Many people don’t realize washing cars at home is one of the most environmentally unfriendly chores we do around the house. Unlike household wastewater that is filtered through sewage treatment plants and septic systems, wastewater from cars washed in the street enters storm drains. Wastewater from at-home washing can be filled with gasoline, detergents, oils, and other residues. This concoction enters storm drains that feed directly into local rivers, streams and lakes where the chemical residues can poison aquatic life and destroy ecosystems.