WILKES-BARRE — Remember the whisk brush?
Probably not, but back in the day, the whisk brush was used to clean the carpets in your car — that is, if your car had carpets.
This was a time before some genius invented car washes that not only made your car shiny clean, they also had power vacuum cleaners that often sucked up more than you wanted to remove from your car — loose change, for example.
But back when cars were cars and car owners really cared about how their cars looked, washing cars was more of a ritual than a necessity.
For instance, a bucket of soapy water was used to soak sponges we would use to scrub our beautiful cars, making them very clean. The routine usually called for cars to be washed section by section — throw a bucket of water on, then scrub with the soapy sponge, then rinse with more clean water.
The process would be to start at the roof of the car, then the sides, then the trunk and hood areas. It took a while and a lot of energy to do the job — and do it right.
And after the final rinse, we then had to dry the car off — most of us used old towels, but a few lucky car owners used a shammy to dry off their cars.
Most of the car washing was done right in front of your house, with water from the sink or bathtub. At some point, hoses were invented, making it much easier to apply clean-water rinsing.
Other locations were sometimes used. I can still recall driving out to Lake Silkworth and seeing people washing their cars by the creek — this was before the enactment of strict environmental laws. Not sure how the trout or other water creatures liked soap entering their streams.
Car washing is generally a warm-weather thing, but it should be a year-round activity.
My friends at AAA sent out a notice this week that, after weeks of snow, ice, and a prolonged blast of bitter cold, the Wilkes-Barre area is finally beginning to thaw out. And with that, slush appears everywhere. It splashes onto your car — and there are chemicals in that slush.
So, AAA says we should be diligent in washing winter off our vehicles, or costly repair bills could clean out your wallet down the road. AAA recommends drivers have their cars washed after every significant storm — especially the undercarriage — to reduce the potential for rust damage and corrosion of brake and fuel lines caused by winter pavement-clearing chemicals and treatments.
Previous AAA research indicates Americans spend $3 billion a year on repairs from rust damage caused by de-icers. It’s not just the treatment on the roads, but also the chemicals used to keep parking lots ice-free.
AAA recommends taking full advantage of car washes that offer undercarriage rinses to remove buildup on critical components. Drivers who wash their vehicles by hand or at wand‑wash stations should pay extra attention to the wheels, wheel wells, and the underbody.
AAA’s tips to minimize winter‑related damage
• When possible, limit driving immediately before, during, and after winter storms when salt and de-icing solutions are being applied and are at their highest concentrations.
• Frequently wash your vehicle, paying particular attention to the undercarriage. This will loosen, dissolve, and neutralize road salts. Many drive-through car washes offer an undercarriage rinse as an option.
• Always use a high-quality car wash solution, not a household dish detergent that will strip the wax from your vehicle.
• Repair any body damage and touch up paint scratches and chips that expose bare metal, which could lead to rust.
• Give the entire vehicle and undercarriage one last cleaning in the spring. Any deposits left over from winter can continue to cause corrosion year-round if not properly removed.
• Don’t neglect the interior. Car floor mats can become wet when snow from shoes and boots melts. It leaves moisture in the vehicle and can soak down to the floorboards, causing rust on the inside of the vehicle. Remove mats from the vehicle, clean them, and let them dry before re-installing.
According to our AAA experts, it is safe to wash your vehicle in the winter as long as the temperature is above freezing. If it’s below freezing, there’s a chance the soap and rinse from the wash could coat components under the vehicle and re-freeze.
It is important to dry the vehicle thoroughly immediately after the wash to prevent the car from freezing and to avoid attracting more dirt and grime. Drying the seals and door jams is vital too, otherwise the doors could freeze as soon as the temperature drops, making it difficult to open them.
Going to a car wash is way better than using a bucket, sponge, towel, and a whisk brush.