MOTORING NEWS - I don't know about the other ladies out there, but sometimes I have no choice but to wash my own car. Back home after travelling on a gravel road over the weekend, I realised on Sunday that I could not go to my work appointment early the next morning with my car looking the way it did.
To wash a car at a valet is getting more and more expensive and what better way to enjoy spring by washing your own car in your driveway? If you do it properly it will take about an hour.
Ready, steady...
Get ready for the task: put on your shorts and a T-shirt and importantly, line up some music to listen to on the car stereo. I go for Latin American or jazz. Now bring along the hosepipe. Park your car away from direct sunlight. This will prevent premature drying which can leave splotches.
Go!
Start by hosing off the car to loosen and soften the dirt. A wise man once told me that you should wash the wheels first. Some people prefer using dishwashing liquid and others baking soda.
Wash the wheels by spraying them with the hosepipe and then use a wash mitt to clean the rims. If they are really greasy, clean out the nooks and crannies with a sponge.
Start with the roof and work your way down, section by section. Remember to have a bucket with clean water handy so that you can rinse the mitt. After you have gone over it thoroughly with the mitt, rinse each section. Make sure that you wash your car in one session.
If you have children, let them lend a hand. Give them a dry polish cloth to polish the car once you are done.
Louise Karsten loves everything with wheels.
For the inside, a vacuum cleaner will get rid of all the dirt in a jiffy. Wipe the interior with the damp mitt. Make a mix of lavender oil or any other oil that you fancy and spray some of this inside your car to make it smell good. Use baby wipes to wipe your windows clean.
Afterglow
It might be a good idea to keep an empty rubbish bag inside your car so that you can immediately dispose of any papers or empty bottles. As you use your car every day, it should be a pleasurable experience and not a trip in a dust trap.
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