how often to wash your car!

B

Bobwax

New member
in Massachusetts, we have had a killer winter. tons of salt on the road. after my reading, i think that hand washing is still the most gentle way to wash your car. even touch free washes MAY use harsh chemicals.

i also hear that salt from the road is very bad for your paint, and underneath the car.

so, in a tough winter, how often should i wash my car?
how often to wax it?

i use pinnacle liquid sourverain wax.

THANK YOU!
bob:autopia:
 
you gotta move to FLA and wash em when you feel like it.
:surfing: :dance1 vs. :snow: (at least until a cat 5 comes rolling through):D
 
Used to wash my m3 once every week and sometimes more often than that. I sold that years ago. Now I have a pretty nice Tacoma that is totally neglected. All of my time is spent taking care of client's cars.
 
If I cannot do it right, I just leave it alone so it may be more than a few weeks. This usually means it too much for a rinseless too.
 
I'm parking garage kept in Florida, so it never is really dirty:
*calif dusted every day
*rinseless when needed - about 1.5 times a week (7 times a month)
*Prima Hydro every couple weeks as a drying agent......
 
As often as you can can, although dirty (well protected) paint is better than improperly washed (and scratched) paint.
 
Well being that I grew up in Mass, let me first say I know your pain as I have family still there. When I lived there I would run my black SS camaro through the touchless tunnel when the temps got really cold or on weekends. But luckily I was the detail manager for a nice dealer so I could hand wash my car usually when ever.

Now I live in Florida and my new daily 06 GTO I give it a good hand wash on Fridays when I get home from work. Then I will give it a wax afterwards. Although I have the new Pinnacle Synergy on the way so I am curious if my washing/waxing habits might change. LOL

But like Todd said. As often as you can. If the car is very well protected it can usually go a bit longer until weather/time cooperates with your schedule.
 
I have a black challenger,and consider it my bussiness card. So I do my best to make sure it looks good if I have to pick up a client car,3/4 times a week
 
In the winter I usually count on a good protection to get me through some long months of possibly no washing. Id rather not scratch it up or freeze to death so winter washes don't happen much. in the warmer times I like to wash my car every week, but mostly can only manage to make time for once every 2 weeks. After washing I like to keep it clean with some good WW or detail pray depending on if it isn't too dirty for a WW.
 
I clean my car once a week just about but I do have a dirty little secret, I only clean the wheels about every third or fourth wash even though they get the dirtiest the fastest. Yeah the dirty wheels dont look great with a clean car but oh well.

I only pull out the buckets once a month usually so that is when the wheels get cleaned, the rest of the time its a waterless wash.
 
I live in your type of climate. This is JMO but I don't care to wash too often or too big of an interval between washings. I wash mine about once every 1 1/2 to 2 weeks at a wand type or touchless car wash when it starts to melt. Too cold for bucket and hose all winter. We also had a a long deep freeze and when it is that cold and dry with no sloppy roads I even go as much as a month. My opinion is if the salt is dried on the car it is not as volatile as when it is damp and wet. Once I have it washed at a wand type car wash if time and temp allows I will sometime warm up the garage and use a rinseless type wash or a detail spray to finish getting the film of grime that is usually left behind from the car wash.

As far as waxing get a coat on before the cold starts, I usually do a second coat to make sure I got the coverage. I have had good luck the last 2 winters with Finish Kare FK1000p and seem to make it the long winter. Hope this helps.

Dean.
 
Todd Helme said:
As often as you can can, although dirty (well protected) paint is better than improperly washed (and scratched) paint.
Click to expand...

So very true.


I wash my car as often as it gets dirty, which can vary from once every two weeks to every other day (its a garage queen that gets road trip duties from time to time).

My truck (daily driver and outside 24/7), I spray off every two or three days with just water and drive away. Black label coating and air does the rest. Then just a wipe down and touch up here and there when I get to work.

Over a year living in this house and I have never seen my neighbors washing vehicles, but they sure seem to mow their grass a lot. :)
 
I wash mine just about every other day. Mainly when I get home from 24 hour shifts. Just do a rinseless.
 
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