This seems like a real simple subject. Everyone loves to drive around in a clean car or to look out the window and see a nice shining car in the driveway.
I remember when I was a kid, on a very rare occasion, we would take a trip through the car wash tunnel, watching all of the brushes spin and having the car jerk around. It was like a small amusement park ride that only lasted for a few minutes but it was a lot of fun when you are a kid. Then when I was a teenager, I bought my first driving car. All the other cars before this didn’t run or I had taken them apart and, well they still didn’t run. That car, a 1983 Toyota Corolla hatchback, didn’t need a wash job, it needed a paint job, but none the less it got washed on a regular basis. It never saw a drive through car wash, I would get out the hose and bucket and go to town. It was my car, and I bought it with my own money.
Today, the convenience of a drive through car wash is enticing with our busy lives. It’s quick and takes very little effort on our part. But what is better for your car? The agonizing experience of having to get out the hose, bucket, wash-mitt and soap, or a quick ride through the amusement park? Being as I work in the car field, I have some knowledge in this area. We always recommend to wash a vehicle by hand and avoid the automatic car washes. Car washes use recycled water which is better on our environment because it cuts down on water consumption, but it is hard on the paint and over time will affect your cars finish.
Washing by hand is rewarding, I have washed hundreds of cars over the years. It’s nice to see a car go from being a dirty mess and emerging to be a shiny clean car. Like a caterpillar coming out of its cocoon and emerging as a butterfly. During the summer, it can be a refreshing job washing the car. With the cool water spraying around, a water hose involved, kids seem to like helping too. It’s enjoyable to walk around the vehicle picking up the bucket and mitt and putting away the hose while admiring your handy work, knowing that I did it. The true test of a good wash job comes when the vehicle dries off, you find out if you missed a few spots.
So, whether you wash your car by hand or go through a car wash, enjoy your clean car and don’t forget to wax it once a year.