John Ibbotson, Consumer Reports’ chief mechanic, says that regular washing protects your car’s finish. It helps remove “road grit and residue left from rain and birds.” Not washing your car, he adds, ...

Car wash businesses in the Central U.S. have been busier than usual this week after residents across several states awoke ...

In my case, instead of rain, it was usually a foot of snow—followed by weeks or months of crusty, slippery, dirty ice. And don’t forget the thousands of pounds of grimy salt and sand on the roads.

While some might have thought it was pollen or just waiting too long for a car wash, meteorologists say it came from dust on ...