Washing your car at home in France risks a large fine

Washing your car at home in France can lead to significant fines, including penalties of up to €75,000, if wastewater containing detergents enters the environment.

The reason for this is that detergent products can release substances that not only harm human health but also pollute the environment.

For many households, cleaning the car at home is still part of a regular weekend routine. It is often seen as a quick, convenient way to maintain a vehicle without the cost of using a professional car wash. However, this everyday habit is increasingly regulated under environmental and health rules. 

Article L216-6 of the Environmental Code, in force since 10 August 2016, states that “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…is punishable by two years’ imprisonment and a fine of €75,000.”

In addition to the potential fine and possibility of imprisonment, the court may also require those convicted to restore the affected aquatic environment.

Alongside this different departments also apply their own local health regulations. For example 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, health regulations in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region (including 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”.

If departmental health regulations are breached, fines can reach up to €450.

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 can 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 will help filter contaminants from the water so they do not enter waterways

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.