Mumbai: Armed with mop & detergent, 50-yr-old starts his day washing nine cars

Sakpal, who hails from Khed in Ratnagiri, lives in Worli’s Siddharth Nagar and has been washing cars for a living for 20 years.

Typically, at 4.30 every morning, Sakpal sets out to work washing nine cars — ranging from a hatchback to a luxury sedan — with the vehicle’s exterior getting a shine daily and the interiors getting cleaned on every alternate day. By 8 am, the cars are squeaky clean, he said.

Sakpal initially started working with the proprietor of a small hotel in Worli, and subsequently started washing cars of the residents living in the vicinity. He attributes his initial training to the hotel watchman. Even after the hotel closed to make way for a commercial complex, Sakpal kept his job.

“When I started, I was a bit scared considering that I may do something to the cars… I was also afraid of instances of residents leaving something behind in the cars, which I would chance upon in the morning,” he said.

However, with the passage of time, Sakpal acquired his skill and has never had an angry customer, he claimed. He said he has received appreciation not only for his work but also for being reliable and trustworthy. “By the grace of God and my hard work, there have been no mistakes and fights. Also, there have been no complaints as far as my work is concerned,” said Sakpal.

Sakpal, who studied till Class VI, charges Rs 500 for every car that he washes and earns about Rs 4,500 every month. “Although it is less, we as a family manage to adjust,” he said. Sakpal lives with his wife and son, who is currently pursuing an undergraduate course in commerce in a south Mumbai college.

After he has finished washing cars in the morning, to augment his income, Sakpal proceeds to the house of the proprietor of the hotel where he initially started working, to take care of his family.