How often do you wash your car?

[Gremlin]

Fortunately, Mother Nature does it for me. But she isn’t very reliable.

 

[LakeRat1]

3 to 6 times per week, subscription ...... I dry it off, wipe the inside each time ...... I like a clean vehicle, I am not worried about the $30 per month ..... It makes my happy

 

[ringtail]

Never. Not once in 40+ years of car ownership.

 

[Cerys]

I live in Pennsylvania, and in the winter I get my car washed and my undercarriage sprayed about twice a month. I use the word “about” because sometimes we go through phases where we don’t use salt and sometimes we do.

You have to rinse that stuff out of your undercarriage. So if we’re having a mild winter and they’re not tossing around the salt much maybe once a month. And it’s not necessarily for the car, it’s the undercarriage.

Other than that when the back of my car gets disgusting I take it to the wash. I drive a small SUV style car which frankly I think it should be just called a hatchback. Dirty road water kicks up on the back and it really does make the back gross. I’m in and out of the back of that thing all the time, and then you can’t see out the camera because of the filth. So like every other month.

If they had subscription that wasn’t a monthly thing to get washes constantly and instead did you get 16 washes a year for the price of 12, I would jump on that. But that’s never their subscription base.

 

[Stormy Kromer]

I drove through a thunderstorm yesterday. Big one. Had to pull over because we couldn't see. My truck is good for a while now.

 

[ERhoosier]

Depends on the car's color. A white vehicle looks OK whether just washed/waxed or fairly dusty & dirty. Nothing better looking than a black (or other dark color) car with a good hi-gloss wax, but even a little dust/dirt makes it look like crap. And don't get me started on swirl marks. Over the years I washed my dark cars weekly & polished/waxed every 2mo. My white cars......not so much. My current sedan is white, and I enjoy the endless hours NOT washing/waxing since it always looks OK anyway.

 

[Koolau]

3 to 6 times per week, subscription ...... I dry it off, wipe the inside each time ...... I like a clean vehicle, I am not worried about the $30 per month ..... It makes my happy

If I may ask, how much time does that take per month?

 

[indiajust]

my cars are too old to wash. Perhaps 10-12 years now. Used to wash in back yard during droughts to water lawn at same time.

 

[old medic]

about twice a year

We will detail ours out twice a year, inside out and wax, Camper gets the same treatment. On our trip this past weekend the folks next to us commented on our "new" camper... I laughed and said it was a 2020 and we have already had to replace the tires.
The only time we hit a car wash is if we get up north during winter... then run it through a place with an undercarriage wash before heading home, and gets another bath as soon as we get home.

 

[old medic]

Per google:
MythBusters found that a clean car gets better gas mileage than a dirty car.

Its amazing how much just a little air drag can effect MPG.... We added the Dumbo tow mirror's to all 3 chevy trucks and MPGs dropped 3-4 MPG running empty, but no change noted during towing.

 

[ERD50]

... Per google:
MythBusters found that a clean car gets better gas mileage than a dirty car. In their experiment, a dirty car got 24 mpg, while a clean car got 26.4 mpg. ...

Sounds like BS to me. Like anything on the internet, go to the source. I found that the car was not just 'dirty', it was:

Dirty car covered in chunky mud: 24 mpg

I've also found Mythbusters to be very lacking in scientific process, controls, and conclusions. Their common failure is to conclude that because they couldn't do something (under their conditions), that the thing can't be done (maybe it can, under other conditions?), and they claim busted.

Show me a controlled test with a car with typical dirt, vs a freshly washed/waxed car. I'd be surprised if there was a measurable difference. And as Koolau mentioned, how much for that car wash?

 

[ShokWaveRider]

Whenever it goes in for a service (Lease Car).

 

[6miths]

Not nearly as often as I once did. In the BC (Before Children) time, I probably hand washed once a week and hand waxed 2 times per year. After kids, it was bay wash and maybe a hand wax once every other year. Lately it has been up to Mother Nature mainly. I did take my DS/DDiL car to the bay when i was out visiting them last week. They live in the north and their vehicle was a mess. In their defence, the inside was very clean!

 

[frayne]

Every week.

 

[Walt34]

I used to insist on hand washing and automatic car washes were a sin. At least once a year, usually twice, I spent two or three days detailing each. Then I developed back and shoulder issues and simply could not do that anymore. So now they get machine washed when they're dirty, which is maybe every month or two for the truck and two or three times a month for the car. The car is the daily driver, the truck only gets driven when a truck or 2nd vehicle is needed. Both are garage kept so unless it rains when we're driving somewhere they stay clean.

 

[Cognito]

Since I have the best looking new car around I wash mine myself often. It's the car I had my eyes on for a long time and finally bought it in Nov. I bought it for it's looks. I look good in it and it's bright red.

 

[Fermion]

The past 4 cars have been washed once each, when I bought them new from the dealer.

 

[OldShooter]

Wash?

 

[Stormy Kromer]

To those here over 50 or so. (Me) Did you ever think you would need a credit card to wash your car?

I used to save quarters in the front councel of my old Chevrolet. When I had 3 I could wash my car.

 

[Sunset]

.......

Per google:
MythBusters found that a clean car gets better gas mileage than a dirty car. In their experiment, a dirty car got 24 mpg, while a clean car got 26.4 mpg. This was due to the clean car having a smoother, more aerodynamic surface, allowing air to flow more efficiently.

...

Maybe even better if the car is waxed so the air can slide over it easier ?

Either way, what an incentive to wash the car before a 2,000 mile drive to FL. It would save ~$20 each way.

 

[vnatale]

Bought my 2004 Honda Accord in December 2013. It's still wondering when will be the first time that I wash it!

 

[More Cowbell]

I used to hand wash my garaged car at least once a month. With my hand arthritis, now I bring it to the hand car wash. A few weeks ago I parked under a tree and got tiny droplets of sap everywhere. Luckily I had the car detailed the day before, so DH used spray wax to get the sap off.

 

[richardf]

I am sick of going to the car wash and having them push hard to put me on a monthly unlimited subscription . . .

It just isn't that dirty . . . or I'm a cheap ass slob I guess.

BTW I washed it yesterday. . . it is raining today.

My kids give me a gift card from Moo-Moo car wash and I go when needed. Cheap wash $7.00.