The prosecution: Liam
Surely doing a favour badly is worse than not doing it at all? It took me three hours to fix
A few weeks ago, while I was preoccupied with medical exams, my housemate Ray kindly offered to wash my car. I was very thankful for the gesture as the stress from studying meant that some key chores had fallen by the wayside. I usually wash my car once a month and it was hard to see it gathering dirt.
However, I later found out that he had used only soap and water. No car cleaning products like tyre cleaners, wax or glass polish – just a basic soap I had lying around. He thought it would work fine, but my car looked streaky and unclean afterwards. I actually think it looked worse than before.
The glass wasn’t as clear as I’d like it to be and the paint was all marked. After it rained, it looked even worse. I cleaned it myself later that week, and had to go over the whole car again, using proper shampoo, microfibre cloths and a decent wax to undo the damage Ray had done.
Ray thought I was being dramatic. “It’s just a car,” he said. “It gets dirty again anyway.” But that’s not the point. A car is a reflection of its owner. If it looks messy and unkempt, what does that say about me? I like things to be neat, polished, and well maintained. Ray, on the other hand, seems to think rainwater counts as a second rinse.
We had a bit of a debate about it, but I knew better than to start a proper argument with him as we get on very well. But I think he should have offered to reclean it, or at least help me reclean it. If not, I would have appreciated a few quid towards a professional clean.
I did make a couple of jokes about it, such as “When are you going to give me the cash for a new car wash?” But Ray just laughed them off. I was kind of being serious though.
Ray still insists he did me a favour, but I see it differently as I had to fix his so-called favour with three hours of hard work. Surely doing a favour for someone badly is worse than not doing it at all? I think Ray is great, but he needs to take a bit of responsibility for doing a bad job.
The defence: Ray
Cars are machines. They don’t need pampering. You clean them, they get dirty again; life goes on
I should have known better than to offer to help Liam wash his car when he was stressed. I thought it was a simple gesture, like holding the door open or lending a drill, but now I wish I hadn’t bothered. I haven’t heard the end of it.
I turned up with a bucket, sponge, and a bottle of Fairy Liquid: the standard kit. This is how my dad did it, how his dad did it, and presumably how Henry Ford did it too.
I got the job done in 45 minutes and Liam was very grateful at first. He’d been so busy studying and hadn’t had time to clean his precious car.
However, he recoiled when I told him what I’d used. He went out to inspect it and made a few comments like, “Oh, it’s streaky.” Then after it rained, he inspected the car again and found more streaks. I didn’t care: in my mind I had done him a favour.
But Liam said he had to reclean the car for hours, and that I should have helped him a second time. He even suggested that I pay for a professional wash to remove the streaks. I laughed in his face and refused on both counts. I think he’s got a cheek: I did a nice thing for him, and he tried to make money off me to “correct” that.
Soap and water have worked for generations. Why complicate things? Anything else – waxes, polishes, ceramic coatings – is just car vanity. But Liam insists on treating his secondhand Ford Fiesta like a priceless work of art. I caught him using a clay bar last week to “prep” the cleaning process. He’s got special shampoos, two buckets – the man has lost his mind.
Frankly, I’m embarrassed to be seen with him at the petrol station. Last week, he was standing there buffing his bonnet while I was filling up. He spends entire Sunday afternoons massaging his car as if he’s trying to bring it to life.
A car is a machine. Machines do not need to be pampered. You clean them, they get dirty again; life goes on. I won’t be paying him a penny and I think he should be thanking me for washing his car at all, instead of complaining about my tried-and-tested technique.
The jury of Guardian readers
Should Ray make amends for doing a bad job?
Ray did not offer to wash Liam’s car in a particular way and Liam, quite rightly, did not set out a list of minimum requirements or specifications. Get a grip. No defence is required from Ray.
Peter, 49
If the cleaning mattered so much, Liam should have shared his method and given Ray an opt-out, or declined upfront. Frustration is understandable, but if you demand high standards, you can’t expect others to meet them without clear communication.
Seren, 32
Ray is a bona fide mate, selflessly offering to help out a stressed friend. It is finicky Liam who has transgressed. As a medical student, his attention to detail and meticulous cleanliness is good news for his future patients, but his propensity to charge fees suggests a career outside the NHS.
Liam, 63
A car may be a reflection of its owner, but Liam needs to take a look in the mirror. Even if the results were sub-par, Ray acted from a good place. Another wash and no harm done – passive-aggressive hints for cash are just petty and shameful.
Joshua, 42
In the end, this comes down to Liam complaining about the quality of a gesture Ray performed for no other reason but kindness. Ray owes Liam nothing, and Liam needs to recognise that kindness – however unskilled – is still kindness. Though Ray could be less flippant about Liam’s feelings.
Andy-Lee, 42
Now you be the judge
In our online poll, tell us: should Ray get the chamois out again?
The poll closes on Thursday 3 April at 10am BST
Last week’s results
We asked whether Margaret should have consulted her family over her forthcoming Christmas trip to Vietnam, as her son Paul argues.
41% of you said yes – Margaret is guilty
59% of you said no – Margaret is innocent
