Guangzhou is promoting a new method to wash an entire car with just 0.3 of a liter of water, in an attempt to balance car washing and water conservation.

The new method, which uses about 1,000 times less water than the traditional bucket-and-broom procedure, requires the car to be only slightly wet and then sprayed with a cleaning solution, Xinhua reported.

At 12 yuan (US$1.5), the "waterless" service is a bit more expensive than the standard 10-yuan car-wash charge and some car owners fear it could harm the car polish in the long run, the agency reported.

Car numbers are growing while water levels are falling in the city.

A survey has shown that there are 2.33 cars per 100 families in Guangdong Province. While in prosperous Pearl River Delta cities, the figure rose to 10 per 100 families.

Guangzhou is among 400 cities in China suffering severe water shortages. Guangdong Province had a shortfall of 4.24 billion cubic meters last year.

Editor: Olivia