The floor of the wash-box or other place in which a carriage is cleaned, should be paved, so that mud and grit may not be splashed on to the wheels. When the carriage comes in after use, the cushions and mats should be taken out, and there should be as little delay as possible in removing all adherent mud by means of water. If mud be allowed to dry on any part of the vehicle, it will be liable to injuriously affect the varnish or polish, and then it will not be easy to remove the mud solely by water. We should here bear in mind that in attempting to sponge or wipe off mud from a carriage, we are apt to scratch the varnish or paint, on account of the frequent presence of gritty particles in mud. The water had best be applied under a fair amount of pressure. If a hose is not at hand, we may use a Read's pump and flexible tube. Failing these appliances, we shall probably have to content ourselves with sluicing the carriage with buckets of water. The wheels, one after another, should be slightly raised off the ground by means of a jack and carefully washed. I would restrict the use of an ordinary spoke-brush (p. 254) to the tyres, felloes and under-carriage; because this spoke-brush, if employed on the spokes, is apt to injure the varnish and paint, and is rarely narrow enough to get between the spokes at their junction with the nave. The spokes, and indeed the whole of the wheel, can be cleaned with a sponge. When all mud has been removed by water, the remaining moisture may be sponged off, the carriage well dried with a wash-leather, and polished up with a fresh dry leather. Any spots which remain on the panels, etc., may be rubbed over with a flannel rag moistened with paraffin oil or linseed oil. The steel pole-head may be cleaned in the manner described on page 364, and a coating of paraffin oil, which of course must be removed before burnishing, will prevent it from rusting. The window panes of a closed carriage may be sponged with water in which a little paraffin oil (say, a tea-spoonful in a quart of water) has been mixed and the whole well shaken up, dried with a wash-leather, and polished with a soft duster. The leather, plated work, etc., should be cleaned in the manner already described in this chapter. The cushions and inside lining of the carriage should be brushed, and the mats shaken and brushed.

As a rule, a mop is a lazy man's substitute for a sponge; for, though it is convenient to use, it cannot be applied with lightness and precision. It should be reserved for the undercarriage, and in that respect it is useful for two-wheeled traps, the shafts of which can be tilted up. Cotton mops are preferable to woollen mops, because they are not so apt to leave particles of their substance on the carriage.

When the carriage has been cleaned and put away, it should be covered over with a specially made cotton cover, or with sheets, so as to preserve it from dust and damp. If a carriage is not in use, it should be sponged and leathered over at least once a month.

It is a good plan to send the carriage once a month to a coach-builder, who will see that the axles are greased, the washers all right, and everything in order. If this is not done, the coachman or groom will have to look after these details himself. Castor oil may be used for the axles.