To wash my own car?

[allgoneaway]

Trying to save money but is the saving of £6 to stick it through the car wash really worth it?

Those that hand wash, what do you use? I don't have a hose so it will be a bucket and sponge job. No water meter thankfully.

Would I end up spending a fortune on car shampoo and polish. Will it take up hours of my time?

Any tips?

I've always washed my car myself because it means I see the small details, so spot any stone chips that need fixing. It takes an hour, with a bucket, sponge, alloy spray and the hoover.

The least expensive hand car wash here is £15 so if I had it washed every two weeks, that's £375 a year. There are more enjoyable things to do with £375

DS occasionally washes my car when he wants to earn extra pocket money, so it's becoming a joint venture.

I wash my 2 cars once a week. I enjoy it. I use bucket sponge and car shampoo. Then another bucket of clean water to rinse.
I leather the car off afterwards.
Both mine have plastic wheel arches so I apply some back to black sealant on those. I also have some black tyre spray.

I find in winter they get so dirty from the roads and in summer it's dusty.
One is a convertible and I'd never take that through the car wash.

The initial outlay for bucket, sponge and cleaning solution, cloths and chamois put me off. I always go to a whooshy car wash (never had a problem) or ha hand wash but worry about human slavery.

I use the karcher power washer and a bucket of hot water and sponge, it doesn’t take long if I do it weekly. I don’t use any fancy products just some car shampoo I bought from Home Bargain for 2quid. I do pay to use the vacuums at Asda once a fortnight though, with 2 kids and horse feed etc my Hetty hoover can’t cope with the crumbs/muck.

I wash my own car to save money, it's really worth it. I live rurally though and the car gets absolutely filthy in the muddy lanes going to work, so it does need washing every week, otherwise you wouldn't be able to see the number plate/see out of the windows!!

I use a very soft broom, the ones you can buy cheaply in the supermarket, it MUST have a SOFT head to avoid scratching the car. And an ordinary washing up bowl. I buy some car wash stuff (3litre), the last lot I bought around the start of the pandemic and I still have some left, using it every week, just a tiny squirt in the water is sufficient, plus a watering can.

I am fortunate that there's an outside tap in our car park, otherwise it might be a problem coming down with everything from my top floor flat. However, filling up the bowl with foamy water, using the brush to wash the car, I do half the car and rinse it by pouring a watering can full of water over it, then do the other half, refill and rinse again.

Doing it this way is very quick and saves you getting absolutely soaked like you do if you use a sponge etc. In summer I dry off the car with a proper cloth, mostly because it's nice to be outside and because I don't want droplets drying on my windows. In the winter I don't bother, the car gets muddy very quickly again so a nice wash and rinse is far better than the alternative.

The car wash near us is £5 a time, I think of all that money I'm saving for a quick half hour doing it myself.

Sponges, Fairy Liquid and chamois leathers are all terrible for your paint. Wash mitts, decent shampoo and drying towels are what you need.