Going to the Car Wash

When I was a kid, I remember going to the car wash with mom in downtown Janesville.  If I remember correctly it was near the Rock River and Center Avenue.

It was a Shell station and the car wash required us to get out of the car as it caught the chain for the ride through the wash.

We watched the car come in from stage right as sprays of water washed over the car.  I enjoyed the show of seeing the driverless automobile navigate all the water.

Next were big brushes running along the sides and over the hood, roof, and trunk.  Wax applied and a final check point and it was done.   I recall getting in and we drove away.

There are times I've sat inside my car in the wash and start to think. Then my eyes notice movement from the corner of my eyes and for an instant I believe I'm moving as the large equipment carrying water and soap move past me.

Yikes!

I like going to the car wash.

Alone, it's a few minutes of peace and tranquility.  With somebody, it's a special time in a car with no traffic, no bother, and usually no radio if the heavy thuds of water disrupt reception.

Car washes are important in winter.  Trips through the wash clear off salt and road grime, and usually seem to guarantee a rain or snow within the next couple of days.

Many car washes now clean the car without making contact on the actual vehicle.

Just a few years ago, cumulative car washes snapped my radio antenna.  It didn't seem like a big deal until I learned a replacement would cost nearly $200!  On my new ride, I unscrew the radio aerial every time.

The trip through the water tunnel ends with big wooshes of wind as jets dry the car.

Clean and ready to face the world again, I stop to re-attach the radio antenna, get in, and drive away.