[sugarwood]

"Driven hard and put away wet".

I've heard that term a lot to designate general neglect and abuse of a car.
Why is this even a saying?

What exactly is the opposite of that idiom?
When caught in the rain, are you supposed to towel off your car once you park it in the garage?
That's a nice way to scratch up your paint with all the new dirt everywhere.

And I don't think anyone has ever wiped off the undercarriage with a towel.
They would be put in an insane asylum.

Why is this even a saying? It makes no sense to me.