Yellowknife store says it’ll offer eco-friendly car wash

Pressurized steam car washes, designed to use a fraction of the water consumed by regular systems, are coming to Yellowknife’s Jiffy Lube this spring.

Owner and operator Jeff Nystrom recently purchased a pressurized steam cleaning machine which, he says, only uses four to six litres of water per wash. Regular washes can use 60 to 100 litres or more.

“There’s virtually no waste water – it’s not even a gallon of milk that’s required to wash a car,” said Nystrom.

“My truck was the first truck to get washed in our bay. I didn’t use any chemicals – we don’t need to – so there are no harmful chemicals going into the wastewater system.”

The steam-based system is designed to lift dirt away from vehicles. Cars are wiped dry with a microfibre cloth.

Jiffy Lube plans to launch the service in the spring when warmer temperatures arrive. How much you’ll pay was not immediately advertised – Nystrom said the price, and length of the wash, will simply depend on how dirty your vehicle is.