Washing your car at home in France risks a fine

Washing your car at home in France can lead to significant fines due to risks of wastewater containing detergents entering the wider environment.

The reason for this is that detergent products can release substances that potentially harm human health and pollute the environment.

Cleaning the car at home may seem to be a quick, convenient way to look after a vehicle without the cost of a professional car wash. 

However, most departmental sanitary rules contain regulations banning washing a car on both public and private roads, punishable by a fine of €450.

There are no explicit rules banning it in a a private garden or drive, but if there is any risk of the waste water running off onto the public highway, or even if there is a risk of it polluting the ground and water sources, then a fine can be applicable. 

In the most serious cases, where environmental pollution is proven, France's national environmental code even provides for up to two years' prison and a €75,000 fine. 

Article L216-6 of the environmental code, in force since 10 August 2016, lays this down for cases of “discharging, dumping, or allowing to flow into surface water, groundwater, or seawater within territorial waters, directly or indirectly, any substance or substances whose action or reactions cause, even temporarily, harmful effects on health or damage to flora or fauna."

Different departmental sanitary regulations can vary slighly in their wording.

Most commonly, as in Paris, washing cars is prohibited on public roads, private roads open to traffic, riverbanks, ports and quays, as well as in public parks and gardens.

However, regulations in the Alpes-Maritimes and Var are somewhat more flexible. They state that it is prohibited to clean your car if the wastewater is likely to flow into “the sea, waterways, lakes, ponds, canals, their banks and alluvial aquifers”.

How and where to wash your car

In practice, the safest option is to avoid washing your car on driveways, streets, or any surface where runoff water can reach drains or natural waterways. Instead, drivers are encouraged to use professional car wash facilities, which are designed to filter and treat wastewater before it is released. 

If you still choose to wash your car at home, the key is preventing any polluted water from reaching the drains or the natural environment. 

For example, you could park the car on a surface that doesn’t drain directly into a gutter (such as a grassy or gravel area away from storm drains). The grass and gravel may help filter contaminants out.

Use a bucket instead of a hose to limit water use, and choose a biodegradable, phosphate-free soap.

Wash the car with a sponge (easier to collect water) and then dispose of the remaining dirt water into the household wastewater system (such as a sink or toilet) so it is treated properly, rather than letting it run into the street or stormwater system. Drying the car with microfibre cloths also reduces the need for rinsing.