How often should you wash your car?

Ask yourself. Buying a nice car is one thing, and spending so much on maintaining your car to make sure it looks pretty and flashy is another, but how often do you wash your car to keep it shiny? Ever had thoughts like “I’m feeling a bit lazy this weekend” or “It looks like it’s going to rain anyways” that has been deferring your plan to wash your car?

Sometimes it gets obviously dirty after a long drive down a dusty and muddy road, or it got rained by bird poop after parking under the tree in the evening. Do you only wash your car under these unbearable circumstances? Your car is a major investment, but have you thought of washing your car as a simple but essential investment as well? How often should you be washing your car then?

According to some car experts, the golden rule of thumb is to wash your car on a bi-weekly basis throughout the year! However, this also depends on the surrounding condition where you live in and/ or park your car. For example, if you live somewhere near the beach or sea, you should be washing your car more often as salt can corrode your car and lead it to rust, and this could affect your car’s resale value if you ever plan to sell your car in the future.

While some dirt can wait till you get your next wash, some dirt isn’t as friendly to your car. Going back to the example whereby your car gets rained by bird poop but it did not cover your windscreen. Thinking that you could get away with not washing your car since your view is not obstructed by the bird poop and it’s fine to wait for another few days? Those bird business are acidic enough to ‘eat’ through your car’s painting if they are left on your car for too long. The same applies for dead bugs and tree saps. Make sure you wash them off as soon as you can!

Another factor to keep in mind is how often you drive and the road condition that your car has to drive on day-on-day-out. If you have to drive on dirty roads very frequently or even daily to get to work, it is not recommended to follow the bi-weekly car washing schedule. Wash it more frequently. If cost is a concern (e.g. getting car washed by car wash businesses), do it as a weekend family activity and get the kids to help out while you are at it!

Is over-washing a concern? While washing your car improperly can damage it, washing it as often as you’d like definitely won’t hurt your car! Sometimes washing every week could be seen as excessive, unnecessary and more work than is needed, but for those who have the urge to wash more often, just wash away!

Have you washed your car in the past 2 weeks? If you have not, better do it as soon as you can! Interested to learn more on how to protect and maintain the resale value of your car? Looking to learn how to sell your car at the highest price? Check out our guides at www.ezauto.my/ezfeed to learn more!