DEAR SUN SPOTS: I was listening to a car talk program on the radio and a man from Maine called in complaining about rust on his family’s new vehicle. He went on to say that he washed his vehicle every week at the car wash. The expert explained that Maine law requires that they use recycled water (full of corrosives and salt) and this lead to premature rusting.

I have lost two vehicles to rusted out frames and would like to know if this is true. Thank you. — Sherry, no town.

ANSWER: Car washes are a great way to get your car clean and do far less harm to the environment as compared to washing your car at home. Car washes have built-in filtration systems that keep detergents and other chemicals from going straight into the sewer and/or groundwater, unlike when soaping up your ride at home in the driveway.

Most car washes do indeed recycle water. Each vehicle can take up to 50 gallons of water and up to 90 percent of that water is allowed to be reclaimed wastewater. It could be cost-prohibitive to run a car wash otherwise, that’s a lot of water.

The good news is, their reclamation systems, when properly maintained, remove oils, grease, fuels, sand, silt and other solids from the water. Plus, recycled water is normally used in the early rinses and to mix with the detergents. It may also be used in the high-pressure washer but is hopefully not being used in the final rinse. Unfortunately, because a good car wash is the best way to keep road salt off of the undercarriage of your vehicle after a big storm, you will have to weigh the risk of salty water being used. You could call around and find out how your local car washes handle their wastewater reclamation or contact your municipality to find out if there are any regulations being enforced in your town.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: Maine Kairos volunteers are planning for the 33rd Kairos Leadership event to be held at the Maine State Prison, May 3 to 7.

Kairos Prison Ministry is an international, lay-led ministry with the mission to share the transforming love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ to impact the hearts and lives of incarcerated men, women and youth, as well as their families, to become loving and productive citizens of their communities. Kairos Leadership meetings began in 1997 and consist of volunteers from all walks of life worldwide who represent the Christian faith. Attorneys, judges and clergy are also involved. Kairos Prison Ministry is constantly looking for new volunteers.

All Kairos activities are funded by donations, and Kairos volunteers are looking for donors for the upcoming event. Donations will have a greater impact as we have a donor that will match donations up to $5,000. To donate, send your check made payable to Kairos of Maine, P.O. Box 578, Auburn, ME 04210. More information can be found at kairosofmaine.org.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: The East Auburn Community School collects box tops for schools. We are happy to accept donations from community members who do not have children at an Auburn School. Please send box tops to East Auburn Community School, 15 Andrew Dr., Auburn, ME 04210. — Heidi, no town.

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