Next take a hose, if one be available, and play it freely all over the body and running gear, fenders, mud guards, wheels, with care, of course, that the upholstery be not sprinkled too much. Do a thorough job with the hose but do not use a powerful stream upon the highly polished surfaces. It will not only take off dust but loosen up mud, and the force of the spray will take off fresh accumulations of asphalt from mud guards and chassis. Then with the hose playing ahead, use a soft sponge to go over all the parts to remove any remaining dirt and rinse down with water alone. Next, with cloth and chamois dry the woodwork and other painted surfaces until they shine.
Where mud and asphalt are dried and refractory, other means must be taken to remove them before rinsing and drying. Mud may be softened by holding a saturated sponge over it for a few moments. If the mud be mixed with oil or grease so that water does not soften it, kerosene will, and it does not take much of it. Kerosene also will soften the asphalt which clings to the car. Grease and oil also yield to kerosene, which should be wiped off and the painted parts polished with a cloth dampened with linseed oil. Naturally this should be wiped off completely so that it would not become a dust catcher.
Do not use soap on the highly polished surfaces of the body. Most soaps have free alkali—lye—in their composition, and while this makes them cut dirt and grease fast, it injures the varnished surface, in a short time wearing off the gloss. Washing is the better done when the hose only is used. In the country, where a hose is not available, the washing will be slower, since the water in a pail must be renewed frequently and the sponge rinsed practically every stroke to rid it of grit. Where it is possible to run a line from tank to the garage, or, if there is no tank, from an elevated barrel, which can be filled with a force pump, it should be done.
There are various preparations sold for renewing the surface of auto bodies after it begins to dull. Good gloss should last a year with care, especially if it be wiped over occasionally with a soft cloth dampened with a mixture of linseed oil and a little high-grade carriage varnish—a half pint to the gallon of oil. As there is a wide variation in both ingredients, if the mixture seems sticky when rubbed between the fingers or when applied to the car surface, add considerably more oil, as it is not intended as a new covering for the paint, but to freshen up the varnish.
Mohair tops need to be dusted with a moist sponge, using also soapsuds if spotted with oil or grease. Leather and its imitations may be kept in good condition if oiled occasionally or treated with one of the good preparations sold. The top should be dried before folding down. After driving through a shower let the top stay up until sun and wind have dried it thoroughly. Care in folding will lengthen the life of the top. Freedom from cracks and creases will mean a dry top, to insure which is worth any amount of trouble.
Keeping the car covered when in the garage pays, for dust will blow in and settle over all parts. The upholstery also may be protected by slip covers, which should be kept on during dusty trips, and be washed when dirty. Leather cushions should be freshened the same as the top.
The man who has cared for a fine carriage will know what to do with similar parts of the automobile; others should learn how to care for them, and understand that varnished and polished surfaces will become dulled if the car is stored in a stable, or adjacent to stable or barnyard. If a barn is converted into a garage, it should be thoroughly renovated and fitted with a cement floor sloping to the center, with a drain leading outside, so that the car may be washed there and the water run off through the drain.
In fact the owner of a car may find something to do all the time for convenience and comfort. If he arranges things conveniently he will not only save time but will be able to do better work, and will have the satisfaction of knowing that he is keeping down expense and getting the most out of his machine for the expenditure.
CHAPTER XXXVII
SOME THINGS A TOURIST SHOULD KNOW
These are the days of the tour and to thousands more each year it means a trip by automobile to lake or mountain, or the more pretentious visit to the old home, or to some new, and to the tourist, undiscovered, country. The tourist who goes by auto fully prepared for the emergencies which may arise, unhampered by railway schedule, and who will take time to enjoy himself, will get untold pleasure out of the trip.