Comments on: Green Earth Technologies 01212 Car Wash 16 oz

By: R. V. Hamilton

R. V. Hamilton — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 06:43:07 +0000

After washing my cars several times, and my trailer twice, I can say that it cleans as well as any car wash I’ve ever used. I can also say that, so far, all the plants which have been soaked in the suds show no negative effects. I intentionally started washing my cars closer to the house, where the run-off enters planted areas. Six months of soaking the ground with suds has shown no detrimental effects.

In summary, it cleans well, is price competitive, and is most likely much better for the environment. A winner.
Rating: 5 / 5

By: Mooseflex

Mooseflex — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 04:30:21 +0000

Used this to clean my suby wrx. Seemed to work just as well as any other soap I’ve ever used!
Rating: 5 / 5

By: jtwanderlust

jtwanderlust — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 03:50:34 +0000

It works like car soap. And it saves the planet, what else can you ask for? If you really want suds, turn your water on really strong into a bucket and it will create them but it’s not necessary.
Rating: 5 / 5

By: P. Chauhan

P. Chauhan — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 01:32:21 +0000

There is a feel good message about this car wash, being green and all. However, it didn’t do the job very well. As others have mentioned, it doesn’t have suds, which by itself is not necessarily a problem. However, it hardly cleans dirt from the car. It is useful only if for lightly dirty areas, but anything gunkier than that (tree sap/dead bugs/oil stains, etc.), and it is useless. I wish the product delivered on its main promise. I guess I’ll have to go back to not so green products, that do the job.
Rating: 2 / 5

By: Drizzle

Drizzle — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 00:52:14 +0000

UPDATE 12/09:
What a difference a year makes. There is now more information available for what this product actually contains that wasn't available when I first wrote this review. Please see the comment attached to this review for the valid counterpoint to the original review. I have upgraded my rating of this product to 3 stars. However, I still believe the original review is valid for two reasons:

1) This IS a product that hasn't been tested long term.
2) What exactly are the ingredients, both active and inactive, and what are their effects long term and in combination.

It is true, as the commenter says, the EPA shouldn't have to chase down everything that appears harmful. However, with the power wielded by corporations over government regulators, it would be wise to be conservative in the true sense of the word and demand caution from new, largely untested products. And don't simply trust the man selling the product. For example, see vioxx, roundup, et al.

Below is the original review and please see comment section for a debate of Kevin Arthur's comment too:

This seemingly innocent looking product uses nanotechnology. It is not a soap, it uses nano-sized particles to "clean", which is a brand new class of manufactured material. As of this date, Aug 2008, these materials have NOT been tested for safety in humans and only very early studies on animals. Welcome to the new world of small government "getting out of our way" and big corporations running the show.

This product is shrouding itself under the banner of "green", environmentally friendy, and non-toxic. The problem is no one can dispute that because there have been no scientific studies yet. The EPA's hands are tied because they must prove the possiblity of harm (e.g. through a peer reviewed scientific study) before being able regulate it or even to get money to study it. A catch 22. Studies are under way by other groups but these products are already in the marketplace (this is just one of the new nano-tech products).

If anyone has been wondering why your washcloth doesn't get dirty with this product it is because it is working on such a small scale that the dirt particles are literally being broken apart on a molecular level. Preliminary studies show nano-particles can persist in the environment.

So the question is, what does this product do to you or your children? What happens if it leaches its way down to an aquifer? What does it do to the cells in your body? Will these micro particles absorb directly thru your skin? They are certainly small enough to. What happens if you breathe them in? If anybody knows, they're not saying. Rating: 3 / 5