Man, I know you guys have heard me bitching about the drought here in Jersey, and how I'm forbidden to wash my car.

Lately, we've been getting quite a bit of rain, so I've been getting anxious... hoping they will lift the restrictions a little. Only they won't budge...

So on Sunday evening, it just starts pouring... rained harder than I've seen in a long time... a ton of water coming down. I looked at my wife and I said "If they don't lift the restriction after this, I'm going to start writing letters!"

My wife looked at me sternly and then stomped off into the other room. She came back a few seconds later with a sponge, the car cleaner, and my raincoat ... "Go out there, and have at it."

I had to admit, it was a brilliant idea!!! So I went out there and really soaped 'er up. The rain just kept coming down, and I'll have to admit: it was lots easier having the constant water than having to drop the sponge and grab the hose all the time. After just a few minutes, the car was clean as a whistle.

Of course, no chance to polish or wax or anything like that, but at least it's not a complete disgrace as it was before. If you would've seen how dirty it was... I'd have taken any kind of clean at that point.

 

they're threatening us with the same restrictions here in Colorado. so far they haven't acted on it yet... just sayin it's gonna happen if we don't see some heavy moisture. that's a good idea though. let it rain, let it rain, let it rain.

 

hehe i've done that before. it's when i don't want to pay for a car wash. I live in apartment complex so i don't have my own hose. hehe

 

Good idea, but be careful. Rain often isnt as clean as you think it is. Not only from pollution but just how rain works in general. Now, i dont want to get tooo technical, but im metioning this for your sake and everyone else who cares about there cars. Ok, so from my understanding (and correct me if im wrong but im pretty sure im right), in order for it to rain, clouds have to condence. Usually they condense on extrememly small particles of dust in the air. That means that each rain drop has some dirt in it. Im assuming this is why you get hardcore water mark after rain evaporates off your car (assuming your car is clean and the dirt isnt from dirt that wasnt already there). so if you were to use rain to wash your car, you would have a thin layer of dirt left over but then drying might take care of that problem.

But, to stay light, that sounds pretty cool, i would have done the same thing. sounds kinda fun actually.

 

Like I have mentioned before.....put the car in the garage....get a few buckets of water...close the garage door....have at it!! lol

covert carwashing....lol lol

 

Well, considering my main goal was to remove the residual dirt left over from driving in the rain at least ten times... I'll have to say that I'd prefer 1 layer of dirt to 10

Also regarding the dust, if I didn't know that the coat of wax on my car was still effective (still beading nicely) I never would have considered it.

As far as being fun, I had a fricken' blast doin it. I haven't played in a hardcore rainstorm since I was a kid.

 

and I am wondering how many of your neighbors saw you out there through their windows and were thinking..."HEY, look at that nut out there!!" LOL LOL

 

well you can have my damn rain that we've been having here in toronto, Canada won't friggin stop rainin, that is where all of your rain has gone

 

yup! i can verify that... it rains atleast a good 6 months here in vancouver... and i mean RAIN... not counting the snow! hahahha!
ah well... makes for wicked skiing/boardin @ Whistler!
(and car-wash material too! )

 

I would rather there be water restrictions then have to pay the water bill when they start de-salinating water from the ocean. The process is so expensive it would cost you hundreds and possibly thousands of dollars a month to use the same ammount of water as you do now.

 

I guess I am really lucky in this respect....I like in a subdivision that is outside of town a little ways....we have our own homeowners association and stuff....we are NOT on a city water system, nor do we each have our own well. the community has a HUGE *** community well and its set up through the subdivision like a little mini city water system.....I pay a flat rate of $30/month for water....no matter how much I use. Pretty sweet deal.

 

I've washed MYSELF in the rain in my poorer days - you shoulda seen the neighbors faces. Okay - that's a lie.

Those water restrictions are a joke. Fortunately, I live on Long Island, and our water is from underground acquifers, not the upstate reservoirs, so we rarely have water restrictions, even when the reservoir-fed regions do.

But I still have to agree with Howard Stern on this one - "What the hell is the point of water restrictions - do they think it's NEVER going to rain again?"

But I'll bet it was an easy wash in the rain - like having a shower for your car. Come to think of it, how hard would it be to install some shower heads in the ceiling and a drain in the floor af a garage? I gotta write that one down - remember it when it comes to buy and remodel a house....

 

Yeah thats how all the water systems on whidbey island are like. You just got to make sure that your association is putting that money towards repairs to the system. or it could get messy. that happen to 2 subdivisions there. also another thing watch out for those homeowners associations. You **** off the wrong people in your area. They can make life a living hell.

 

My Idea of a Car Wash
Idea #1

idea #2

idea #3

idea #4

 

Thanks a lot, 2002VividYellow - now I have to go wash something besides my car.

Hehehehehehehehehehe.