Have you guys who use rainwater to wash the car noticed if letting it air dry will leave no spots? I ask because you're essentially using distilled water and it should dry spotless.

Are there automatic (tunnel type) pay carwashes that you can still use, or is this a secret government plan to lower morale by forcing the populace to drive dirty cars?

Thanks,
Tom

AFAIK if you are using water on an industrial scale you can continue, it is only a domestic restriction :)

I would imagine water marks shouldn't be an issue. I don't know for sure though, as I still follow my routine of washing two panels at a time, then rinsing. I then give the whole car a final rinse, then dry her off.

I don't give the water time to dry on the paintwork.

I note that CtL has had about one and a half inches of drought today. Driving during a drought seems to present particular problems to people in the south as the reduced visibility necessitates the use of the "wipers". If you need help on how to control the wipers then give IceBlue a call.:ROFL:

I won't be of much use in advising on how to control wipers as I've only ever had to turn them on, so I've not read the instructions on turning them off. They just seem to stop when I turn the engine off and that's fine for the West coast of Scotland :(

1.78 inches to be exact! :( I have 5000 Ltrs of rain water stored behind the garage. I put the tanks in on 4 Apr and twice this month I have had to run a hose to the drain and pour away about 3000 Ltrs. Going to have to do it again tomorrow.

A few things on rainwater harvesting. You can harvest as much rainwater as you want and store it to use on washing clothes, cars and your patio. You can flush your toilets with it. You can't wash yourself or drink it without treating it and you can't connect it to anything that is connected to mains water without some complex non return valves / air gap connections.

You can't put mains water in rainwater storage in the winter because you can't prove when you have done it. If the water board test your rainwater storage tanks and find mains water in them they will get a sad on.

Rememeber we're talking rainwater that has fallen on your property, not extracted from the ground, river or steam or run off from else where. You need a license or rights to do that, e.g. a freind of mine has a river as a boundry to his garden. He has historic rights to extract water unless he is banned by name under a drought order. His neighbour can't as he is in a new built house!

Thanks, CTL. You've said it all.

All I have to do now is upgrade my 250 litre tank to a 500 or 1000. I've had to put the lid on, as it's full to the brim, and it's been raining since yesterday.