Car Washing

[Deleted member 1258]

Once in a while, when I notice its dirty, I'll show my KA a bucket of soapy water and vac out the interior. When I worked as a van driver the MD used to insist the van was washed down the local car wash once a week.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

After washing the bike, if there is any water left, I might wash off the number plates and the lights.

 

[Archie_tect]

...or it might be brown...ish.

 

[Shut Up Legs]

I'd religiously wash, wax and polish my car daily, I swear... the only problem is, I've never had a car .

 

[Archie_tect]

I'd religiously wash, wax and polish my car daily, I swear... the only problem is, I've never had a car .

Joey has a spare one you could borrow.

 

[Globalti]

On a more serious note; many years ago my Dad hit an old boy on a bike and killed him. Entirely the old boy's own fault as the Police agreed but nonetheless they came and checked every aspect of the car right down to the cleanliness of the windows. If there had been any possibility that lack of maintenance had contributed to the accident they said they would have charged my Dad with manslaughter. Ever since then I've been very fussy about keeping my car in good order and with clean windows.

Plasticiser film is the last problem the motor industry has never really resolved - plasticiser migrates out of the vinyls and is deposited on the insides of the windows building up as a film. After a while vision is impaired and moisture builds up easily causing fogging. Driving into the sun the film is illuminated so you are almost blind and if there's a cyclist or pedestrian in shadow at the edge of the road you won't see them. I often see cars with fogged windows and wonder whether the driver knows how to use the demister (many still don't leave the fan on the number one setting to circulate the air) or clean the windows.

 

[Brandane]

I often see cars with fogged windows and wonder whether the driver knows how to use the demister (many still don't leave the fan on the number one setting to circulate the air) or clean the windows.

That is something (another something) that annoys me about other drivers whose car I have been in, especially in wet weather. They wait until the windows steam up, then put the demister on full blast until it clears, then they switch the fan OFF . Then wait until the windows steam up again, and repeat ....... As you say, why not leave it on the low setting all the time to draw in fresh air and prevent the windows steaming up in the first place, and increase the fan speed if necessary.

 

[Globalti]

Muppets, and thick with it too. I once had a lift with two university lecturers; their windscreen was misting up and the male driver kept leaning forward and wiping a small hole to see through. In the end I asked him why he didn't use the fan.... he grunted and turned it on full blast, left it for a minute then turned it off again. As we drove, the ram effect brought a little air through and we warmed up slightly but it was a miserable experience and it opened my eyes to the possibility of academics being incredibly stupid.

The fan should be run on low permanently; it replaces stale humid air inside the car and prevents condensation from building up inside the bodywork and windows. Cars whose owners don't do this will always smell unpleasant.

 

[SquareDaff]

Not very often - but I wash mine by hand. That way I can spot any emerging rust/scratches/dents etc..

 

[Brandane]

[QUOTE 2401322, member: 9609"]It was the coldest journey ever in the history of the universe - I don't think most people appreciate how useful a windscreen is![/quote]

You've obviously never done a motorbike ride from Ayrshire to Portsmouth - in February (2002) - in temperatures below freezing . It had to be done, as I had a ferry to Bilbao booked, and had taken something of a gamble with the weather. I should have known better .

 

[screenman]

Many the time I have fixed a cars condensation problems by turning off the recirculated air control. You will see it often on badly misted up cars, muppets.

 

[Tim Hall]

[QUOTE 2399811, member: 259"] You have to have it washed to pass the MoT test, [/quote]

Say what?

<edit> Ah, you're not from round these parts are you.

 

[kedab]

i wash my car by hand. i am a little bit obsessed with the cleanliness of my ST (focus) - i should take out shares in autoglym (they make some marvelous products, like, 'a polish to polish your polish' the car will be washed once a week without fail. it will be de-polished and re-polished and then re-waxed once a month (more or less depending on the state of the roads)...hours...frikin hours of my life devoted to cleaning...the bikes are cleaned as obsessively too.

 

[Arch]

Our electric truck at work sometimes gets half a bottle of water emptied over a wheel arch, if there's some been put in the recycling not properly finished. I try to avoid dousing her in beer or coke though.

 

[JoeyB]

i wash my car by hand. i am a little bit obsessed with the cleanliness of my ST (focus) - i should take out shares in autoglym (they make some marvelous products, like, 'a polish to polish your polish' the car will be washed once a week without fail. it will be de-polished and re-polished and then re-waxed once a month (more or less depending on the state of the roads)...hours...frikin hours of my life devoted to cleaning...the bikes are cleaned as obsessively too.

Best not look here then : http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/

I did, and ended up with a shed full of expensive cleaning products, a snow foam lance and a DA polisher!!!