :emptybath::couch2:


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## jojo

I thought the law was that you could wash your car behind your gates, but not on the open street?? Remember I am stupid tho !!! LOL

Jo xx


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## Chica

I've googled it and it is illegal to wash your car at the side of the street and you can only use recycled water to wash your car in your own drive. And apparently, it's illegal to fill the pool with mains water. How else would you do it:confused2: . I'm not too sure about that as everybody does it don't they?


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## Guest

Also it may depend on what the source of the water is. Where I live there is a plentiful supply of water (at least so far!) from a private well which supplies 300+ properties. I can't imagine that if you are using a "private" supply, which a lot of cortijos here also have that you would have to defend it to the authorities. 

In addition if on an urbanisation there may be rules covering water use and washing cars, filling pools. 

Good question though and I must admit that I washed my car today (first time in about 6 months) and did not even think of whether it would be allowed. In fact I often joke with clients that the UK is regularly introducing limitations - hose pipe bans etc. and yet here you can do what you want - guess I should be a bit more carfeful - or at least make it clear that this applies to private supplies.

James


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## Guest

Chica said:


> I've googled it and it is illegal to wash your car at the side of the street and you can only use recycled water to wash your car in your own drive. And apparently, it's illegal to fill the pool with mains water. How else would you do it:confused2: . I'm not too sure about that as everybody does it don't they?


You can get tankers to come (full of water) and fill the pool etc. (No idea of cost but probably more expensive than mains water). Also without wanting to try and interpret Spanish law what does "fill the pool" mean?????? Is this applicable just when it is empty (no water at all)?? ie not to topping it up when it drops down a tile or two (which I am sure everyone does (it would not be viable to bring a tanker once a week and bottled water would be rediculous!))???



James


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## jojo

JamesSalobrena said:


> You can get tankers to come (full of water) and fill the pool etc. (No idea of cost but probably more expensive than mains water). Also without wanting to try and interpret Spanish law what does "fill the pool" mean?????? Is this applicable just when it is empty (no water at all)?? ie not to topping it up when it drops down a tile or two (which I am sure everyone does (it would not be viable to bring a tanker once a week and bottled water would be rediculous!))???
> 
> 
> 
> James



Good point James, what does "fill the pool" actually mean, from empty or when it drops a tile or two, which it certainly does in this heat?? I've been wondering that myself!

Jo xx


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## jojo

........ sorry Ros, I've strayed off topic. but we're not too far from it???? !!

Jo xx


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## Chica

I must say that in my area people seem not to be concerned with the preservation of water. The sprinklers for our communal gardens go on at 6am every morning for how long I don't know. And I see people hosing down the garden gates etc. You wouldn't believe we are in a country of very little rain would you??? Well, down south anyway


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## Chica

jojo said:


> Good point James, what does "fill the pool" actually mean, from empty or when it drops a tile or two, which it certainly does in this heat?? I've been wondering that myself!
> 
> Jo xx


Well, most of us know what you mean by filling up the pool :bounce::bounce:


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## jojo

Chica said:


> Well, most of us know what you mean by filling up the pool :bounce::bounce:



Well I dont, seriously!!??? Top up or from empty??

Jo xx


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## Chica

jojo said:


> Well I dont, seriously!!??? Top up or from empty??
> 
> Jo xx


Topping up constantly for a few days :eyebrows: :behindsofa:


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## jojo

Chica said:


> Topping up constantly for a few days :eyebrows: :behindsofa:


Oh!!! OH!!!! 


Jo xxx


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## Chica

jojo said:


> Oh!!! OH!!!!
> 
> 
> Jo xxx


Don't you remember when you went away and left your hose on or am I going gaga?:confused2:


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## jojo

Chica said:


> Don't you remember when you went away and left your hose on or am I going gaga?:confused2:


Yes, so that was illegal as well as bloody expensive!!!??? 


Jo xxx


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## littleredrooster

I,ve had my present Spanish car four and a half years now and I'm proud to say I've not yet washed it once, apart from an occasional quick wipe of the wing-mirrors, parts of the windows and lights with a wet rag.
Every once in a while comes a good downpour or heavy thundershower and thats good enough for me.
Whether it would have been necessary if I lived at the end of a long dirty track or in a very dusty area I cannot say,but I feel its a crime in my own way of thinking, to use a hose to wash cars in areas where water shortages are common.


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## jojo

littleredrooster said:


> I,ve had my present Spanish car four and a half years now and I'm proud to say I've not yet washed it once, apart from an occasional quick wipe of the wing-mirrors, parts of the windows and lights with a wet rag.
> Every once in a while comes a good downpour or heavy thundershower and thats good enough for me.
> Whether it would have been necessary if I lived at the end of a long dirty track or in a very dusty area I cannot say,but I feel its a crime in my own way of thinking, to use a hose to wash cars in areas where water shortages are common.


I've gotta be honest, I dont wash mine much either, I, like you give the windows, mirrors, lights a wipe over every now and again and occasionally if I'm watering the garden I might woosh the car a bit, but thats it!! I find the rain downpours make it worse, cos the rain is laden with dust!

Jo xxx


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## Stravinsky

Its correct that you can wash a car off the road. I have an off road area and its fine, but beliecve it or not there is still the issue of water running on to the road!!

My neighbour who is Spanish was washin his car on the road a few months ago and a police car stopped and told him to stop.

We also had an issue with sonmeones swimming pool water being discharged onto a road. That _is_ illegal.

So far as I know, at least here, there is no law against filling your pool from mains water. When our pool was originally filled we gained permission from the town hall. It cost about €250 in metered costs, and I believe a tanker costs about the same.


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## littleredrooster

jojo said:


> I've gotta be honest, I dont wash mine much either, I, like you give the windows, mirrors, lights a wipe over every now and again and occasionally if I'm watering the garden I might woosh the car a bit, but thats it!! I find the rain downpours make it worse, cos the rain is laden with dust!
> 
> Jo xxx



As I mentioned a lot may depend on the conditions in your area.
Fortunately when it rains cats and dogs at my place, the car looks like a brand new spanker again,well 90% of it anyway and thats good enough for me.
I know what you mean about the dust and fine sand coming down with the rain as I have seen it in quite a few places,however it only seems to happen occasionally here.
The countryside is very well greened over,cutting down on much of the ground level dust and it seems only rarely that the fine sand laden rain from the sahara finds its way up here.
I dont know the figures but judging by the greeness of the place, rainfall must be quite a bit higher here than down South.
That drop extra rain maybe makes quite a difference, yet we dont seem to miss out on the sunshine either.


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## Stravinsky

littleredrooster said:


> aden rain from the sahara finds its way up here.
> I dont know the figures but judging by the greeness of the place, rainfall must be quite a bit higher here than down South.
> That drop extra rain maybe makes quite a difference, yet we dont seem to miss out on the sunshine either.


I wish 
Lot of the agricultural land is well irrigated for sure, and up your way you have a lot of rice crops which need a lot of water


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## rospapergirl

My car's parked on the roadside outside the apartment block. I've seen locals washing their cars with buckets of water on the roadside rather than hoses. I reckon you could get away with this. Of course, the car washes use recycled water!....I don't think so! What about all the public gardens supplied with permanent water hoses which seem to be activated at least once a day? Opposite me, there's a small urbanisation of villas with a communcal pool and large gardens. There's a guy there every day with the sprinkler on and the grass is perfect. I can see it from my 2nd floor apartment but from the road, no-one would spot the gallons of water he's wasting......[[[[[[[[[[ppOoops, cat just jumped onto keyboard! I'm gonna try a quick wash later.

One good thing about a grubby car - it means that we've had dry weather! Isn't that just great?!

Thanks, everyone for looking into this for me.


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## keiths

What an excuse I've now got.... - "I'm sorry darling, I can't wash your car for you - it's illegal!"


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## littleredrooster

Stravinsky said:


> I wish
> Lot of the agricultural land is well irrigated for sure, and up your way you have a lot of rice crops which need a lot of water


I am not down by the rice fields, but just a little inland and a little higher up so any irrigation of the still green non agric land comes only from above.
You only need look at the difference between the Blanca and Almeria region to notice the huge difference in natural vegetation due mainly to more rain.
On a more localised basis if you compare the rainfall between Alicante and Valencia you still have a very significant difference,Valencia approx 500mm per annum as against only 300mm in Alicante.
From Gandia to my place, there are at least 3 factors to take into account,further North,further inland,more altitude,so likely I catch even more rain than Valencia itself.
Also climates can vary significantly even within a few km with variable factors as above.
Most of the rough land abandoned by farmers here, still produces quite a variety of fruit without any artificial irrigation.
Should you ever take the CV50 from Tavernes up towards Liria the difference is very striking and that is one of the main factors that attracted me to the area.
However 50km or so further inland and its back to much more arid and drier regions.


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