Waterless soaps
There are a number of them on the market — such as Freedom Waterless Car Wash (pictured) and Laura Klein’s Green Car Waterless Car Wash & Shine — that claim to save hundreds of gallons of water per car per year. Just spray and wipe off the grime.

Klein’s soap “is made with plant-based, nontoxic ingredients so it won’t contaminate our waterways or harm wildlife or pets,’’ says the company’s website.

Sounds good, right?

Well, before you buy, make sure you read all the ingredients, as no one’s monitoring such green claims, says Jonathan Scott, spokesman for Clean Water Action, the nation’s largest grass-roots water issues group.

And if the prices scare you away — the soaps run about $20 a bottle — all is not lost, Scott says. Using a bucket, a light-mist nozzle on your garden hose, and a squirt of dishwashing liquid, all you need are a few gallons of water to wash a car, he says.