# How often do you wash?



## JoshG1992 (Aug 16, 2011)

As the title says really, how often do you wash your car in between details? I'd say i gave my car a 'full' detail every 3 months or so (or before a show), including engine bay, interior and door/boot shuts and a good coat of wax (correction if it needs it), but i like the wax not only for protection, but the shine and reflections, it makes it stand out more. So i'm finding myself washing my car up to 3 times a week just to get rid of dust and general crap off the road and i'm now thinking its a little excessive :/ anyone else do anything similar? Or am i just a little OTT at the moment? Shampoo and QD is starting to get expensive! :detailer:


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## Grommit (May 3, 2011)

Generally wash my car once every 2 weeks. I have a hundred things I would rather do than wash my car 3 times a week lol.

Slightly excessive dude. Thats just my opinion though.


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## ShiningScotsman (Jun 20, 2012)

3 times a week must be time consuming - I am consider myself pretty particular about these things but discipline myself to once per week.


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## traplin (Feb 22, 2012)

once per week as the most often...but can sometimes be up to 3 weeks


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## Curcelli (Aug 20, 2012)

I try to do the interior and exterior every week and a proper wax/polish etc every 3 months.

Weather generally stops me though.


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## Demetrios72 (Jun 27, 2011)

I try to wash my car at least once a week, once a month I give it a nice coat of wax, in betwwen waxing I use my QD

I try to keep my correction work to a minimum as I won't have any paint left 

Every 2-3 months I do the engine bay along with the inner arches


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## JoshG1992 (Aug 16, 2011)

Rinse, wash, rinse and dry only takes 15-20 minutes, its only a little lupo haha. I dunno i just find myself noticing all the dust and traffic film ruining the reflections and feel the need to make it look its best all the time, i can deal with the engine bay and door shuts looking crap after a few weeks/months but the bodywork seems to look awesome for a few days then it just looks like every other car on the road. considering the time i put into it on proper details i feel like it should always look the best it can look all of the time.


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## Scotty B (Jul 1, 2009)

Once a week.


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

once a month

:thumb:


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## Grahamwm (Apr 10, 2012)

Once week unless it gets very dirty quickly then maybe twice


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## Herby (Oct 2, 2009)

Once a week if I can find the time which I rarely do as I usually only have evenings free after work and just can't be bothered sometimes! 

My car hasn't been washed for two and a half weeks and looks filthy, and it's grey. If I can get off my backside tonight I might wash it after the little one is in bed. But it will be a toss up between a film or washing the car probably...


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## TTS-Dave (Jun 19, 2012)

once a week for me.  

But might split up the cleaning of the inside to the outside


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## Curcelli (Aug 20, 2012)

JoshG1992 said:


> Rinse, wash, rinse and dry only takes 15-20 minutes, its only a little lupo haha. I dunno i just find myself noticing all the dust and traffic film ruining the reflections and feel the need to make it look its best all the time, i can deal with the engine bay and door shuts looking crap after a few weeks/months but the bodywork seems to look awesome for a few days then it just looks like every other car on the road. considering the time i put into it on proper details i feel like it should always look the best it can look all of the time.


 Try polishing it and claying or waxing to protect the paintwork.


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## JoshG1992 (Aug 16, 2011)

Well i think i might limit myself to once a week now, and just put up with the muck till its wash day! I think living in Teesside doesnt help with the dust and other crap thats always in the air!


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## JoshG1992 (Aug 16, 2011)

Curcelli said:


> Try polishing it and claying or waxing to protect the paintwork.


I do, i said i detail it properly around every 3 months or pre show, but it still gets dusty after a few days an ruins the shine, so i just want it looking its best 24/7.


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## masammut (Jul 13, 2011)

I wash my car every week, but I always top up the LSP. That way the car would not need much full detailing as it remains perfect.


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## Sirmally2 (Feb 28, 2011)

JoshG1992 said:


> Well i think i might limit myself to once a week now, and just put up with the muck till its wash day! I think living in Teesside doesnt help with the dust and other crap thats always in the air!


Mines Black... And i work on one of the sites. Imagine how i feel


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## JoshG1992 (Aug 16, 2011)

Sirmally2 said:


> Mines Black... And i work on one of the sites. Imagine how i feel


Ah man  My last car was black and was a nightmare i cant imagine how bad it gets on site! I feel for you buddy.


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## LittleMissTracy (May 17, 2012)

I tend to wash mine after a long journey, its the only reason I have a car as my Mum lives in South Wales and my brother live in Telford. So at the moment its been every week for the last 4. BF's is less often as he uses his less. But they're never left to look dirty.


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## mike13098 (Jan 21, 2012)

depends really, my vans are on building sites and constantly mud all over the whole bodywork.

brush wash when i get a chance, it takes me 10 mins per van - and to be honest thats what its about, i dont care about swirls, dents or marks - as long as it looks white for work im happy and looks fine for a building site

wash my girlfriends new TT once every week or 2 depending what we are doing that weekend, but generally it doesnt get dirty.


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## T.D.K (Mar 16, 2011)

It depends where you live.

If you live in a town or city, chances are your car will stay clean for quite some time. I live out in the sticks, where the roads are filthy, alot of farm traffic etc. 

I clean mine once a week, maybe twice depends on work shifts.


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## chrisgreen (Mar 30, 2012)

Usually once a fortnight for me, hopefully more often now I've invested in the portable 12v pressure washer which will allow me to do quick maintenance washes at work.


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## JoshG1992 (Aug 16, 2011)

I live in suburbs, and drive round suburbs/town/occasionally motorways ect, still filthy all the time haha, looks sparkling now but touching the paintwork you can feel the dust


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## Sirmally2 (Feb 28, 2011)

JoshG1992 said:


> I live in suburbs, and drive round suburbs/town/occasionally motorways ect, still filthy all the time haha, looks sparkling now but touching the paintwork you can feel the dust


Its just Teesside matey. You have to tear yourself away and realise that its still 98% better than the other vehicles round ere matey


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## R0B (Aug 27, 2010)

Once a week or push out to a fortnight if i cant be bothered.


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## cbred (May 9, 2011)

When it looks dirty really . I tend to look at the screen and if it looks dirty I wash it . Also have her in doors to do tho .


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## Marky-G-66 (May 31, 2012)

I wash mine once a week but if it gets a bit dirty after a couple of days ill give it a quick snow foam and hosedown...


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## VenomUK (Oct 13, 2011)

Clean once a week and detail once a month. This changes all together during the winter months.


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## JwilliamsM (Dec 20, 2011)

i wash mine every week, sometimes twice. i have been wasting my time past month though, everytime i wash it it rains, and the cars covered it water marks, especially the glass.

really irritiating!


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## alfajim (May 4, 2011)

wash once a week if i can. if not, when it's not raining. wax it before winter and in spring.


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## Naddy37 (Oct 27, 2005)

Pretty much everyday.

And that's wheels, door shuts, and engine gets a wipe down.


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## james_19742000 (May 8, 2008)

I used to be mad about it being spotless, very often it was 3 times a week, like it would have to be washed and hoovered before a journey and then the same on the return, but generally its weekly, but being honest this last few months I have been really struggling to get motivated to do them, its been more like every 3 weeks, but I really need to get it back to weekly!


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## Titanium Htail (Mar 24, 2012)

I wash my car every week sometimes twice, always doing something in those small windows of opportunity, live on the coast so plenty to do.

John Tht.


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## mjd (Dec 18, 2006)

Generally once a week though with this wonderful UK weather its been a case of whenever the weekend weather allows. This is usually foam, wash, dry, dress trim and tyres and maybe a hoover. I used to do significantly more, but with age comes responibility and less time to spend playing


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## Zetec-al (Feb 28, 2011)

I go through phases...Sometimes i wash the car 2 times a week and sometimes once a month!


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## jlw41 (Jun 5, 2011)

Whenever it gets dirty really! normally once or twice a week when time suits :thumb:


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## Tips (Mar 27, 2011)

Since wearing sealants - my car gets less washes.

It's finally sunk in that the less I wash/touch my car, the lower the chance of inflicting any damage to my paint.

The car gets a two bucket wash every 6-8 weeks now and a snow foam touchless wash every two or three weeks in-between.


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## Tips (Mar 27, 2011)

It's also dawned on me, If I just clean the alloys and dress the tyres every fortnight, the car doesn't look too shabby


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## MA3RC (Jun 19, 2012)

Once a week, two if the wheels are particularly dirty


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## MA3RC (Jun 19, 2012)

Tips said:


> It's also dawned on me, If I just clean the alloys and dress the tyres every fortnight, the car doesn't look too shabby


I totally agree :lol:


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## jlw41 (Jun 5, 2011)

Tips said:


> It's also dawned on me, If I just clean the alloys and dress the tyres every fortnight, the car doesn't look too shabby


you should start a detailing cheats thread for that


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## Tips (Mar 27, 2011)

jlw41 said:


> you should start a detailing cheats thread for that


Now that is a great thread idea!


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## james_death (Aug 9, 2010)

Weekly some times twice a week.


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## VW Golf-Fan (Aug 3, 2010)

I try to wash it every 3-4 weeks & hoover it just whenever I get annoyed at all the cr*p on the carpets which can be up to 2 months!


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## AdnanKhan (Aug 16, 2012)

Once or twice every 2 weeks. I don't live near any atmospheric crap so am quite lucky. Only thing that builds up faster is the dirt on carpets/mats as I use the vehicle a lot and carry family often. Hand prints from a 1 year old on the inside of glass is annoying lol.


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## Bmwjc (Apr 2, 2012)

I have a wash every morning then when I get home from work!


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## Lowiepete (Mar 29, 2009)

Get yourself some Optimum No Rinse, ONR, and using this technique, you can
clean it (all or parts as needed) as often as you want. No fuss, no mess, just a 
pile of MF cloths to wash occasionally. Fantastic on things like bird-bombs too!

Regards,
Steve


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## VenomUK (Oct 13, 2011)

Weather permitting I will wash my car every weekend. Perhaps put a little wax on it once a month just to keep it topped up.


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## The Pan Man (Apr 16, 2010)

No set time scale, when I think it's dirty it gets washed.

On the cheats thread, keeping wheel and glass clean has been around since before the words "Detail you car" were thought up. In those days the best thing freely available to make your glass sparke was NEWSPAPER Don't know if that will work now with modern printing. In the days of chamois the other trick was when it rained hard just chamois the paint work off. I bought my first Microfiber cloths one HD one LD in 2000, and they are still in use today. They were about £13.00 for two back then, perhaps thats why they still work today, If I remember I will look and see if I can read makers label.


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## cobra (Feb 18, 2012)

wash mine every two weeks


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## bazz (May 15, 2007)

im a wash once a week man and wax about every 2 months


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