How Often Should You Get Your Car Washed?

By John Funk, April 13, 2021

Since buying a car is a significant investment, you don’t want to let it go to waste. Naturally, you’d want your car to last for the longest time possible. How do you do it? For starters, make it a habit to wash your car!

Why and how often should you get your car washed? That’s a question most car owners ask. Let’s settle this issue once and for all so you can keep your baby in top condition for years to come.

Getting your car washed has loads of benefits. For one, it will keep your car looking presentable, as if it just came out of the showroom! It will also remove any elements that could potentially damage your car’s paint and body. “What elements?” you may ask. Here’s a few that you need to look out for:

While driving, insects may get sucked up in the air flow and hit your windshield, leaving nasty bug splatter everywhere. Not only does it look gross, it also damages your car’s body over time, so best remove it ASAP!
Tree sap. Whether you live in the city or in the countryside, there’s a chance that you’ll pass under some trees or park under their shade during one of your trips. When tree sap lands on the car surface, it can damage the exterior paint finish and leave ugly stains.
Bird droppings. When birds go “bombs away” on your car, better clean it up quickly! Bird droppings are extremely acidic and can cause serious damage on the car’s exterior finish and metal body parts.
You thought heat won’t damage your car? Think again! Heat can melt the paint’s wax layer, leaving your ride exposed to the elements.
Relieved that Mother Nature washed your ride for you? Don’t be too happy! Rain can bring dirt and pollutants from the atmosphere straight onto your car’s body. If you live in an area with high pollution levels, there is a great chance that the rain is acidic. Not good for your car, right?

How Often Should You Get Your Car Washed?

Now that understand the importance of washing your car, the age-old question stands: How often should I get a car wash? Many car experts and enthusiasts have been debating on this topic for a long time and the consensus is that ideally, you should wash it every two weeks. However, you should change the frequency of your car washing habits depending on a few factors:

Nature of your drive. If you usually drive for several hours a day, you need to wash your car more frequently, since you’re exposing it to a whole range of elements.
Your location. If you live in an environment with lots of sand (such as Arizona) or near bodies of salt water, you’ll need more frequent car washes, since salt and sand can speed up the deterioration process.
Parking space. Storing your car in an indoor garage reduces its exposure to the elements. It also reduces the need for frequent car washes.
Areas with predominantly rainy climates allow for less frequent car washes, provided that you aren’t in an industrialized part of your city where acid rain is common. However, this isn’t the case in areas with hot climates. What about during the winter? Can you wash your car in the winter? The answer is yes, and more frequently, too. That is, if you don’t want road salt to build up and damage your car.

Keep these factors in mind and use them to decide on how frequently you should get your car washed. Washing your car more frequently than necessary can be as damaging as not washing it often enough. Too-frequent washing will wash off the protective wax faster and damage the paint job over time, while neglecting it will allow the elements to wreak havoc on your car.

Now that you know how often you should get a car wash, let’s talk about the right way to do it.

How to Wash Your Car

When washing your car, you have two options. You can have it done for you at a car wash or you can do it by yourself at home. When you choose to have your car washed at an automatic car wash, go for a no-touch car wash. Stay away from car washes with large brushes, since they can potentially damage your ride’s body.

If you choose to do it by yourself, you can save a lot of money – and all it takes is a few minutes of your time and some nice old sweat equity. Get ready and grab those buckets, sponges, microfiber towels, car wash soap, and a nearby garden hose. Let’s get scrubbing!

Get your car wet using the garden hose and buckets. Remember to wash your car in a segment-for-segment basis for a more thorough clean.
Apply the car wash soap with a sponge using a wiping motion.
Rinse the soap off.
Wipe the surface dry. Do not air-dry your car to avoid leaving ugly water streaks.
Remember to clean even the hard-to-reach areas, such as wheel wells.
Move on to the interior and remove the carpets and seat covers for better cleaning. Wipe and vacuum the surfaces, and apply disinfectant if necessary.

Seal Skin Covers: The Secret to Keeping Your Car in Top Condition

Aside from regularly washing your car, using a high-quality Seal-Fit car cover like the ones we have at Seal Skin can help keep your ride in excellent, almost-brand new condition. Isn’t that what you’ve always wanted?

At Seal Skin Covers, you’ll find top-notch Seal-Fit covers for your car at a price that’s well within your reach. We only use the best materials and enforce strict manufacturing standards to ensure that each of our products will meet and even surpass your expectations.

Feel free to call us at 800-915-0038 if you want to make a purchase or would like to know more about our products, and exchange and refund policies. We’re open Mondays to Fridays from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM EST. Let us help you find the right cover that fits your budget.