Can you wash a car too much?

[hornadylnl]

Just got a new car and I live off the paved road. I'm wanting to keep this car for 200,000 miles and plan to take it to the carwash pretty regularly. I'm about 25 miles to the nearest Mike's Express. I've been looking at their site and I can buy their wash books much cheaper than paying for each wash. They also have unlimited yearly washes but on average, I'll only have the car near a Mike's once a week.

I'm wanting mostly under body washes and a general wash to keep the dust and mud from tearing the car up. Would automatic washes actually cause more wear and tear on a car than to wash it once every couple of weeks?

 

[jontheturboguy]

Yes.

Most car washes use caustic or acidic washes.

Eventually these will burn through your clear coat.

Plenty of car forum guys have found this out the hard way....

 

[hornadylnl]

Yes.

Most car washes use caustic or acidic washes.

Eventually these will burn through your clear coat.

Plenty of car forum guys have found this out the hard way....

Thanks, something I hadn't considered. Most days, we only need to take a 1/2 mile of gravel each way and take it slow. But when the roads are mud, it looks like you've driven the baja or something.

 

[Denny347]

Keep it waxed and this will minimize clearcoat wear.

 

[dans4420]

that's the big thing about washing alot it will wear the wax off quicker like the others said and then get to the clear.
The other thing to look out for is if its touch-less or not. A touch-less is just water sprays but the other kind are with the big bristles they will drag dust and dirt all over the car so you need to watch out for alot of little scratches.

It depends what kind of dirt is on your car..... sounds dumb but i work at a steel mill so my car gets dusty and i notice alot of little scratches here and there, from the car wash where as someone who has a muddy drive wont be as abrasive.

Your on the right track about washing it once a week especially the under body, does your schedule permit you to wash at home? if so they sell some wands that hook to your hose and concentrate pressure enough that you could spray under the car in the fender wells then just do a quick wash on the top.

Final thought would be keep up on the wax that's gonna be the best protection for your clear and fading use a good wax McGuires or something similar. were talking a dollar more than cheaper stuff.

sorry for the long winded anser just my 2cents

 

[hornadylnl]

I hate washing vehicles at home. I have hard well water and it's nearly impossible to avoid all the spots. I've tried the filters that go on the end of your hose and everything. I'll look to see what kind of wands I can buy for my pressure washer that will allow me to get the underbody better.

 

[dans4420]

I hate washing vehicles at home. I have hard well water and it's nearly impossible to avoid all the spots. I've tried the filters that go on the end of your hose and everything. I'll look to see what kind of wands I can buy for my pressure washer that will allow me to get the underbody better.

i hear you about the hard water ive always lived with a well so i can feel that pain. sounds dumb but if the water spots really get to you just have a couple 5 gallon buckets full of water from in the house.... this is assuming you have a softener

i did this a few times but then said screw it just use my hose and just keep wetting it down as i wash it so it never dries then go quick at drying it and it comes out pretty good also helps to do it out of the sun

 

[92LX]

On cars that I really loved, I never took through a car wash. Always would hose it off, then hand wash and use about 3 washcloths to prevent grinding dirt into the paint/clearcoat.

Denny is right, keep it waxed. At least once a quarter, probably better once a month with high quality wax. Wax the wheel to prevent break dust from bonding to them. It will also make them easier to clean.

To avoid spots, I would always spray my car off to get rid of the major nasties. Then I would hand wash and dry one panel at a time, the drying will prevent the spots. The paint my '92 Mustang is still in really good shape.

I follow this method the best I can on wife F-350 as well. A little harder with 3 and 7 year old "help". But hand washing, clean cloths, and keeping a good coat of wax on it are the only way to keep paint long term.

 

[Ripper]

My work is at an aggregate and landscape supply yard... dust so bad you have to use your wipers to clear the windshield before you leave for the day. I have the Unlimited wash and for $300 a year I can wash every day if I wanted.

Even though you wouldn't be using it every day, you should do the math on what the unlimited will cost vs. what purchasing books will cost.

Book cost $32 and normally has 5 washes. So you will need 10 books to get one wash a week for a total of $320

Or

Get the unlimited and you'll be able to wash when you want without having to keep Books handy and save 20 bucks!

 

[hornadylnl]

My work is at an aggregate and landscape supply yard... dust so bad you have to use your wipers to clear the windshield before you leave for the day. I have the Unlimited wash and for $300 a year I can wash every day if I wanted.

Even though you wouldn't be using it every day, you should do the math on what the unlimited will cost vs. what purchasing books will cost.

Book cost $32 and normally has 5 washes. So you will need 10 books to get one wash a week for a total of $320

Or

Get the unlimited and you'll be able to wash when you want without having to keep Books handy and save 20 bucks!

At Mike's you can buy a 52 wash book for $399 that includes underbody washes. I think the unlimited is about $420 but on average, the car will only be near a Mike's once a week. I'm going to see what the local car wash prices are that include an underbody wash.

I grew up on this same country road and dirty vehicles were just a part of rural life. I just bought this new car and want to squeeze every mile possible out of it so I want to keep it clean for a longevity standpoint. Driving these roads wet leaves an almost concrete substance on the bottom of the car and will actually throw your wheels out of balance as well. I'm not so much worried about the appearance of the car as I am the added wear and tear the dirt will cause.

 

[Brandon]

If you do wash it at home, don't use terry cloth towels. Use microfiber towels to help avoid scratches. Use them while drying the car, scrubbing, and waxing. I'm sure you know, but don't use dish soap on the car.

I wash mine at home when the temps allow, we have a hose bib hooked up to the water softener just for this reason.

But as you know, keep it waxed

 

[IndyBeerman]

I have a 08 Isuzu Ascender (really a GNC Envoy made for Isuzu), that is painted black, so road dust and dirt is a pain in my rear.

I have found that my best defense is a great wax job and a trip to the manual car wash and using the rinse cycle, followed with a spot free rinse.

By doing this I only have to really get it washed with soap based product once a month.

Also by getting a good wax on your vehicle it protects the clear coat from fading and dulling.

 

[PaulF]

Since it hasn't been said yet...a little rinse goes a long way, you don't necessarily need to use soap to knock the dirt off. Also, following a good coat of wax you can use a car duster to keep the car looking fresh:

Microfiber car duster

That link is for Griot's Garage...a great source for the serious car care enthusiast.

-Paul

 

[ruger1968]

if you want to keep your car for 200,000 + just keep up the maintenance on it (oil changed, tires rotated) thats the life of your vehicle and yes you can it looking good by washing it