It seems that drivers can’t wait for summer. Last October, Saline Journal ran an article with advice on preparing your vehicle for winter, encouraging readers not to get surprised. Would it make sense to issue a similar advisory today — now that temperatures are passing the 80-degree mark? [1]
Who could possibly be surprised by summer? And, if they were, how?
The answer to the first question is that just about everyone who has a vehicle can and will be surprised. Second answer? One of the biggest surprises is that damage can be done by driving a dirty car any time of the year.
Part of the perception problem can be attributed to the frequently tentative ways in which seasons change in Michigan. It’s not uncommon to see convertibles with tops down on the road during warm February afternoons; Saline had measurable snow accumulations just a few weeks ago. And then there are those who switch vehicles completely when it gets warmer — bringing their “fun” or “summer” cars out of storage to serve as routine drivers. [2,3]
Who can keep all that straight from one day to the next? Regardless of the thermometer, it’s a good bet that many drivers still have a scraper and heavy coat “just in case” somewhere in their vehicles as they read this article.
Everyone should know the critical importance of keeping their cars washed during the winter months. But a combination of the transitions noted above and lack of imagery as powerful as snow-response trucks dispensing salt can leave many drivers unprompted to consider summertime parallels that can be just as perilous to their automotive assets. [4,5,6]
Summertime bugs that have misjudged flight paths passing before headlights and birds dropping deposits from the air can prompt ad hoc trips to the car wash. But even a light dusting of dry dirt can be the equivalent of sandpaper acting on car paint.
A weekly wash routine can be the solution.
Jeffery Brookshire agrees. He owns the Mr Goofy’s Car Wash on East Michigan Avenue, next to McDonald’s and across from the Busch’s Fresh Food Market. He built his Saline car wash in 1986. He has three Mr Goofy’s in total: One in Belleville that’s about a decade older, and one in Ypsilanti, slightly newer.
During a discussion with Saline Journal, he noted that his automated car wash cycles include hand-drying at the end. This reduces spotting, which can concentrate any remaining particles on finish areas. Without this final step, owners who later notice spots might be tempted to wipe those areas with cloth when dried — which, again, does create scratches, however imperceptable they may start out to be.
Purists often make the argument for hand-washing. Exclusively. Unfortunately, making time to do this often results in doing it less frequently than needed or not at all. Feeling guilty about not doing it, owners then do nothing at all.
If this describes your situation, Mr Brookshire offered some facts that are broadly applicable to automated car washes.
“We have an international association that has studied this,” he said. “We use half the amount of water you’d use at home, and we recycle 80% of the water we do use. The car wash is also more environmentally sound: When you wash your car in the driveway, the soap goes into the sewer; what we put out is supervised by the county.” [7,8,9]
Jeffery Brookshire also noted ongoing changes in the car was industry.
“We like to meet and talk to everybody that goes through,” he began. “But that’s not meant for everybody. The new concept in the world is to automate purchases with credit cards.
“We’ve offered coupon books and you can keep those in your purse or wallet and use them with whatever car you drive. We’ll continue to do that.
“But if you always drive the same car, or you want something just for one car, we are introducing a ‘Speedy Pass’ on May 1. Your credit card gets you a sticker for your windshield that’s automatically scanned so you can go straight into the car wash without needing to separate purchases or payments by hand.”
That’s good news. Whatever system works best for you, make it a habit to regularly wash your car this summer — for a whole host of benefits.
References
- “Don’t Get Surprised by Winter: Now Is the Time to Prepare Your Vehicle” Dell Deaton (October 19, 2017) Saline Journal.
- “Storing Your Car” Paul Weissler (March 28, 2006) Popular Mechanics.
- “How To Prep Your Car for Long-Terms Storage” Ronald Montoya (March 16, 2015) Edmunds.
- “How to Wash the Winter Salt Off Your Car in Time for Spring” Brian Silvestro (April 26, 2018) Road and Track.
- “Wash Your Car to Keep Rust Away” Benjamin Preston (March 12, 2014) The New York Times.
- “Summer Dirt: Spot the Worst Offenders and Keep Your Car Clean” Simoniz.
- International Car Wash Association (home page).
- “Conserving Water” WaterSavers.
- “Wash your car the right way” United States Environmental Protection Agency.
