Everyone dreams of owning a car, but not everyone knows how often should they wash it. Everything in this world requires maintenance – human beings, dogs, horses, homes, gardens, monuments, and even cars. If you do not take good care of your garden, weeds will grow around your healthy plants. Human beings go for regular check-ups, haircuts, and beauty parlors. Pets need bathing, cutting of nails, vaccinations, and proper exercise. Even cars need frequent washing. But, the real question is – How often should you wash your car?
‘Take care of your car in the garage, and it will take care of you on the road.’
Here is an informative post that covers the following questions – How to wash a car & How often should you wash your car? We have given a step by step guide for novices and prospective car owners. Please note that servicing is not the only responsibility; your vehicle should be clean from outside and inside.
Let’s get started!
Why Does Your Car Require Washing?
Before we answer this question, you must ask yourself – Why do you buy a car? Everyone has different reasons to invest in a brand new car. The possibility is that you want the car for travel purposes. Secondly, most people buy a car because they want to climb up the social ladder. Owning a car means you can afford one, and it boosts your prestige.
Let us cut to the chase! No matter what the reason is, you bought a car to solve a purpose, and now you have to keep it clean. If your vehicle is not clean and well-maintained, it will affect your social standing. Also, nobody wants to travel in a car that is dirty from the inside and the outside. You purchased a Bentley or an Audi, but not keeping it clean means you are not bothered about the way it looks!
Purchasing a car is a major investment. Some people save money through the years to buy their dream car. While there are other costs of maintenance, such as changing the engine, seat cover, and replacing the parts, cleaning your car is equally relevant.
After you drive down on a dusty road, the car gets mucky. If you are back from an adventure, your vehicle might have stains of the beach sand or muck. Let’s not forget that birds are free to sit in your car and leave bird droppings. For all of these reasons, it is important to wash your car.
How Often Should You Wash Your Car?
The majority of the experts recommend you to wash your car every two weeks. But we shall answer the following question – How often should you wash your car?
Washing it every week is not as important. However, some people have hired a person to clean their cars daily. This does not mean that they are washing the car with soap and water every single day.
The car has foot mats that need dusting. People sit in the car with their dusty shoes. This means you should ensure that the foot mats are clean. Some people are allergic to dust, and with dirty foot mats, one can fall sick.
If your pets travel in the car daily, then you would need a person to clean the car every two days. This is because certain breeds shed a lot of hair.
It also depends on the type of place you come from. If you are living near the ocean, the area would have a lot of salt in the air. In this case, washing on a regular basis is essential. In case your car is not driven every single day, then it does not need regular washing. If it spends more time in the garage, then it is not necessary to wash it on a daily basis.
Most car owners believe that car washing is a summertime errand. This is a myth because your car needs more washing in wintertime. This is because the vehicle is exposed to salt from the pavement/roads. While the inside of your car is not exposed to bugs and salt, but it needs cleaning too. It could have dog droppings, animal hair, bits, and pieces that your baby left in the car, shoe dust, dried leaves, and other droppings.
You must ensure to check the car every other day. Never leave any food item inside the car as that would lead to a foul smell. It is also possible that your car has animal hair. Some people are allergic to dust and animal hair. This could lead to health problems!
Most importantly, it is about maintaining hygiene. Nobody would want to sit in a car that is dirty or smelly from inside. For example, you left a banana inside the car and forgot about it. It is possible that your baby dropped something on the seat. After some time, it leaves a stain. The banana rots and the car starts smelling. In this case, you must clean your car from inside every day.
If your job requires you to drive for long hours or every single day, then your car seats and the exteriors of your car require cleaning. A person who makes a living through his car should take special care of the cleanliness inside the vehicle.
In a nutshell, you must look at the following factors before washing your car:
- The area where you live – Is it close to the sea? Then, you may want to clean the car once a week.
- What is the color of your car? – If it is a dark-colored car, then you cannot tell whether it is dirty from outside or not. If it is a light-colored car, you may need to wash it every 4-5 days.
- Do you keep the car inside or outside? When the car is exposed to the weather outside, you must wash it regularly – once in a week or twice a week.
- The type of roads that you drive on. If you are an adventurer, your car will encounter muck and sand. Look at your car and see whether it needs cleaning or not.
- Never leave your car unattended and unclean after a storm. Clean it after the storm ends. Sand and salt can destroy your car’s physical appearance.
The best way to judge whether your car needs cleaning or not is to see the car’s condition. Make sure the insides of the car are clean and do not have any dirt/old shoes/food particles/dust.
How To Wash A Car? Step by Step Guide
Please note that washing your car depends on how the exterior looks and whether the interior needs cleaning or not. Now we shall move to the next question – How to wash your car? You can always opt for the car wash nearby, but it costs some bucks.
If you have the time and patience, it would be advisable to wash your car by yourself. Always make sure that you are using a mild soap and not something which is filled with chemicals. Considering you are not a professional, a strong soap may cause discoloration and other reactions that you are not aware of.
In case you plan to wash your car, do it on your lawn so that the grass gets a drink.
Now let us jump to the real deal. How are you going to wash the car? If it is DIY, then keep reading. It will require some cleaning resources and a space to park your vehicle.
Things You Will Need:
- Mild Soap
- Bucket
- Rug
- Water
- Drying Towel
- Space
Note – Do not use hand soaps to wash the car. Go to a car accessories shop and purchase a gentle soap. You can also buy a specific one online. Please read reviews before purchasing car soap. It should be mild and soft on the car’s exterior.
Dish soap and hand soap can damage the exterior paint of the car.
Steps to Wash Your Car:
1. Use a bucket or a hose to rinse the entire car. Make sure all the dirt goes away.
2. You must focus on the wheels. Wash the wheels as this requires a lot of scrubbing. They come in contact with dirt on the road. Hence, make sure you are cleaning the tires first.
3. The bucket should have clean water. Mix the soap in it and wash the car dedicatedly.
4. If there are stains and bird droppings on the car, remove it by applying the removal soap first.
5. Start washing your car and make sure you use water or the rag to rinse away the dirt.
6. Make sure you are not scrubbing too hard because that could lead to the removal of paint. Wash in straight lines and not in a circular motion. The circular motions can leave swirl marks on the car.
7. Once you are done with washing and rinsing, use a towel to dry the car. Make sure the car is in an area where it gets air and sun. Drying the vehicle with a napkin is necessary because leaving the car drained and watery could lead to spots formation.
In case you want to wash your car from the inside, use a gentle soap and a wet towel. Remove the stains and make sure your vehicle gets enough air to dry up the seats.
Always use a car freshener inside the car to keep it fragrant! Once you follow all the steps mentioned above, you will be able to wash your car efficiently without leaving any spots or stains.
Concluding Thoughts
We hope you enjoyed reading the ‘how to wash your car and how often should you wash your car’ post. You can send it to your friends and family members who are in a dilemma as to how often they should wash their cars.
Giving your car to a car washing expert is a great way to save time! However, if you find that you have the time and patience to wash it yourself, then go ahead and do it.
Washing the car every week is essential, especially when it has been driven for too long or too far. A car is a major investment, and people spend a lot of money on its upkeep. By keeping it clean and fragrant, you are also enhancing and increasing its lifespan.
If you want your car to look new and precious, invest some time to wash your car. Your eyes would know whether the vehicle needs cleaning or not. Do not wait for next Sunday, clean it this week itself. Make sure you invest in a mild soap before cleaning the car.
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