Easy Cleaning

Even if you’re just into show and shine, there are lots of tools that make it easier and less strenuous to wash a car. Modern spray cleaners don’t require dragging out the hose and bucket–and can be used in the garage, too. A mitt or microfiber on a long handle makes it easier to clean the lower reaches of the car. When I wash a car outdoors with water, I use an air dryer to reduce bending over.

Work Comfortably

In the garage, there are a lot of things you can do to help preserve the decrepit hulk you now inhabit. First, make sure it’s warm enough in winter to not aggravate your arthritic joints. I run a wall-mounted 5000 BTU space heater in the winter to get the garage up to a comfortable high 50s/low 60s.

Cooling is also a big deal as you age. Time to put a/c in the garage? It’s frighteningly easy to get dehydrated quickly, and the consequences can be severe. I make it a habit to stop regularly for water, regardless of the temperature but even more importantly when it’s hot.

Can You See?

Seeing stuff is another big item that gets harder with age. My garage is lit with a battery of high-intensity lights, together with skylights, but I also wear a lightweight, headband-style rechargeable LED light–less than $20–for most jobs. It’s really bright, and I wonder why I spent so many years squinting in the dark at things. (Buy two, and charge one while you wear one, because they only last about 3 hours.) I also have a large, lighted magnifying glass mounted on a stand on my bench next to the car for close inspections, part numbers, and those teeny tiny etchings on sockets or stamped on fastener heads. I also have several sets of goggles with bifocal readers that I use a lot (also less than $20).