Car washing

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Was reading the "lite" news on the computer and a story about car washing came up. And I quote------ "So how often should you have your vehicle washed? That depends on how quickly it gets dirty -- and how dirty it gets. For some cars, once a month or so is sufficient -- especially if the car is lightly used and kept in a garage. But some cars will need a bath more often -- especially those that are parked outdoors where they're exposed to bird droppings, tree sap and so on, or driven in areas with very long/severe winters, where the roads are salted when it snows."

I am from the school of thought that the dirt on my suburban protects the paint and that the loose stuff gets brushed off in the rain. Once a month for a garaged kept lightly used car

SO how 'bout it FFM's (that's fellow forum members for those who aren't into that cutsey initial stuff ) how often do you wash the old conestoga???

 

[RichardWA]

Not as often as I probably should!!
When my truck was new I washed it once a week. 3 years later I think I washed it once this summer.
In this rainy western Wa. climate it doesn't do much good to wash it in the winter

 

[rondo]

You're supposed to wash them?

 

[m1gunner]

You're supposed to wash them?

I thought rain took care of that. After all, how often to you wash the roof on your house?

 

[venomballistics]

depends on the wheels.
if we are talking about a loved and treasured machine it may spend 10% of its life under a coat of suds.
if its a grocery getter ... no sponge shall touch it unless the great whacking gobs of blood must be removed from an unfortunate incident you just dont want others to know about

 

[max]

My personal best is 3 times in one day. However, it was raining that day. Personally, I strive for once weekly at a minimum, monthly waxing and professionally detailed once a year.

My dad could never afford a new car, only used, but he kept them clean and shiny at all times. I suppose I inherited a lot from him. Later in life, I earned my living selling used cars. It was important that my car look good. I can't tell you how many times people would ask if they could buy a car as clean as mine.

Here is a picture of my car. I am biased, but I think it looks pretty good for 11 years old.

 

[enfield]

After a year or so of sitting under the trees and collecting droppings, leaves and pollen, I break down and wash the truck. If my wife rides in it, the inside gets cleaned more often -- by her.

 

[JohnnieB]

Treat my cars same as my guns - clean 'em when they need it

However, I have washed them often enough to notice, on average, it rains 7 minutes and 14 seconds later.

John

 

[dmar]

My personal best is 3 times in one day. However, it was raining that day. Personally, I strive for once weekly at a minimum, monthly waxing and professionally detailed once a year.

My dad could never afford a new car, only used, but he kept them clean and shiny at all times. I suppose I inherited a lot from him. Later in life, I earned my living selling used cars. It was important that my car look good. I can't tell you how many times people would ask if they could buy a car as clean as mine.

Here is a picture of my car. I am biased, but I think it looks pretty good for 11 years old.

I want to buy my used cars from you!

My theory is to wash every week, or every other week. When I was younger, I used to be very diligent with washing my car, but job, kids, etc. has taken some priority in my life, so sometimes this task gets delayed.

Depending on the wax product you use, wax every 3 -4 months. I use a really good product, and am able to wax just once, or twice a year. I don't know about you guys, but I always like my car a lot better when it's clean and freshly waxed!

 

[jframe]

I'm very OCD about a clean car. My 2005 Mustang GT gets washed up to twice a week, without fail. I take care of it in every way; it's part of the overall maintenance, and I'm still paying for it, so it's babied. My Dad thinks I'm nuts, but he never drives anywhere hardly, so his cars stay clean.

 

[LouisianaJoe]

January and July. Sometimes I skip both.

 

[oldman45]

I have a garage queen that has not been washed since 2004 when I parked it in the garage.

I have a Chevy dually that was last washed in April of this year.

I have a Buick that gets washed weekly.

 

[Duster42]

When I was a lot younger I washed my car at least 2 times a week and waxed it every 2 weeks.
Fast forward 40 years and now that I'm retired my truck gets washed only once a month and usually not by me.
Now that I don't have to go anywhere in the winter it stays in the garage until the snow melts and the roads are dry.This also keeps the idiot's that think they can drive in the snow and ice like it's a sunny and dry day from running into you.
The amount of salt that they use around here still eats through the metal.If I get caught out when it's snowing I rinse it off before I park it in the garage.The temperature in my garage rarely falls below 55 deg in the winter.

 

[rburg]

The off road jeep was washed the last time it was out of the garage. It'll probably get washed again the next time it goes out. Or maybe not.

My wife has never washed her Pervertable. Sometimes when she leaves it at home I just take it out and fill it with fuel, and then take it through the car wash at the same time. She never notices. Even the fill ups. Makes me wonder why I do nice things for her.

A couple of years ago gas prices were over $4 a gallon. Momma's ride enjoys premium fuel. For whatever reason, prices took a dip. I took my 3 empty 5 gallon cans on a ride and filled them with Mr. Shell's best. I remember the crying from Atlanta members when they had no fuel.

So prices took a slow fall, and I realized my gas was months old. So I moved the short step ladder over by her car, hoisted a 5 gallon can up above it and siphoned it over. Not a word from my wife. So about 3 or 4 days later, I did it again. Then the final one. She didn't notice. She was just wondering about why she suddenly was getting such good fuel economy.

 

[Bullseye 2620]

I wait for the spring rains.


Bullseye

 

[Capt Steve]

The F-150 gets a bath about once a month as that is how often I go shooting and where I shoot is 6 miles down a dusty dirt road. Now I didn't say that I washed it....The Church of the Street, a bunch of guys trying to get their lives together (mostly drug/alcohol problems), does a fund raising car wash once a month at the local Burger King and they get my business. They do a nice job, it takes ten minutes and I give them more $ than most. (o; The truck looks like a million bucks when they are done but two coats of Nu Finish (Orange plastic bottle), car polish once a year makes all the difference in the world. YMMV

 

[USAF385]

I drive on 3 miles of rough dirt road just to get from my house to a paved road... My truck ends up in the woods with me a few times each week. I don't worry too much about keeping it clean....

......... Until the winter roles around. With all the salt they pour on the roads, I try to wash underneath my truck weekly in the winter. Every other week at the most. In the spring I'll give the whole truck a good cleaning and that usually lasts until the next winter.

 

[dwsonar]

The wife's car, not so much. My bike, lots.

 

[JcMack]

I still owe 2 yrs. payments on my mid size P.U.. I decided today was wash day. I do it at home. Last I heard brush car washes are bad. Brushless use water recovery systems and add abrasives to water. So I washed the truck which is black, and found a lot of small scuffs. Off to the store for "scuff buff" junk. Tonneau (not fiberglass) is a pain to clean, as it has phony leather grain. Looks good clean, should last 12 hours.

 

[Farmer17]

My guns and my vehicle never look bad for very long. I do a full detail clean on my Titan Crewcab every month or so and wash it frequently, and every time I wash it I spray the wheels with cleaner and the white letter tires with Wesleys bleach. I use KiT scratch remover a couple times a year to get all the little scratches out so my truck always looks great, the engine unfortunately, doesn't get the same love and maintenance and I have the original spark plugs at 192K miles.

 

[Engineer1911]

Last year the Scouts had a car wash fund raiser at church, truck got a $20 bath. Before that the last washing was 7 years ago not counting rain. Missed this year's car wash.

 

[jkc]

Annually, approximately, although not religiously, unless unusual accumulations of mud or insects adversely affect operation or economy...

It is after all:
- an inanimate object
- not adversely affected by being dirty
- somewhat protected by a UV resistant patina of dead bugs, urban road soot, etc.
- not an important social or fashion statement
- a wasting asset by nature, with no prospect of ameliorating its waste by keeping it shiny
- an indulgent waste of the very little time you've got left, which could easily be spent on far more important matters, such as toenail trimming, and etc.

 

[old bear]

Hand wash once a week unless it needs it more often, I.e bird droppings, tree sap, or rain.

One coat of paint sealer every 6 months followed by a thin coat of paste wax.

Brush and wipe interior daily.

I guess I have to much free times on my hands.

 

[Stevens]

Mine was last washed in February I drive on dusty, or muddy cane field roads everyday. When I buy a vehicle a color that doesn't show dirt, copper or silver color, is at the top of my "must include" list. I do keep the oil changes and other maintenance right on schedule.
Steve

 

[Knightrider03m]

Once a week at least.

 

[CJ]

Wash whenever it looks dirty. Wax maybe 2-3 times a year. It really helps to keep them in the garage and out of the elements when you get home. My 12 year old car and 10 year old truck still look great with minimal attention, mainly due to being garaged at the end of the day.

 

[GRIZZLYBEAR]

Before I retired I didn't have the time to wash or wax my trucks or my wife's cars.

Since I bought them new & would trade them off in 4 or 5 years (before the trade in I took them to my friends body shop for a full detail), I never lost out on the trade value. They looked great for the couple days before I traded them.

Now that I am retired I don't have the time or the mind set to wash & wax a truck or car. I'll be trading off the old lady's car next year so it'll be getting the full detail soon.

 

[BUFF]

I find that I have kept the cars I liked a lot cleaner than the cars that were just "okay." Previous car was a 2006 Mustang GT, the last of a number of V-8 Mustangs, all bought new. Cleaned inside and out frequently. I enjoyed driving them just to drive them. I enjoyed just looking at them when they were clean and shiny.

Then I needed a different kind of car, one with a trunk big enough for wheelchairs, one that my ricketty, frail old parents could get in and out of. (If she wasn't my dear old mother, watching her get into and out of the back seats of the Mustang at 88 years old might have been entertaining.) Next and current car is a 2007 Crown Victoria. Reliable, comfortable, good car, boring. Huge trunk, easy entry-egress regardless of state of mobility, but it is about as fun to own and drive as a clothes dryer or waffle iron. It is just a transportation appliance. I don't drive it much, it mostly sits in the garage. I never drive it just to drive it. It is garaged, and is a light silver color that doesn't show the dirt much. I vacuum the interior and keep the windows clean inside and out, but I haven't washed it since June or July. It doesn't look any better to me after washing it. I don't know where my electric buffer is!

I need to get another Mustang, I guess.

My pickup truck is now 23 years old. I find that I don't keep it as clean and shiny as I did back in 1987!

I have learned that if you keep a car clean, it is easy to sell it when it is time. A clean car implies that the owner also takes care of the car. I always do better selling my old cars than I could do trading them in. Particularly the interior. You can't let the interior get filthy and then clean it so it looks as good as one that has always been kept clean.

Spending a few hours in the driveway spiffing up the car used to be pretty satisfying. Even though a clean car is temporary, I felt like I had accomplished something worthwhile. Not so important now. That probably means something psychologically, but I don't think I care!

 

[BarbC]

It's black. It's shiny. It now has almost 100,000 miles of heavy use and still looks like this:

 

[Mack]

I am of the school of though that a dirty car is less likely to get broken into/stolen. Mine sees a car wash a few times a year but mostly let the rain take care of it.