Hello all,

We have a BIG dilemma at home, can't make up my mind. I need to clean and vacuum our large van. I can do it either in the garage - dark, not so comfy, I need to take an extra light inside the car to work, etc. Or I can do it outside - in the sun.

The problem, oh lovely Switzerland, is we live in a very quiet neighborhood. The street is semipedestrian. It would be outside or our garden. Much nicer for me, will probably do the job quicker. My wife says go ahead, do it. I am worried about the noise, the neighbors, etc. My wife says, it's same noise as if you would cut the grass. I never see anyone doing this outside... what's more, come thing of it, I never see people cleaning their cars in the garage neither. But mind you, I haven't done (yeah, shame on me) this in 4 months.

So, what shall I do? Thoughts?

Thanks! Silly question but can't make my mind!

Juan

Ask yourself this; the vacuum cleaners you see at many garages, are they inside or outside?

I often ask the same question when I want to use my petrol lawn mower, or start up my motorbike, or use my power tools.

'Course it's not a problem outside - just not after 10:00pm (less light than your garage), or (blatantly) on a Sunday.

If you want total peace of mind (but personally I would vacuum the car outside - it's fine so long as you're not doing it on a Sunday) drive it up to a car wash and use the vacuum cleaners there. Costs a few francs but at least you know that you are safe from curtain twitchers.

As an additional bonus you can then take it through the car wash or give it a go in one of the manual car wash bays.

Sunny day, clean car - it doesn't get much better than that!

There is a car wash and vacuums in Chamerstrasse Zug/Steinhausen.

I live in a quiet neighborhood too with the only road to our garden an emergency services path. I wouldn't drive up there just to vacuum. If I wanted to see better in the sunlight, i'd use the parking spaces down the road.

so long as you dont do it between 12 and 2 pm then you are fine

I vacuum my car all the time at home outside my garage but never during the quiet times. The vacuum is not that loud and I usually put it inside the car.

It doesn't take that long even with all the dog hair it has to cope with.

I never use the vacuum at the car wash because it smells from people who vacuum their ashtrays and who knows what else with it.

I certainly start my bikes after 10PM, what's the problem? (did have a guy once ask me not to let it warm up for five minutes, though, and that was at 8AM!)

Of course, the '68 Ducati Scambler that was in my garage for a few days last week is NOT something I'd start up after 10PM, despite the fact that I am totally anti-social!

Tom

This is a pretty open-and-shut case for me ... OF COURSE YOU DO IT OUTSIDE!

If someone has the gall to complain, you tell them that your car is dirty and there's not enough light in the garage. I don't care what country this is, if it's daylight and not Sunday, you have full legal and moral right to make a bit of noise. FFS! If you were slaughtering chickens or doing target practice on a gong with a shotgun, then this would be more of a legitimate concern, but vacuuming? Yeesh...

Outside. As long as its not before 7am in the morning ....... between 12noon and 1pm ...... or after about 7pm at night.

I spent a week high-pressure cleaning the paving outside. At first I cringed with the noise ...... but after a while I realised that I was just being a "workman", and workman make noise. As long as the "sacred" times are adhered to no-one complains.

Leaf blowers, vacuum cleaners, highpressure cleaners, chain saws, mulch shredders, rotovators ... all part of life and being alive enough to make a noise during working hours.

Those are working hours, and during working hours you may make as much noise as is necessary to carry out your daily chores.

dont do it on the Lord's day...

I'd put the car outside, but close enough to the garage to put the vacuum cleaner inside the garage.

The Swiss like compromises.

Very well put. Now that I see this email feel somewhat foolish for posting this. Such is peer pressure sometimes here. Did it, didn't feel wrong at all, enjoyed breaking a sweat under the sun for a change. Perfectly alright with keeping such things to the timeframes you state, and I didn't put out my car stereo with loud music. Will do it this weekend with my other car and won't stop myself from doing it again