Looking good, feeling good
I know this may seem a little odd, but I enjoy washing my car. It gives me satisfaction knowing that it will give a good impression to my students and any new instructor I’m teaching for Young Drivers of Canada. It goes along with the saying that ‘if you look good, you feel good’. Do you share the same feelings as I do?
I like to take my time to wet the car down then soap the car with a sponge clean every section of the exterior. I also ensure I get all dirt away from the wheel wells. I’ll often use a sponge and small brush to clean around the wheels. This keeps them looking nice for quite awhile. Once I’ve completed the exterior wash, I use a shammy and dry the outside of the car. This ensures that water spots are removed and the paint looks good. Keeping the exterior paint looking good will help the vehicle keep its value.
Now the fun begins. I clean all of the windows, the dashboard and air vents. I use a small brush that gets into the cracks so that I can remove the dirt and dust particles. This allows for a clean air flow when I use the air conditioning and reduces having particles being thrown around the interior and having my passengers and I breahing in that dirt. Cleaning the dashboard to remove the dirt will also help to keep your vehicle looking new. Always use a cleaner that will leave the dash looking clean, but with a dull finish. Using any type of polish will add to the glare from the sun, and that glare will make it difficult to see clearly while driving.
I usually finish off with vacuuming the carpets and seats so they remain clean from dirt and any loose debris. With too much debris on the floor, it may get under your foot when you’re going for the gas or brake. This includes any trash that may have been stuffed under the seats. Loose debris may roll free and get stuck under the brake pedal, which would stop you from braking in an emergency.
The whole process will take me over an hour, but in the end it feels good to know I’m driving a vehicle that looks almost as good as it did when it was new. By cleaning the car like this every couple of weeks, it’ll help the vehicle keep its retail value and will be easier to sell when it’s time is up. It also reduces any distractions from inside the vehicle, improves my visibility and it makes me proud to drive it.
A clean car is also a safer car! Clean cars are about 1/3 (aprox 33%) less likely to get involved in crashes and collisions.
I think that a clean car also tells us something about the attitude of the driver when driving their clean car; they also drive like they want to keep their car looking nice.