Car Wash Wire
Washington bars PFAS in exterior automotive wash products from January 1, 2027; wax notices due January 31
Why this matters: our read
Suppliers and formulators carry the ban first, since it attaches to manufacture, sale and distribution. How it reaches products sold for professional use is the part to watch.
Washington State’s rule on PFAS in priority consumer products, WAC 173-337-110, bars any person from manufacturing, selling or distributing exterior automotive wash products that contain intentionally added PFAS beginning January 1, 2027. The rule, as amended in a filing dated November 20, 2025, took effect December 21, 2025. Product manufactured before January 1, 2027 is exempt, and PFAS used as a propellant is excepted.
The rule defines automotive washes as products that clean the exterior of automobiles, a term that includes cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles, recreational vehicles and boats. It excludes washes applied during vehicle manufacturing, automotive waxes, all-in-one clean-and-wax products and engine cleaners. Ecology presumes that total fluorine above 50 parts per million indicates intentional addition, and a manufacturer can rebut that with credible evidence.
Automotive waxes, including the wax in all-in-one products, face reporting rather than a ban. Manufacturers must notify Ecology by January 31, 2027, and annually after that, that the product contains intentionally added PFAS; the duty does not apply to product made before January 1, 2026.
The section lists these as priority consumer products.
Sources
- Published by
- Washington State Legislature
- Role
- Primary source
- Item
- WAC 173-337-110, Priority consumer products
- Published