Cars are a huge investment, so whether you buy a new car or a second-hand one, it is essential to take care of it properly. This includes regular oil changing, maintenance, auto detailing, and, most importantly, regular washing.
That said, washing your car is one way to preserve its condition. In fact, car washing should always be a part of your scheduled car maintenance. It removes contaminants like debris, salt, tar, and bird droppings that can damage your car’s paint, among others.
But this begs the question, “how often should you car wash?”
In most instances, you should wash your car once every two weeks. However, this will depend on your lifestyle, how you store the car, and the weather.
Factors that Influence How Often You Should Wash Your Car
Although it is advisable that you wash your car after every two weeks, other factors can affect this time frame. They’re as follows:
How often you use your car
If you use your car for long hours daily, like commuting to work, you should consider washing it once a week or every two weeks. However, if you run quick errands daily with your car, you can wait a little longer before washing it. Around once every three weeks or a month would suffice.
What you should keep in mind here is that the longer your car is on the road, the more frequently you should take it for a wash.
When you use the car
The time you drive your car will determine how often you wash it. The reason being your cleaning routine can be affected by weather patterns.
During the summer season, direct sunlight can melt the stains on your car’s exterior and that can make it hard to clean without damaging the paint. Heat can also damage the exterior paint coating making the colour look dull. Therefore, it’s best to wash your car more frequently.
On the other hand, snow and salt during the winter season will cover your car regularly as moisture gets into the undercarriage. Over this period, rust tends to be common, so it’s advisable to clean your car more often during cold seasons.
Where you use your car
If you drive along roads with dirty terrains, you will have to wash your car more frequently to avoid downgrading its quality. Moreover, if your daily driving road has salts, consider evading it because if not regularly cleaned, it will destroy your car’s integrity.
It’s important to plan your car wash routine depending on the roads you travel on daily.
How you use your car
Some car owners take great care of their cars, while others don’t. How often you should wash your car can be determined by how careful you are with it. If you are a cautious driver, you will avoid potholes, sandy soils, muddy terrains, dirty puddles, and salty residues, so you don’t have to clean your car more often.
Nevertheless, if you drive carelessly, your car will get into contact with various particles, and this will require you to wash it more often.
How you wash your car
The method you use to wash your car will determine when you can have your next cleaning. Some washing options include:
- Self-serve car washes – These are suitable for car owners who want to have control over the process of washing but lack the right equipment and space in their homes.
- Automatic touchless car washes – These are quite convenient and cost-effective but you don’t have control over cleaning equipment.
- Full service car washes – They are the best option for cleaning your car, as they provide better cleaning, hand drying and other services; however, the cost can be higher.
Conclusion
With this guide, you can draft your car washing routine that’s suitable for your car’s maintenance. Although the recommended time to wash your car is after every two weeks, this period is bound to change depending on several factors.