Transportation and Auto Care, by Thomas Collins Jr.

Many of us in modern society utilize various styles and modes of transportation. Maintaining and preserving these modes of transportation to last is time consuming and often tedious. Choosing how to preserve and maintain what for the majority is the lifeblood of the household or business as a major tool, asset, and resource is complicated, situational, and challenging.

 Many of us have been blessed to own these vital or optional  assets, tools, and resources. For others these means of transportation are a frequent, sporadic, or occasional tools used for the enhancement of quality of life. Be it for the big run to the grocery or convenience stores, or family activities and appointments, these tools enrich our lives and also complicate them.  How to keep them from aging prematurely is no easy task.

Maintaining these lubed and tuned pieces of equipment does not have to be a monumental task. In many cases cost cutting is easy when given options. Were you aware there are garages and service stations who will perform maintenance on your tool, asset, or resource at service flat rates or per hour if you are able to obtain pieces, parts, lubricants, or the resources required? This depends upon situation and circumstance.

Given scenarios and circumstances, this can be challenging in some more remote areas as the cost of pieces or parts in conjunction with labor mean much for all parties involved as a business transaction. There is also the reality of liability, accountability, and warranty that may bring small challenges. Speak to the staff and management ahead of time, shop around reputable places, and arrange to have items shipped or delivered to the garage, maintenance, or service station. This arrangement tends to make the issues of liability and credibility lessen for all parties and they can always explain the rejection or quality viability of a part or resource.

Keeping the appearance and conditioning of these tools can be miniscule or massive depending on use, abuse, or lay of the land. Lifestyle and quality of life take us through many courses, detours, hills, valleys, and plateaus under various conditions. We all have our hideaways, getaways, and for most our home sweet homes. Enjoyment and freedom spring from those friendly trips and pleasant family outings. These in conjunction with the convenience of jaunts for random items and appointments are only a few to mention. These are privileges and luxuries multitudes of people enjoy every day as part of the human experience. 

There are many solutions and options for maintaining and conditioning our means of transportation. In the past there were not many choices for people to use to maintain mobility. We have come a long way from animal transport as a primary means of travel. Manual creations, operating instruments of ingenuity utilizing creative means of short or long term sustainability came shortly after.  Creations, improved upon, arrive at our present through evolution as some of our tools and resources we see today, imagine, and design for the future. A tribute to the technology and myriad of choices today that have proven the test of time to be most instrumental in keeping up with our demands and expectations. The good as new or lackluster has been a study for generations to arrive at what works, what is applicable, and what may not be relevant at all.  

Methods employed for maintenance and conditioning of these tools are almost as numerous  as the stars in the  sky. Did you know the most effective and modern ways in some cases are actually seen by many experts to be the alternative norm for options just in the realm of common sense. Societies progress or digress, and as they progress or digress, the criteria for common sense is an exponential case of probability and statistics. Given demographic, experience, education, and other exponentially controlled and variable acute and peripheral facts, perceptions, or realities common sense is relative.

Most general cleaning for the average means of transportation requires no more than water and a plush or nonabrasive sponge or cloth, with a nonabrasive drying tool. This, followed by a generous amount and smearing of reliable wax,  sealant, minor items or consumables,  combined with elbow grease are effective.  Changing the water for different sections of the vehicle more than once or fourth for a complete cycle is common when using regular water in contrast to soapy water.  Soap, in addition to cleaning and stripping provides lubrication from scratches, hence the need for the plush and nonabrasive cleaning materials, 

Do not use soap, use water, This is only a perspective and as many perspectives this perspective may not be applicable in some or even all cases. Here is why. There is a consensus among some experts the need to utilize fresh water buckets given the alternative norm of soapy water is a common sense rationale. First thing is dirt floats. Dirt usually goes to the bottom of the bucket and removing the water from the bucket before it hits the dirt section spiral still prevents scratching from dirt particles and does not strip vital protective layers already applied. This aids in maintaining the vehicle's youthful vigor and attractive appearance. Soap has the tendency to aid in the stripping of protective layering which aid in the preservation of the tool, asset, or resource.  Even so this method saves water, and take less time than the majority method of spraying till the soap bubbles are gone method commonly used by more than the majority. By your second or third wash you should notice, under normal conditions which are relative, the water wax beading that makes the majority of us smile. Some experts say many of the most reliable methods commonly employed by the populace are industry churners. I love the American Way, business, most industries, and sometimes the complexities of life.

When it comes to the undercarriage where most of the travel collision ricochets occur, debris, lubricants, and dirt matter do their best to erode preservation. There are many techniques and alternatives for preservation. This takes some research or legwork given circumstance and environment. Resources abound from rubber sealant undercoats, to mountable form fitting housings or assemblies to name a couple. Removal of threats to preservation of the undercarriage are situational and diverse  given the environment. Treatment and remedies for these threats are almost everywhere. They are among the web, in numerous publications, in video, and even from our neighbor with the lawn dealership. Please verify authenticity of proper step sequence and material requirements from at least two similar or consistent reputable sources for the treatment process and treatment plan for diagnosis of preservation before beginning the conditioning and treatment process.

Solvents and many chemicals commonly used actually remove those preservation lubricants and age strippers which make our transportation young and rejuvenated. Old school simple luxuries and old world solutions are in many cases still relevant today as the go to solutions even in present time. The key is patience, technique, elbow grease, a beverage and munchies, and the available location for that inevitable pit call. Having employed some of these techniques go for an air buffing ride on the highway for about fifteen minutes or so, hop off the exit where there is a close highway reverse direction on ramp, and repeat the process homeward or to a buddy's. Dust off upon arrival at destination daily if possible and the glide will tell you after a few repeats that old world technological advances are pretty cool and quite effective even in modern times.