How do you all keep your cars clean

[coffeegirl73]

All the car washes round be me seem to have closed down? I cannot find one. I’ve been washing it occasionally with a sponge but it takes me ages plus I can’t reach the roof. And then to do all the windows as well and then the inside… how does everyone else manage now all the car washes seem to be gone!

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Apologies, @coffeegirl73 , I misread your thread title and answered incorrectly!

I just wash it with a sponge once a week. Those car washes used slaves or exploited people. I refused to ever give them my money.

The local Morrisons and Sainsburys have a hand car wash area in the car park (separate from the car wash at the petrol station) with different levels of cleaning starting at around £20 for a wash and hoover.

We use a mobile valeting service who come every 4 weeks and now does quite a few other cars locally as people have seen him do ours. Been using him for years and he's good value at full price (we get a discount thanks to how much work he's got from doing our cars).

I just made DS2 do it today. Only because it’s going to the garage at the end of the month and I would feel shame at the state of it. It won’t be perfect but better than it was. Drive through actually scare me and I feel exploitative using wash as you wait.

When I had a driveway, I did it myself, but now I only have on-road parking.

We have one of those drive through ones at one of the supermarkets, but they scare me. Another supermarket has a DIY pressure hose wash. It also has a hand car wash place across the other side of the car park, which I used this morning. There's another hand car wash place up behind the station. I suspect there are other drive through or DIY ones in town, too.

I don't often do it, but I had a load of bird shit on it, plus the windows were thick with dust that had stuck with dew, so I did get it done this morning. It might easily not happen again until winter. And I hacked the tyre pressure.

I go to a drive through hand car wash. £25 for my suv and it gets blitzed by 5 people in about 10-15 mins

I wait until work start making noises about me having to park round the back and then one of the valeting staff usually gives in
Or I pay a local company that comes out and cleans it inside and out for about £35

I can not afford £25 for a car wash. It honestly takes me about 15 minutes once a week to give the car a quick clean. The secret is doing it regularly.

Do you never drive on motorways or muddy lanes?
Even if I washed my car weekly it would take more than 15 minutes - Honda HR-V.

That’s what rain is for.

Had mine cleaned inside and out whilst I shopped in Tesco earlier. It’s sparkling clean and god knows how they made the inside look like new…. £40 once a year is good value IMO!

Do cars need to be clean? Do they go faster? Use less petrol?

(If it helps, I sponge down the numberplate occasionally just to prove I'm not a drug dealer.)

It's a good idea to get the salt washed off from under the car because it increases the risk of rust.

We have had gritters and salt spreaders out a lot this last winter.

Also, your lights and licence plate have to be clean. It is a motoring offence to have such a dirty number plate that it can't be read.

So the answer to your question is yes, it is better for parts of the car to be clean.

Thanks for the salt and grit tips. 😀

I'll also try and summon up the confidence to take the car through an official car wask. Must remember to close the windows...

It's useful to have clean windows, too. One reason I got my car cleaned was because looking out of the passenger window to see if the road I was turning onto was clear, made me very aware just how grimy it was.

Only do it a few times a year. Not very bothered what my car looks like.

I either take to Tesco where there’s a company that have a hand car wash in the car park (national chain), or have a valet come to the house

I don't let anyone eat in it. I occasionally take it to the carwash or wait for the yearly service. You can pay for mobile car grooming too if you are that way inclined. Or better yet pay a teen to do it!