June 11: Scrubbing in the Rain

For whatever reason, I've always preferred to wash my truck myself. I enjoy spending time in the sun and I like the fact that I know all of the hard to reach crevices are getting cleaned. I used to wash my truck every time I went home from college because my parents have a steep driveway and it was easy to park on the hill and let the water run out of the bed.

Coincidentally, every time I washed it, it would always rain within the week. It could go months without a drop, but as soon as my truck was clean, the sky would open and my hard work would be ruined. Within the last year or so I've come up with a way to beat the weather and for the very first time, I'm revealing my secret. Are you ready? I wash my truck in the rain and with the rain.

That's right, when it's raining and I feel like it's going to continue for at least a half an hour longer and my truck needs a cleaning, you can find me in my board shorts scrubbing away. I simply take a bucket with some car soap, fill it with water from a faucet and go to work. What's great about this method is I always get a spot-free rinse. I don't know how it works, but I leave my truck in the rain after I've lathered it up and when I come back and the sun is shining, the vehicle looks fantastic.

Being out there with the cold rain falling on a bare back can get a little chilly and I've even washed my truck this way in the middle of January. The latter was miserable, but it was worth the finished product. I've always wondered what my neighbors were thinking when they would drive by and see me washing my truck wearing only board shorts with it pouring down rain. They were probably thinking, "Smart kid."

So there you have it. The next time it rains and your car needs a cleaning, I recommend going the cheap route and use Mother Nature as your source of water. It's exhilarating to be so cold while doing a chore that most people hate doing. It's also fun wondering if you're going to spend the next week in bed with the flu.