How often do you clean your car?

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Nov 12, 2020
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Chicago, IL
I want to see if someone else is OCD when it comes to keeping their car/cars clean. I clean mine every week almost. Even if it doesn't rain. All that pollen and stuff gets on my nerves 😭

It takes me about an hour and 30 min to wash/dry and wipe the interior of the G30. Ceramic coating helps the drying process. I use a leaf blower, spray some spray wax, and call it a day.

Took me an hour to do the same on the E90. That car wasn't ceramic coated but I waxed it 2 times a year

Washed it today after it rained. It was about 46 degrees out. All the neighbors were looking at me like I was crazy. One asked me when it was his cars turn :confused:
 

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Nothing too fancy. I have a car wash subscription and go through the touch less one at least once a week and whenever I’m in the mood, (once a month lately) I’ll give it a quick vacuum and interior wipe down and spray some turtle wax ice spray wax on it. It stays clean enough. In the winter with all the salt on the road I’ll go through the car wash more frequently.
 
I wash my cars thoroughly about every 2 weeks. Also, I invested in one of those Ryobi cordless "tool box Type vacuums which makes it really easy to keep the interior clean and tidy. Just used it this morning to get dog hairs out out of my Durango after Vet visit yesterday. For any of you thinking about getting one, I would recommend the Ryobi model, but there are several makes in the market.....Milwaukee, Dewalt, etc.
 
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For me, this is a good example of diminishing marginal returns... the just-washed look/feeling seems to fade quickly to a "clean-ish" that lasts for a while before the car approaches being "kinda dirty." That is, I don't notice much of a difference between the car when it's been cleaned a week ago or three weeks ago (I'm not really getting it dirty beyond normal use - not much eating in it, not too many gravel roads, that sort of thing).

I probably wash my car once a month or so, and will run a rag around the interior (dusting the dash/instrument panel/doors/console), and vacuum the carpets. The wash might be by hand if I have the time/space and a nice day, but in winter a touchless wash is as good as it gets, and definitely beats being caked with salt. I'll touch up windows as needed between washes.

I've definitely grown more ok with my car being in "lived in" condition (still always pretty clean, never any garbage or spills, no dust to speak of, no odors, no clutter) over time. I don't put too much thought into it, to be honest, and often will get complements about how clean my car is (it's definitely cleaner than most).
 
Once or twice a week at the Swirl-O-Matic for the Grand Cherokee, it has an unlimited plan.
Just got the Sonata but maybe once a month, $5 car wash.
Once a year in the Camry. $5 car wash.
2-3 times a year for the '96 Jeep. Low miles. Using the brush at the do it yourself wash.
 
Every weekend, except this summer when it didn't rain for 4 months, and the wind & dust was low. A person can have a heat stroke washing a car in 100° heat. Now that the rainy season is ramping up, it'll be every weekend. Royal Crimson looks terrible with brown water spots all over it.
 
More than I should. The ocd is a very real thing. soap wash the undercarriage, and PB "rust shield" the nooks and crannies undercarriage suspension components.etc.. even the engine compartment gets attention / wipe down every few weeks.

Not going to lie cleaning the car helps me "chill out" and it's almost like free "therapy".. I honestly look forward to doing it.
I vacuum and wipe everything down interior once every 4 to 5 days, I do the exterior with a soap cannon after every rain storm, sometimes a couple times a week others weeks and just a micro wipe down and spay ceramic.
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Once a year now? kids don’t ride with me anymore, and we moved to someplace with a paved driveway, so I’m finding myself driving very little where dirt is. Car has no clearcoat so it really does not need washing all that often.

I’ve been trying to clean the wife’s car every 3 or 4 months, when it needs an oil change, but I’m starting to think she can learn how to use the vac and take care of that herself. :)

The kid’s car, I’m aiming for never on that one…
 
I like a clean car so I try to wash it every 1-2 weeks.
However, I never just wash and call it a day.
When I wash my vehicle, I like to do something in addition to just washing.
One time I will wash & vacuum the interior.
Another time I will wash & clean interior windows.
Or wash & treat tires/vinyl/rubber
Or wash & treat paint...with what ever my preference is. Mostly it's a QD type product or TWI S&S
 
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I used to wash my vehicles once every 2 weeks. I've been busy doing stuff around the house and busy with work.

Sometimes I let it go for 4-6 weeks. It doesn't bother me anymore like it used to.

I will vacuum the interior and wipe down the dash and doors more frequently if needed.
 
Not as often as when I had more energy/was in better health overall. These days I wash it maybe every 1.5 months, weather dependent more than any other factor. I do clay bar it every few yrs and use Griot's 3-1 yearly and that keeps it in pretty good shape overall. Interior is vacuumed a few times monthly and wiped down with Griot's interior cleaner as needed. IMBHO most important part of vehicle cleaning is doing the glass often as for me it affects the driving experience far more than a dirty exterior/interior.
 
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I drive it thru the car wash when I feel like it and polish it withMaguires ultimate 3x, and on occasion use TW Ceramic Detailer
 
I always find car cleaning and 'light' maintenance quite therapeutic and relaxing. A few years ago I would clean my car weekly. Now I have kids it's nowhere near as often as I would like, but sometimes other things have to take priority. I have shelving units in my garage full of dusty car cleaning products I no longer have the time to use.

I always loved having swirl free perfectly waxed and dressed cars. Even when it was raining, I would love the look of fresh tight beads on the paintwork. My car is now covered in little handprints and still has the dealer-induced swirls from when I bought it. Can't see me having a chance to change that any time soon. :ROFLMAO:
 
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