Is it overkill....

G

G37

New member
I have been washing my new car once a week and continue to plan to for how long I dont know.. Do you guys think its overkill to wash your car once a week?? How often do you guys wash your cars?? Is once every two weeks ok??
 
G37 said:
I have been washing my new car once a week and continue to plan to for how long I dont know.. Do you guys think its overkill to wash your car once a week?? How often do you guys wash your cars?? Is once every two weeks ok??
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You live in So. CA, you could probably just use QD once in a while except for the twice a year it rains. I wash mine when it's dirty... in the summer that might be every two weeks. In the winter it may be 4 times a week. YMMV.



TL
 
G37 said:
I have been washing my new car once a week and continue to plan to for how long I dont know.. Do you guys think its overkill to wash your car once a week?? How often do you guys wash your cars?? Is once every two weeks ok??
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no, not at all. i only wash my car once a week because it's in the garage and doesn't get as dirty quick, otherwise i would probably wash it at least twice a week if it sat outside. of course, it depends on the area that you live in as well...
 
G37 said:
I have been washing my new car once a week and continue to plan to for how long I dont know.. Do you guys think its overkill to wash your car once a week?? How often do you guys wash your cars?? Is once every two weeks ok??
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For me, and not trying to be a wise guy, I wash a vehicle when I think it is dirty enough that it needs to be washed. For me, a little dust or light residue is ok.

So, sometimes that is a month between washes (for example if it does not rain for weeks); other times only a week or two between washes.



The way I figure it, the fewer times I am rubbing the paint (even with the best of materials and cleaners), the better.

I will do spot touch ups, as and when needed, to get rid of crud like dead bugs and bird bombs in between washing, to keep that stuff from creating marks in the paint. I use a QD and MF towel for that.
 
hplaceap said:
For me, and not trying to be a wise guy, I wash a vehicle when I think it is dirty enough that it needs to be washed. For me, a little dust or light residue is ok..
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That's the way I see it too.



I've done the weekly thing, and even washed one Porsche daily when I was using it as a year-round commuter (think "Ohio winter"). Pretty much washed my Jag every time I drove it for a few years. But life's short and it's not a car show; I have better things to do than wash a car that doesn't look dirty.



I won't even post how long I might let something go between washes, but let's just say that it'd be more of my Autopian Heresy :o I *will* clean the wheels if they're really nasty though, and I clean the windshields almost daily. The dog-haulers get any drooled-on glass cleaned immediately after I get home, and any other messes they make get done at the same time. But regular washes....not until the vehicle really needs it.
 
Accumulator said:
That's the way I see it too.







I won't even post how long I might let something go between washes, but let's just say that it'd be more of my Autopian Heresy :o I *will* clean the wheels if they're really nasty though, and I clean the windshields almost daily. But regular washes....not until the vehicle really needs it.
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based on this i would only need to wash my wheels weekly and the car monthly as long as it doesn't rain.
 
wascallyrabbit said:
based on this i would only need to wash my wheels weekly and the car monthly as long as it doesn't rain.
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Right. As long as you don't mind a film of dust/etc. (and don't have to worry about somebody brushing against a dirty car, resulting in marring). I've gone longer than a month plenty of times.
 
I find that more frequent washing reduces the amount of bonded surface contaminants which accumulate on the car. The longer the dirt sits on the car the more likely it won't come off with normal washing, resulting in the need for clay bar.



IMO a weekly washing is perfect. Just make sure you are using quality wash media and proper washing techniques.





Rasky
 
I would say as long as you wash your car properly no reason not to do it once a week. Its funny, ever since I started detailing I have been washing my cars less and less, I use to do it around once a week.
 
G37 said:
I have been washing my new car once a week and continue to plan to for how long I dont know.. Do you guys think its overkill to wash your car once a week?? How often do you guys wash your cars?? Is once every two weeks ok??
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Depends on which country, which region within that country, and possibly even which locality within that region:dance.



My daily driver is washed every 2-3days.
 
RaskyR1 said:
I find that more frequent washing reduces the amount of bonded surface contaminants which accumulate on the car. The longer the dirt sits on the car the more likely it won't come off with normal washing, resulting in the need for clay bar...
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No arguement with that! Though I find that some stuff (e.g., FK1000P) sheds dirt so well that it's not really an issue. Guess that depends on what kind of [stuff] gets on the car in question though :think:
 
Is washing a car once a week "overkill"? You've got to be kidding!



I must say that I am rather flabbergasted at some of the replies that I am seeing here. This is a detailing forum, where the majority of discussions are about how to *keep* our vehicles looking the very best that they can look, and people here talk about washing their car once a month?! Wow! :eek:



Heck, I can barely hold out for an entire week before wanting to wash my car again because of the dust build up from normal driving.
 
Rob Tomlin- Heh heh, I've sometimes thought I should change my "Practical Perfectionist" to "Autopian Heretic" :D But I guess that in my mind it's sorta the same thing; being "practical" about it means it's not something I go nuts over..gotta prioritze and all sorts of stuff is far more important to me.



I honestly look back on the days when I washed my vehicles all the time as being a lot of wasted time that could've been better-spent.



You and I just view this stuff differently, which is perfectly cool with me :cool:



I was just thinking about this earlier today...I hope that everyone who's keeping their car "carshow ready" is also keeping all the other [stuff] in their life at the same level. I really mean it when I opine that "life is not a car show".
 
Accumulator said:
Rob Tomlin- Heh heh, I've sometimes thought I should change my "Practical Perfectionist" to "Autopian Heretic" :D But I guess that in my mind it's sorta the same thing; being "practical" about it means it's not something I go nuts over..gotta prioritze and all sorts of stuff is far more important to me.



I honestly look back on the days when I washed my vehicles all the time as being a lot of wasted time that could've been better-spent.



You and I just view this stuff differently, which is perfectly cool with me :cool:



I was just thinking about this earlier today...I hope that everyone who's keeping their car "carshow ready" is also keeping all the other [stuff] in their life at the same level. I really mean it when I opine that "life is not a car show".
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Says the guy with 27,480 posts!!



;)
 
Rob Tomlin said:
Says the guy with 27,480 posts!!



;)
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Heh heh....yeah (saw that one coming ;) )....but posting isn't detailing either :D



In a lot of ways, my activity here is, I hope, more important than having my vehicles concours-ready all the time.
 
For those who detail thier cars weekly how many hours do you spend a week detialing your car or cars? Those who dont detail that often how many hours a month do you spend? Just curious starting to get that thing that I heard when I was younger your going to take the paint off. I would say I am washing once a week when it rains or its really dirty and every two weeks when its not so dirty..
 
G37- I can't say how long it takes me these days, but then it takes me forever to wash anyhow; a *VERY* quick wash will take me two hours, and that's working so fast that it's as hard as a tough workout. But as long as I don't let things get too awful between washes I spend the same time no matter how (in)frequently I do it.



Eh, maybe that's just me, as I'll do the undercarriage and all the little bits (every surface of every hinge, the engine compartment, etc. etc. gets carefully cleaned and QDed) each time I wash and I bet some people would be OK letting a lot of that go most of the time.
 
Rob Tomlin said:
Heck, I can barely hold out for an entire week before wanting to wash my car again because of the dust build up from normal driving.
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Brake dust does it for me, once the wheels start looking like crap, its time for a wash. The paint usually still looks great by the layman's standards. Though I have to say, a wash and QD takes 30 minutes for me. I really would love to get a DI system so I could just do quicky powerwashes.
 
lol Accumulator being a autopian heretic? lol preposterous~! lol Accum cleans his car (I'm convinced) out of boredom lol his cars don't get dirty..ever....



Yea, I would say depending on wash method? I mean if it's weekly, I would say stick with a minimal(smart) contact method (though it's good to use regardless) I figure traditional washes may cause more issues (think of what rubbing the car paint every week does).



I'm ashamed to say that I haven't been able to detail my cars in umm...months....and it's quickly getting too cold to detail and winterize... =[
 
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