Clean Cars on Weekdays: Rhineland-Palatinate's Sunday Car Wash Ban
Vehicle Remains Untidy on Sunday - Each Sunday, the vehicle remains unwashed.
Spending a leisurely Sunday scrubbing your car - not a viable option in Rhineland-Palatinate. Other states, such as Hesse, are more accommodating, allowing you to wax, polish, and wash your car as you wish. Critics snort at this outdated law, demanding a change in the status quo.
The Filling Station Interest Association deems the Sunday car wash ban an antiquated relic. After all, who doesn't work at filling stations on Sundays? Many car washes operate autonomously as well. Moreover, in numerous European nations, people can freely choose their car wash day.
Lost Profits
Caught in the ban, medium-sized filling station operators in Rhineland-Palatinate, Baden-Württemberg, and other states may face annual profit losses ranging from 5,000 to 10,000 euros, the association warns.
The environmental aspect plays a role too. Car washes are more water-saving and eco-friendly than home washes, saving local sewers and the environment from strain.
No dialogue with the Minister President
The association has requested a meeting with Rhineland-Palatinate's Minister President, Alexander Schweitzer (SPD), on the matter, but they've yet to receive a response. Silence persists despite the association's unanswered letter.
The specifics of where and when you can wash your car are primarily laid out in law. According to the Water Resources Act, car washing is prohibited in the garden or on unpaved areas, and fines are a possibility.
Chemicals in water runoff
Even clear water Runoff contains chemical substances and compounds that can harm groundwater, explains the German Environmental and Nature Conservation Association (BUND) in Rhineland-Palatinate.
Exactly what's allowed depends on the location: If the ground is paved or washing happens at the roadside, the municipality decides the regulations, so citizens should check with their local authorities.
BUND supports car washes
The conservation association advocates for approved self-service car washes and car washes for car washing, as those facilities properly pre-clean, separate, and discharge pollutants. Short programs are recommended for a car wash. In terms of a full wash, a car wash performs significantly better than a garden hose, saving water.
Legal clarification from the Ministry of the Interior
The Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry of the Interior recently affirmed that operating car washes and car wash facilities on Sundays and public holidays remains prohibited, based on the state law on the protection of Sundays and public holidays.
According to this law, any activity that disturbs external peace or contradicts the nature of Sundays and public holidays is strictly forbidden. This extends to the operation of car washes and car wash facilities on Sundays and public holidays.
Sundays for friends, family, and peace
Such activities have a clear, daily character, the intention of making a profit. "In this regard, the significance of Sunday as a day of general rest is also detached from any decline in the social importance of churches," declares the ministry.
Union leaders, like Susanne Wingertszahn, chairwoman of the German Trade Union Confederation, champion Sunday as a day of rest, relaxation, family, friends, and volunteer work. This is why Sunday retains strong legal protection.
The battle for change
"Car washing can be done on any other day, except Sunday," says Susanne Wingertszahn. "The same applies to shopping in retail stores." The unions are pushing to reinforce the day of rest. "Because here, it's about employees using their own time independently."
Rhineland-Palatinate Free Democrats state parliamentarian, Stephan Wefelscheid, questions the ban on car washing on Sunday. "I cannot fathom how a self-service car wash in an industrial area disturbs the outer peace," he criticizes. "In a modern society, with both partners working increasingly with little leisure for weekly errands, such restrictions have become outdated, a relic of a time before secularization." Wefelscheid urges the state government to reconsider its stance, following the lead of the petrol station interest group.
- The Filling Station Interest Association argues that the Sunday car wash ban in Rhineland-Palatinate is an antiquated relic, as many car washes operate autonomously and are common in numerous European nations.
- Operators in Rhineland-Palatinate, Baden-Württemberg, and other states may face annual profit losses ranging from 5,000 to 10,000 euros due to the Sunday car wash ban, according to the association.
- The German Environmental and Nature Conservation Association (BUND) supports approved self-service car washes and car washes for car washing, as these facilities properly pre-clean, separate, and discharge pollutants.
- The Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry of the Interior recently affirmed that operating car washes and car wash facilities on Sundays and public holidays remains prohibited based on the state law on the protection of Sundays and public holidays.
- Critics, such as Susanne Wingertszahn, chairwoman of the German Trade Union Confederation, demand a change in the status quo, advocating for Sunday as a day of rest, relaxation, family, friends, and volunteer work.
