I live in a house with no garage so I have to do all my work outside, and as my luck would have it I live next door to 14 year old twin boys who have dirt bikes, play ball, and have friends who visit them doing the same. I had a serious talk with them and their parents about my concerns about my car and that if anything happens to it they are on the top of the suspect list, as there is no one else around me who would put scratches, dings, etc., on my car but them or their buddies. For my part, I try to remember that long ago I was like them with different priorities, and I have worked out an agreement where I will move my car around to quieter parts of the block or neighborhood when they're doing their thing, and for their part when they see me doing my thing with my car they give me my space. It's not easy, it's co-existence. Hope you can have a happy ending to your situation, I know how you feel.
I think that is the key, CO-EXIST, but if I can wash my car inside the garage I think it would be better.
Garage floors are usually pitched towards the door so that any water drains that way. Probably not quick enough for rinsing a car but maybe get a floor squeegee to use after rinsing. Rinse, pull the car out, squeegee, pull back in & continue.
Yes reason with the parents. Any reasonable person will speak with their kids. If it's a public street/area I doubt there's much that can be done legally unless they actually come onto your private property. Then maybe there's a trespassing issue.
Spray them with the hose? I don't think so. If my kids came home & told me someone sprayed them with a hose they would have to deal with me & possible assault charges, and yes I'm for real.
I think I am going to HD or Lowes and check out the squeegees. Good advice thanks!
rops:
I would not spray them with a hose. I know some people on here would but thats not how I am. I would talk to the parents first.
Fishnugget please tell me you drive a Lamborghini or Ferrari man because i seriously think your over reacting. "kids bother me with there balls" come on man.
I've got FOUR boys and three more to the right, mine are 3,5,8,10 yup all in the worst ages possible! They play organized sports (tackle football and baseball) so there are a ton of balls flying around... It's inevitable to have kids and parents lurking, every single time one of the four always wants to help so guess what, they get tire and rim duty.. What's the worst they can do. Since you are having foam parties I can see why they would want to see and be curious IT LOOKS COOL!
I say do your thing and don't let them bother or have one pitch in and help you and explain to the one you choose tk help you that this is your prized possession and you want tk take care of it and that you would like him to tell the other kids to be considerate
You'd be surprised how many more flies you can catch with honey than salt
fredcandetail,
no lamborghini or ferrari only an infiniti. Its hard not to overreact because the whole point of washing your car with the 2B method, Foam Cannon, and DI rinse is to avoid swirls. If a neighborhood kid comes in and hits my car with a ball it would most likely marr the paint. Thats why I figured washing in the garage would be the next best idea. I can't really stop the kids from playing, I was there once and pissed off a lot of neighbors when I played baseball.
The point of this thread was washing my car in the garage and looking for feedback but it seems everyone has had an experience like mine and they are speaking out, which is great. Also, everybody is going to have a different take on how I should approach the kids. However, none of this matters because my solution was to let the kids play and wash in the garage.
So keep the ideas on garage wash coming! :xyxthumbs:
I wash washing my older brother's car the other day when he came by. Then my younger brother proceeded to weedeat....close by...:doh:
Ted, this happened to me as well. I just drove inside the garage. The gardeners were blow drying.
Had to post this here ...
Too funny Legacy
Buy a floor squeege. I occasionally wash my truck in the garage (no drain). I will wash a side, squeege the garage out and go to the other side. Works well. Especially in winter.
Squeegee sounds like the plan. I read somewhere someone used a big tarp to cover the floor and used 2x4's to roll the edges of the tarp to create a sort of basin. I might experiment with that.
It sounds like youre more upset about the kids disrupting your personal quiet time than causing any actual issue washing your car. I really don't see that there's much you can do that wont make you the neighborhood scrooge. It's a little surprising they don't lose interest quickly and move on.
Perhaps you can create an offensive mysterious odor that will function as a kid repellent, or redirect their interest to something more interesting than you washing your car (like a dog that likes kids on a line 50 feet away). I don't know.
How about investing in a 12x16 folding shelter? That would allow you to wash in the sun and form something of a kid perimeter (or perhaps attract more attention as if you were suddenly going to start offering hotdogs). They are not cheap, but they do have lots of uses.
My biggest peeve is when it's mowing time for my neighbors when I'm just started to apply a wax or sealant. ARGHHH.
That is funny, they probably say I am the neighborhood scrooge, lol. I need some kid repellant, does AG carry that?, j/k.
All kidding aside, I cannot take away their play time, so garage washing might work for me. I think it will be better as well because it gets really windy where I live and the SoCal sun can be brutal in the summers.
Wash your car, ignore the kids. They will move somewhere dry to play.
Thanks, AeroCleanse, thats what I have done. usually kids play 15 min then get bored and move on.
I better stop..lol
