I have 2 boys, 2 and 5 years old. Usually it's something like coming up behind me when I'm busy with a little detail and picking up as many suds as they can from the bucket, then wiping it all over the car I'm NOT washing at the moment. Yesterday my 2 year old took my wash mit out of the bucket while I was messing with my new PC and dropped it in the dirt. You couldn't even tell it was a wash mit any more! It just looked like it was a big dirt clod. Luckily I was done washing. Hopefully it all washes out...
Do your kids ever sabatoge you as you work?
- Thread starter gregh
- Start date
My son is 9 y/o so no problems. My dog is a different story. He likes to drink soapy water for starters. Then, any time he sees me squating near the bucket he comes over with a tennis ball. If I ignore him he drops the dirty ball right in the bucket to get my attention. He does this EVERY time! I usually just have to play fetch while I wash the car. This leads to a lot of hand rinsing 'cause the ball is always wet and dirty. He's a 3 y/o lab.
gregh said:
You're planning on using it again? A good one costs like $5. Get a new one...your paint will appreciate it.
My kids don't actually sabotage but are always asking to help (which can be just as bad.) Before I knew better, I used to give my daughter the wash mitt to wash the car. These days, like everyone else, I use a very methodical method of foaming, wash, foam, and rinse. I also only move the wash mitt in a front to back motion and just let the weight of the wet wash mitt do the work. I don't actually have much embedded dirt now that I clay the car.
I do let them help with the rinse...I just have to move the other freshly washed and dried car out of the way.
former86camaro
New member
My 2 1/2 year old helps me all the time. Wash, Dry, ect.. I try my best to keep him on track and with clean mits and rags ect.. But in the end it is just a car and he has fun. He rinses for me, we have water fights when it is hot enough, I use the blwer to dry him and he hits me with it.
of my boys... 3 and 6... my youngest is always wanting to help me. i will normally have him clean the rims and tires on my truck... chrome steel wheels that are too far gone to damage any further... or the bumpers... again.. .chrome steel.
this weekend, i detailed my sister in laws car (mainly to get practice with the cyclo) and he helped me by cleaning the wheels -
(no thats not windex... just an old bottle w/ an apc mixture in it)
both of my boys are very respectful of what i tell them pertaining to our vehicles.... it really shocks alot of people. now my nephew on the other hand... he took a stone and scribbled on the leading edge of the maxima above... i got most of them out with scratchX... but even still... i can confidently say that my boys wouldnt ever do that
this weekend, i detailed my sister in laws car (mainly to get practice with the cyclo) and he helped me by cleaning the wheels -
(no thats not windex... just an old bottle w/ an apc mixture in it)
both of my boys are very respectful of what i tell them pertaining to our vehicles.... it really shocks alot of people. now my nephew on the other hand... he took a stone and scribbled on the leading edge of the maxima above... i got most of them out with scratchX... but even still... i can confidently say that my boys wouldnt ever do that
My 4 year old niece likes to tell me how clean or dirty my car is. Last week when she was over I was eating breakfast and she felt she needed to tell me this: "Josh your car is really dirty, are you going to wash it today?" haha
However, more often she tells me how shiney my car looks
And my little dog is another story, he loves to run around when I detail until he wears himself out and then finally he just sleeps right through me polishing.
However, more often she tells me how shiney my car looks
And my little dog is another story, he loves to run around when I detail until he wears himself out and then finally he just sleeps right through me polishing.
They are 6, 5, 3 and they love to wash the car. They usually understand not to drop the sponge or cloths onto the ground. Most of the time they just end up getting suds on themselves. They love hosing down the car. When I'm drying, I usually give them damp MF towels to clean the interior, it keeps them busy and no fingerprints on a newly washed car. I found Turtle Wax Premium car wash at Odd Lots for $4 for a 1 1/4 gallon jug- what a deal! If you get them early enough, they will usually respect your car and its care.
My kids are all teens or older now, but having 4 of them I'm well aware of this sort of thing. Little kids especially want to play, to play with Dad, to be included, to imitate Dad, and to help Dad with stuff. Look at it from this viewpoint and it's a lot easier to not let it get under your skin. Yeah, it can be annoying, but it's a lot better than not having them around or them not wanting to be near you. Try to include them as much as you can and realize that, just like with everything else you teach them how to do, it's a lot more work to include them than to just do it yourself but the payoff is well worth it in the end. Having kids is the hardest and most worthwhile experience you'll ever have in your life.
gregh said:Crap, you really think I should get a new one? ARgh... Maybe on the way home today
It only takes one unnoticed piece of dirt stuck in the mitt to really ruin your day. If you really want to save the mitt, rinse it out really, really well and then use it to clean your engine.
I had a mitt that I used only for my wheels. The wheels are 9 years old and they have road rash all over. I still threw the mitt out after the brake dust stains wouldn't come out.