So How Often Should You Wash Your Car
Some experts think you should wash your car once a week to maintain and protect it from the elements, but we here at Auto Bright would amend that statement. Its during these months mentioned above where you should get your car washed once a week or, as many of our customers do,come in right after one of those events like a heavy snowstorm or a heavy pollen coating. During the summer months you can probably feel comfortable going a bit longer between washes maybe two weeks or maybe you only come see us after a pigeon has come to see your car.
You should know, though, that salt is one of the biggest enemies to your car and that even if you dont see it on the surface, it could be on your undercarriage, in your wheel wells and other important parts of your car. This is important to remove because salt residue reacts with the metal in your vehicle and causes rust. Our all-cloth automatic car wash is designed to remove the salt from your car for this reason, but whether you decide to use one of our self-serve car wash bays, or if you decide to get your hose out and wash your car in your driveway, remember to clean the underside of your car thoroughly to prolong its life, its resale value and its shine.
If your car could talk, it would thank you.
How Often Should You Clean Car Headlights
You should clean your car headlights as often as you wash your car, which is typically every two weeks or so. However, if you live in an area with a lot of dirt and dust, you may need to clean them more frequently.
If your headlights are particularly dirty, you can use a headlight cleaning kit, which is available at most auto parts stores. These kits usually come with a cleaner and a polish, which will help restore the clarity of your headlights.
If you have any questions about how to clean headlights or when to replace your headlights, be sure to ask your mechanic or car care specialist. They will be able to advise you on the best way to keep your headlights clean and clear.
Get Help With Washing Your Car From A Mechanic On Justanswer
The Drive recognizes that while our How-To guides are detailed and easily followed, a rusty bolt, an engine component not in the correct position, or oil leaking everywhere can derail a project. Thats why weve partnered with JustAnswer, which connects you to certified mechanics around the globe, to get you through even the toughest jobs. So if you have a question or are stuck, and talk to a mechanic near you.
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Washing Your Car Too Often
We have established that it is important to wash your car, but you might be wondering if you can wash it too often.
Every time you wash your car, you are risking scratching its paint. Avoiding scratches at some point is almost impossible.
This is why waxing is important. When you wax your car, you add an extra layer of protection to your paintwork.
This layer will become thinner and thinner with each car wash, meaning the wax will need to be reapplied.
If you wash your car more frequently, you must also wax it more often. If you dont, you will expose the clear coat of the paint, and eventually the basecoat and primer.
Any scratches under the clearcoat will require extensive car scratch repair which will lead to an expensive bill.
What About Waxing And Detailing
We couldnt possibly finish this article without speaking about waxing and detailing. Both of these are finishing tools which create a barrier between your paintwork and the elements.
Besides making the body look shiny, wax adds an extra layer of protection which ensures that contaminants like bugs, bird drops, and salt, among others, slide off without touching the paintwork.
You should wax your car at least twice a year. To know exactly when its time to re-wax it again, you can splash some water over your car and see if it beads up.
If it does, it means the wax layer is still holding on. If it doesnt, you have to wax it as soon as possible.
Finally, a good wash isnt complete without a detailing.
You can hire somebody to do this type of cleaning yourself or do it yourself and save a lot of money. Just make sure you detail your car every couple of months, and youll have a ride all of your friends will envy!
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Winter Car Care Tips To Keep Your Car Rust
Rust is more likely to form on your car in the winter due to the salt and other chemicals used to de-ice roads. To prevent rust from forming on your car, wash it regularly and wax it to create a barrier.
If you live in an area where roads are regularly salted in the winter, washing your car once a week is recommended. If you can’t wash your car that often, at least try to rinse off the salt with water when you get home from driving.
In addition to washing your car, you can also protect it from rust by waxing it. This will create a barrier between the metal and the elements that can cause rust.
Do Automatic Car Washes Scratch Your Car
Its common knowledge that automatic car washes that use brushes wreak havoc on your paint job. Because of this, touch-free car washes have become much more popular. They simply spray water, soap, and cleaners on your car while you drive through. So no, these will not scratch your paint. Good news, right?
What many people dont realize though is that just because these touch-free car washes dont scratch your paint doesnt mean that theyre completely harmless. Have you ever tried dumping soapy water on your dirty car without scrubbing or agitating it? It didnt do a very good job of cleaning, did it. Yet cars drive out of these touch-free car washes looking nice and clean. Thats because they usually use some kind of acid. Yes, acid.
That might sound really scary at first but in many cases, acid wont harm your paint. In fact, many wheel cleaners contain acid. One thing acids do though is eat up dirt, grease, and oils. So say goodbye to your wax or sealant. Using these touch-free car washes on a regular basis will strip any layers of protection off your paint. Im not saying theyre unsafe to use this is just something to keep in mind. Dont be surprised if your paint sealant of choice doesnt last as long as its supposed to.
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Thought On How Often Should You Wash Your Car
Troy Blackburn is a 30 January 2017, 9:43 a.m. Thats really cool that the right way to wash a car gets rid of things like tree sap, salt, dust, pollen, bird droppings, bug splatter, and air pollutants. Ive heard that if you wash your car at least twice a month, you can extend the life of the paint on the outside of your car by at least 5 years. So, it makes sense to wash it. I just bought a new car and want to keep it in good shape, so Ill have to remember this information.
Thats really cool that the right way to wash a car gets rid of things like tree sap, salt, dust, pollen, bird droppings, bug splatter, and air pollutants. Ive heard that if you wash your car at least twice a month, you can extend the life of the paint on the outside of your car by at least 5 years. So, it makes sense to wash it. I just bought a new car and want to keep it in good shape, so Ill have to remember this information.
Can You Wash Too Often
If youre worried about your twice monthly wash ruining your car, theres no need to stress. In most cases, youre probably not washing often enough to cause any damage.
However, hitting your car with sponges, brushes, chemicals and more on a too frequent basis will take its toll. We all like a nice clean car, but washing gradually wears your Clear Coat, which is the last protective layer on your car exterior.
Most exteriors are finished with pretty sturdy stuff nowadays, but its still worth considering whether you could be causing more damage than good. If youre washing more than once a week, it should really only be if your car really needs it.
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How Do You Use Your Car
How you use your car is another significant factor to take into consideration when determining how often a car should be washed. Even though we may not want to admit it, there are car owners that treat their vehicles with care and there are ones who do not.
How careful you are with your car can influence how often you need to wash it. If you are a very cautious person, you may be keen to always avoid potholes, muddy terrains, sandy soils, salt residues, dirty puddles, etc. Hence, there are minimal contaminants and loose debris that need to be eliminated from your car via washes.
However, if you are a careless driver and do not bother to avoid said causes of dust, dirt, grease, grit, or sand, your car will likely take a beating and require baths more often.
Once Or Twice Monthly
For all other conditions that we have not included above, you can subject your car to once or even twice monthly washings. This is just to keep the integrity of the paint surface.
Washing our cars is like taking a bath, something we do this to remove dirt and protect our skin. The same is true with our cars. Knowing how often you should wash it depends on your understanding of a variety of factors which we have already discussed.
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Are Automatic Car Washes Bad For Your Car
Most of us will have used an automatic car wash at some point in our lives. Theyre quick, fairly cheap, and most importantly, save all the hassle of a DIY hand car wash.
But they have been given a bad rep recently for potentially causing more harm than good. Traditional car washes with rotating bristles are often harsher than the sponges or microfibre cloths youd use when handwashing. Though they might be convenient, using automatic car washes too frequently can have a longer term effect on the paintwork. Bristles that are particularly stiff can cause micro scratches on your car surface, and these may only become visible after youve worn down the protectants on the surface of your car.
Soft cloth car washes have been seen as a favorable alternative, using cloths that more gently remove dirt from your exterior. However these can cause equal wear if the cloths are not properly or adequately cleaned. Dirt and debris from the previous wash could easily still cling to the cloth and you could end up with unnecessary scratches.
Unfortunately however you wash your car is going to have a toll on the paintwork. The chemicals used to clean all the dirt and mud off your car have an abrasive element just like the brush or sponge you use. The best way to minimise damage is to keep your brushes and sponges clean and separate for the various parts of your car, and of course, to check our post on how to wash a car.
How Often Should You Wash Your Car In The Winter To Prevent Rust
If you live in an area with a lot of salt on the roads in the winter, you should wash your car every week to prevent rust. Even if you don’t live in a snow-covered area, it’s a good idea to wash your car every two weeks during the winter.
Washing your car regularly will remove corrosive materials that can cause rust. Use a mild soap and water solution and be sure to rinse thoroughly.
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How Often Should You Clean Your Cars Interior
7th Oct 2022
Detailing the exterior of your vehicle is often what most people think about when they hear the term detailing. The importance of an exterior clean does have its benefits such as protecting the paint and creating a lasting shine. What may be less obvious is the importance of detailing your interior features as routinely as your exterior. But why does detailing the interior matter so much, and how often should you do it? Explore this brief guide to uncover the answers to those questions.
How Do I Avoid Damaging My Car While Im Washing It
As youve seen, washing your car can be good or bad for the paintwork. It all depends on whether you follow some simple rules which will help maintain the quality of the paint and finish.
This will make your car look shiny for longer, reducing the number of times you need to wash it every month.
When washing your car, keep the following tips in mind.
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Is It Bad To Wash Your Car In The Cold
Its best to avoid washing your vehicle when the temperature is below freezing if youre handwashing it. Thats because if not dried properly, your locks, handles, hinges, and other car parts can get frozen and jammed. Therefore, wash your vehicle only on days when the weather is moderate and friendly. If youre planning to visit the nearest drive-thru car wash, make sure the location is open and the weather is good enough to head out.
Youll Scratch The Paintwork
Ever noticed tiny, hairline-like scratches around the body of your car? Well, these werent caused by the neighbors kids. Theyre commonly called spider webs and appear when you over-wash unprotected paintwork.
But spider webs dont always appear only when you over-wash your car.
An excellent way to prevent them is by using plenty of water when youre scrubbing to avoid scratching the surface. Finally, make sure you protect the body with a functional layer of wax.
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The Car Care & Maintenance
The primary contributing factor to the car wash is how you store your car. Do you cover it, and do you have a garage to store it? If you can prevent it from getting affected by environmental threats, then you can maintain a shiny car. Make sure that you use a clean cloth to wipe the car daily. If you do all of these, then the requirement of the car wash will be minimal.
Bonus: A Basic Car Wash For Beginners
If youve always trusted the local car wash machine for keeping your car clean, now is a good time to switch to hand washing. In fact, you might be surprised that it doesnt take all that long to do it yourself and is sometimes easier than waiting in the lobby of the car wash.
Heres a basic car wash guide to get you started and if followed correctly you will have a beautiful clean car.
Everything You Need For Your First Car Wash.Pro Detailer Bundle by Torque Detail
“Two hours from start to finish applying only one coat. The products work great, paint felt like it did when I took it out of the dealer show room. Highly recommend Torque Detail Products”
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Clean Your Headlights With Baking Soda: When To Replace Your Headlights
Headlights are important to the safety of your vehicle. You should clean them when they get dirty, but not so much that you cant see through them or have a blurred beam of light while driving on an intersection with no stop lights present in which case it is illegal for both drivers and pedestrians alike!
Headlight lenses are very important for visibility. If you clean your headlights too often, it could damage the lens and make them cloudy or reduce their ability to capture light which would decrease safety on the roadways! Cleaning regularly will help prevent this from happening so do not forget about those services when getting new lamps installed
The Time Interval Is Up For Debate
There is technically no hard and fast rule for how often you should wash your car. However, some publications, like The Drive and How Stuff Works, will tell you to do it every two weeks. We actually agree, considering two weeks is usually the amount of time it takes for your car to build up enough dirt and grime to warrant a nice bath. However, its technically up to your discretion as to how often you want to wash it, considering your commute and what you use the car for could make it dirtier quicker.
According to The Drive, here are some common reasons that you should wash your car more often:
Of course, if you just want to be more meticulous about your car care, by all means, wash it every week if you really want to keep that new-car sparkle. Also, if you park your car outside, as opposed to inside a garage, you may need to wash it more often.
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How Often Should You Wash Your Car In The Winter
In contrast, its important to have a separate car wash schedule in the winter, and again, where you live plays a big role. If you think about this, it probably makes a lot of sense.
For example, if you live in an area like Minnesota, where heavy ice and snow are present, youll want to wash your car once a week at a minimum. The reason for this is road salt, which can cause damage to the paint and undercarriage of your car if it isnt rinsed off periodically. A prime schedule for washing your vehicle during the winter months in this scenario is every ten days at least, but more likely every five to seven days if you commute frequently or theres an exceptional amount of exposure to salt. You can be a little more lenient if your car has a strong undercoating.
And theres more to it than that. You should only wash your car when the outdoor daytime temperature is above forty degrees. Any temperature lower than that can cause ice damage to your paint due to freezing, which isnt something you want to have to deal with. Instead, just make sure youre getting out there and handwashing it when you can and as often as feasible.
