If you’re a bit of a car enthusiast, you might put a lot of time and care into your car, which probably includes regularly washing and treating your car. But, is it bad to wash your car too often? Is that even a thing? In this article, we take a deep dive into how often you should actually be washing your car, and how often is too often.
So, is it bad to wash your car too often? In reality, most people probably don’t wash their car often enough to cause any damage, however, you should limit car washing to once a week as chemicals, brushes, sponges and other cleaning tools can take their toll.
Read on to learn more about the effects of washing your car too often, and what products you need to properly look after your car.
How Often is Too Often to Wash a Car?
Some claim that washing your car more than once a week could end up causing damage over time due to the use of chemicals and other cleaning tools. On the other hand, others claim that washing your car as frequently as you want won’t cause any harm, and even advocate frequent washing since road salts and bugs could cause paint damage.
In reality, though, most people probably don’t wash their car frequently enough with harsh chemicals or damaging cleaning tools to cause any damage.
Does Washing Your Car Damage Paint?
Home car washing is unlikely to cause damage to the paintwork on your car, as long as you don’t use harsh cleaning products or tools. However, automatic car washes can cause damage to the paint on your car as the bristles are abrasive, and often aren’t properly maintained. That being said, some car washes are better than others.
Pressure washing is also a bad way to wash your car. Experts claim that the force of the water can damage or nick the paintwork, which can worsen with continued use and can lead to rust.
On the other side of this, not washing your car often enough could also result in damage to the paintwork. Over time, dirt, residues, bugs, and other environmental things will build upon the car’s body, and can slowly eat away at the clear coat. Without this, your car’s paintwork is vulnerable to damage and rust.
This damage is not just a cosmetic problem; Damaged paintwork and rust will result in your car losing value at a quicker rate than it ordinarily would.
Does Washing Your Car Make It Last Longer?
Washing your car regularly (in a suitable manner), not only makes your car look good, but can significantly extend its life and value.
As we’ve already mentioned, a buildup of dirt and bugs can cause damage to the paintwork, but did you know that bird droppings can ruin the pain significantly? What’s more, winter grit and road salts can play havoc with the paint, but can also get into the moving parts and the chassis, leading to accelerated corrosion and wear.
Years of not washing your car enough, and a build up of such irritants may reduce the lifespan of your car, and cause it to depreciate in value, so it might be worth setting aside some time every few weeks to give your car a good clean.
What Can I Wash My Car With At Home
They say a bad workman blames his tools, but that isn’t always the case; sometimes you just need better tools. In this section, we’ll go over everything you need to wash your car well at home, without risking damage. What’s more, it should be safe enough to wash your car as often as you want!
Soap
The main thing when considering what soap to use to wash your car is to not use household cleaners, body washes, or washing up liquid. These products aren’t formulated to use on cars and may strip off the protective coat, especially if you wash your car frequently.
Instead, use a dedicated car soap, which is much milder, and designed to be used on cars. You can even purchase specific car soaps that are tailored to your type of paintwork.
Check out our Luxury Car Shampoos at Buy Britain; we stock Revive Auto Apothecary premium car shampoos that are suitable for all paint types.
Tools
Step away from the automatic car wash! Instead, use microfibre cloths that are far less likely to cause damage to your car, even with frequent use. Just make sure to buy more than one…
Two Bucket Method
With the two bucket car wash method, you’ll need two buckets, microfibre cloth or mitt, and some car shampoo. Fill one bucket with clean water, and in the other use your car shampoo.
Start from the top down, dipping into your soap bucket to clean the car, then rinse the mitt or cloth in the clean water bucket – this stops you from spreading dirty water and any grit back onto the car which could cause damage. Leave any undersides of the car until last, as these are, by far, the dirtiest part of your car.
How Often Should You Wax Your Car?
It is recommended that you wax your car every three months. Although if you have a newer car, it won’t require waxing as often, it should be done twice a year as a minimum.
If you don’t wax your car regularly enough, you make it vulnerable to cosmetic damage and damage to the paintwork which, over time, can result in your car depreciating faster than it ordinarily would.
Can You Wax Your Car Too Much?
Too much wax can build up to give your car a cloudy, or dirty look. There is no risk of damage, and the result of over-waxing is purely cosmetic, but it’s worth sticking to a regular waxing routine every few months for best results.
Buy Britain stocks a range of car accessories from Revive Auto Apothecary, including their Revive Luxury Car Wax, and the Revive Wax Applicator Puck – the perfect tools for a perfect finish.
To Summarise
If you’re hand washing your car at home, it’s unlikely that you’ll cause any real damage from washing your car too often, especially if you’re using the right tools. But, make sure to stay away from household cleaners, automatic car washes, and abrasive cloths. Also, make sure to wax your car every few months to keep the protective layer intact, which will minimise the effects of environmental damage.
Check out our range of car cleaning accessories today to help you make light work of cleaning your car regularly.
