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| Is there a benefit to washing a car? |
There are so many things we use automated convenience for now it's no wonder the country is getting fatter on average. We don't do simple, basic tasks that everyone used to do by hand.
I could probably walk down to the corner store for an occasional last-minute item but instead I get in my car and drive 2-3 blocks. I really do live that close to a nice convenience store. Why do I need to drive every time?
Washing the car keeps it looking nice but there is a real benefit to keeping your car clean. It reduces drag when you are going down the highway and that saves gas. This is why they wash airplanes. It is less expensive to run an airplane through a huge automated car wash than it is to fly a dirty airplane across the country or the ocean.
And that is the best reason why we wash the car. But I know from having washed cars a million times as a teenager and college student that it really doesn't take that long to soak and scrub my car. I can rinse it very quickly, too.
So why do I pay to go through the car wash? That's $18 a month, about six times a year. I could fill up my gas tank 2-3 times with that $100. I could buy some nice DvDs. I could eat out 4-5 times.
The point is that I can wash the car by hand and save myself some money while still reducing drag on the car. As long as I reduce drag I keep my car running a little more efficiently than when it is all dirty.
I think I could use the exercise, too. It will help me burn off some of those burgers I have been eating. And I won't have to take a shower (haha!) unless I wax the car too.
So to recap, what are the benefits of washing your car?
- You reduce drag
- You save money if you do it yourself
- You burn some calories if you do it yourself
That sounds like a win-win scenario to me. But I can't wait until the kids are old enough to learn how to do this for themselves, too.
