how often do you wash your car/truck?

[danger boy]

I think i've become obsessive compulsive these days. I wash my car like every week. Can't stand to have my car dirty. I actully have to cars.. so between them both, it keeps me busy.

Just finishing washing one of the cars and the bugger is, that it's suppose to rain tomorrow anyway. But i can't stand to see it dirty any longer. :(

How often do you all wash your ride? Please don't say "when it's dirty". that doesn't tell us anything.

[HBombToo]

Never!

Thats the wifes job plus the daughter like riding through the car wash.

HBomb

[nadams]

I try to wash my truck about once a week on the weekends. Unfortunately, weather and time have not been good to me lately, so sometimes it goes two weeks or more before getting washed. It's always hand-done, none of that carwash crap, and it looks extremely sharp with the chrome accents and alloy wheels polished, though that adds about 1.5 more hours to the job.

The truck is black, so it's VERY hard to keep clean. I kick myself for buying black, but I also LOVE the way it looks shined up!

www.king-nerd.com/dood/truckpicpages/index.htm

[VR3]

I detail cars on the weekend...

I detail my Dad's Car and Truck every weekend.

Infact, today I detailed his car - wax, armor-all - full detail. The truck, just a check up/wash.

But I have washed cars bout every weekend for the past 2-3 years now.


Dude -- you can cut down the wheel shine time considerably...

My Dad found this wheel shine, called Da Bomb or w/e -- simple to put on, easy to take off -- the wheels shine like CRAZY.

The black paint, very easy to keep clean actually - my Dad's car is black --- and we use Black wax. Keeps the paint looking good.

I normally don't detail motorocycles - I believe my Dad did this job, but he used the metal shine I mentioned above on it.

http://www.eandr.biz/HDANGLEVIEW.jpg

[wlrandall]

Sid, do you Armor All the car speakers as well?? J/K

I wash mine when it's dirty. Being in Texas with the weather we have it could be twice a week or every two weeks.

[VR3]

Nope --

I armor-all the interrior and exterrior plastics/leather. Since we do this weekly - I dont think we are going to have to worry about cracking and deterriorating ;)

My Dad's truck is 20 years old and still looks brand new on the insde and out, and it is his work truck!

[warviper]

Once a week it only cost 5 bucks, saves me at least an hour thats a great deal in my book.

[faster100]

Once a week everyweek, except during Florida's rain season, wax about every month or so, detail inside and out.... hand wash and hand wax... buffers do a number on the paint, and drive through car washes swirl the paint. We had a 95 mustang that looked like new after 5 years of use from new, until the heads popped... :)

[danger boy]

faster100,

what kind of car wax do you use? i don't know which is a good high gloss one.

[danger boy]

here's a pic of my 2000 Neon. i got the windows tinted on Fri. and it needed a wash.

[danger boy]

another one. i thought this was a good artsy fartsy pic ha ha ha

[faster100]

I use Mequiares gold class, it works great!! a little tip.. if you get tree sap or stains on the finish.... don't use cleaners for these things as it contains kerosene, use the car wax and use a back and forth motion, not circles when you apply the wax... the stains will come right off... and wont swirl the paint when ya go side to side, and you didnt just use a petrolium based solvent on your finish..

[faster100]

This from last year when i first got the Xterra, I will post a recent pic soon as its cleaned and not raining, when ever that is :rolleyes: Florida for ya,

[danger boy]

i saw that Mequiares gold at the auto parts store. not sure why, but it caught my eye.. i didn't buy it though. i may go back this weekend and check it out.

when you apply the wax do you use a circular motion? and same when you remove it?

What about small nicks and dings, scratches in the paint? what is gentle, yet gets the job done? :D

[Jstas]

As often as I can. Usually about once a month is when I can or if I have a special event. It sucks though 'cause as you can see:

http://users.snip.net/%7Ejrjr/truck2.gif


It's black.


Very black.


and big!


I just got back from a car show and all day long people were marvelling at the depth of the black in the sunlight and looking at thier reflections.

I was pretty stoked! Then I won the burnout contest.

[George Grand]

"Then I won the burnout contest!"

Not quite yet there Fireball, but I'd wager for sure before the age of 30.

George Grand (of the Jersey Grands)

[faster100]

never apply in circles, back and forth, not sure about knicks and dings, Thankfully dont have any yet that i see.... Stay away from color waxes also.... they stain and build up on the finish..

Nice Truck BTW

[VR3]

Err...

Gotta disagree with the color wax thing. As long as you spend the extra time getting it *ALL* off - they work wonders. They cover up scratches, as they come with like a lip stick thing to put on the scratches - and they give a darker shade of color to your paint.

It is easy to get off, just not as easy as other wax.

To get out dings, use that pops-a-dent thing that is on TV...with the suction cup, etc. That works real well.

[faster100]

we had a 92 corrolla from new, used color wax for a few years... it stained the paint, and caused buildup... you "can't' get it all off as that is the idea of wax, to get it on... now if you strip it of wax build up somehow everyother time you use it i guess, but who does that... Ive been detailing my cars since i was a late teenager, it may be ok for problem spots... but thats all. IMO,
don't wax the whole care with it.. waxxing to often gets a buildup anyways... in our harsh rain and sunshine here in fla... you gotta keep ity waxed but not excessive..

[brettw22]

Armour All is bad for the interior, period. It dries out the stuff that it's put on, regardless of how often you apply it. It WILL CAUSE DAMAGE LONG TERM. Use McGuires as it has moisturizers in it that will condition the material it's being installed on.

As for waxes (the VERY few times that I've ever felt the desire to spend my time doing this) I've used Zymol's. Pretty good stuff from any that I've used in the past.

I take my car to those washes a few times a month and let all the workers clean it for me. I'm SOOO not about manual labor type tasks.....:cool:

[Steve@3dai]

About the waxing in circles and such.

If you've got some swirls, be prepared for a number of coats. I just did a C4 Corvette that was black, and he had some swirl problems. So we did two coats of wax in a circular motion to fill in and make the light bounce off differently in the swirls, and it took them out. Then did a coat in the direction of the wind travel while driving. It looked sharp when it was done, nice deep, clear, and engaging black.

[Jstas]

Originally posted by George Grand
"Then I won the burnout contest!"

Not quite yet there Fireball, but I'd wager for sure before the age of 30.

George Grand (of the Jersey Grands)

Wrong kinda burnout, George. I'd give you a personal demo but your neighbors may not enjoy it so much.

[danger boy]

Originally posted by brettw22
I'm SOOO not about manual labor type tasks.....:cool:

Brett, i'm surprised. A big strapping young man as yourself. My image of you has been changed forever now. :p

[Drewsmith]

zaino car products are the best period, time consuming but the results are brilliant.

www.zainostore.com

[Jstas]

Originally posted by Drewsmith
zaino car products are the best period, time consuming but the results are brilliant.

www.zainostore.com

No they aren't. They aren't a wax. They are a polymer than is supposed to bond to your paint. Personally, I'd rather have a wax that doesn't bother the paint at all but protects it. I'll stick with my caranuba waxes, thanks.

[George Grand]

My neighbor Bud'll shoot your tires out John. Not a good idea around here.

George Grand (of the Jersey Grands)

[Jstas]

If your neightbor Bud shot my tires out, he'd be taking a ride in an ambulance, gun or no gun.

[Steve@3dai]

Originally posted by Jstas
No they aren't. They aren't a wax. They are a polymer than is supposed to bond to your paint. Personally, I'd rather have a wax that doesn't bother the paint at all but protects it. I'll stick with my caranuba waxes, thanks.

I use Zaino exclusively on teh wagon. I like it, gives an awesome shine, protects well, and lasts a while in the TX heat. Here's an example, this is a quick application of zaino, not the usual 3-4 coat one ;)

http://homepage.mac.com/stellman/images/wrx/cleanwrxside.jpg

[Jstas]

I never said it didn't do what they say it does. I just said that it wasn't "The Best" and it isn't.

[Drewsmith]

zaino out shines pretty much everything and when tested against 46th other Polishes came 1st. I have used mequires, nu finish, Zymol, and so on. They don't even come close to 4-5 applications of Zaino.

Theres a reason on any high end car manufacture Forum or Car Detailing forum everyone is talking about it.

I think it's the best and have been using it for a couple of yr's

[faster100]

i wouldnt like the idea that it takes 3-5 coats on my finish to work. anything in quanities on your paint isnt the best for the long run, I would think its alittle different for show cars, how long do they keep those paint jobs? how often are they in bad weather and sun and rain? For real world car and trucks for everyday use a plain ol wax is fine.. not overdone so you don't get a build up..

and on the armorall, strictly IMHO and personal experiance over a 10 year testing period :) It works great and has never dried or cracked my dashes, cars from 1973 - 2003 , ive used it everyweek on new cars and every few months on my older cars to every 6 months just to freshen things up and it never showed signs of dryness, cracks, cracking and i live in fla where the heat is pretty extreme.... so use it with faith it works....

[Drewsmith]

No build up with zaino you aplly so thinly you barely know its there. Bugs and tar whipe away dust no longer sticks.

[Jstas]

Operative sentance from your post being:


Originally posted by Drewsmith
I think it's the best and have been using it for a couple of yr's

[Drewsmith]

Jstas if i had time I would find you various test from guru magazine, and a couple others. Alot of company's are going more towards synthetic polymers meguairs new nxt for instance.

I certainly dont want this to get into any type of flame thread.

But go to BMW forums Vette Forums, Porsce forums. ClubRSX.com and many many more. Zaino is very very highly regarded.

[faster100]

Im sure it is, but also go to high end audio forms and see what gear they praise? Krell, martin logan, kimber, other higher end names as being the be all... not all but some... so personal experiance is what i rely on, and it sounds like you like it... Great!! But because a bimmer driver says its the best, means he can afford it and its popular, think he would say on the vette forum, hey i use turtle wax on my pace car corvette special edition.. lol :)

[Jstas]

Originally posted by Drewsmith
Jstas if i had time I would find you various test from guru magazine, and a couple others. Alot of company's are going more towards synthetic polymers meguairs new nxt for instance.

I certainly dont want this to get into any type of flame thread.

But go to BMW forums Vette Forums, Porsce forums. ClubRSX.com and many many more. Zaino is very very highly regarded.

I don't care. I found that listening to every jackass looney on the Intarweb will get you no where. I am my own person capable of making my own decisions. I have spoken with many people about this topic. Many say that Zaino is the best and they are nothing but a checkbook mechanic with an obtuse opinion. So alternatly, I have spoken with quite a few body/paint guys who work with automotiuve finishes for a living. ALL of them said that Zaino sure looks nice but don't ever try to repair a dent, ding or scratch with it on the paint.

So you use what you want but just because some putz put it in a ragazine or a bunch of brand nazis swear by it doesn't mean it's the best.

[Drewsmith]

NO need to get defensive man, no one is taking personal shots at you, or saying you cant think for yourself.

Many normal polishes have silicone and abrasives in them, it can go on and on, but you obviously are the expert so whatever.

I just stated facts and my opinion, never did I attack you like you just did to me.

Seems common on this board lately!!

[Steve@3dai]

Originally posted by Jstas
ALL of them said that Zaino sure looks nice but don't ever try to repair a dent, ding or scratch with it on the paint.

That's kinda interesting that they actually pointed that out. I got some PDR done on mah wagon and they didn't ask about what kind of wax I used.

Nothing is "the best" unfortunately, it just depends on your use model. Brand X is best for my application is a better way to put it ;)

[Jstas]

They never said they asked about it specifically. They just said that it's difficult to prep the repair area properly because the Zaino doesn't strip off like a normal wax. Alot of the guys I talked to also said that they saw very little difference in the ability of Zaino to protect over a caranuba based wax. They did say that it's easier to get a shine with Zaino but that doesn't necessarily make it better, just easier to use.

[AsSiMiLaTeD]

thought I'd revive this old thread...

I just recently switched to Zaino and couldn't be happier. I've tried Zymol, NXT, and bunches of other waxes and Zaino is my favorite. Here's a cool way to tell a difference - wax an area with the Zaino and another with a carnuba based wax like Zymol (also a fantastic product btw), then slip your hand into a sandwich bag and run it across each surface - you'll feel the difference...

[MattN03]

Check out www.meguiarsonline.com/forums. This is a great enthusiast website! Meguiar's 100% for my vehicles! :)

[BIZILL]

once a week. this weekend or next i'm gonna use a rotary buffer with compound and then polish and wax my black truck. hard as all hell to keep a black vehicle clean. but it forces me to keep on top of things, so it's a good thing.

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e139/bizill75/z71.jpg
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e139/bizill75/blackbowtie2.jpg

[cmy330go]

I'm a bit of a fanatic when it comes to car care. Not that I clean my car everyday, but that I am constantly trying to do all I can to not get it dirty in the first place.

When I do have to wash I almost always use Meguiar's products. I have tried many many others but always seem to come back to Meguiar's. If I have the time after washing and drying I will go around the car with the vacuum hose attached to the exhaust of my Shop Vac and blow all the water out of the seams so that I don't have to deal with any spots later after driving it. Between washes I will usually go over the car with a California car duster, and if I have to will use some Quick Detailer.

About every 6 months I make a point to clay bar, polish, and wax the car. I know many just wash and wax, but I can't stand the thought of putting wax over the impurities. When it comes to interior I use Meguiar's leather cleaner/conditioner, and a very small amount of their rubber/vinyl conditioner for the dash. I am also a huge fan of Meguiar's high endurance tire gell. I don't think I will ever go back to a spray on tire dressing.

It's been a while since my last clay bar, polish, and wax. But I'd say it's still looking good.

[bobman1235]

I'll run the Dakota through the car wash once every two weeks or so in the winter, a little less often in the summer. My dad basically restores and details cars for a living, so once a year he'll throw four hours worth of work into it (clay, buff, wax, etc).

[mantis]

When I owned a BMW it was black and I had to clean it all the time. THe black paint got dirty quickly. 2 times a week and wipe downs inbetween if I wanted to keep it perfect. I even kept it in the garage.

My wifes truck is a Nissan Xterra. It's white and it doesn't get dirty that often. We wash it about 1 a month or every few weeks when it's looking nasty. I wax it a few times a year and the paint stays nice.

I own a Nissan Pathfinder and it's silver. I can go months without washing it and it looks great. The silver paint is excellent. I love it. I only waxed it 2 times so far. I bought it last year around may or so. It's a 2005.

I use mostly Mothers and Maguires products. I also use Ardex and Pro. I used to detail for a living when I went to college and tech school. I got every good at it and I used to really like doing it. I own a buffer so I can buff out anything that goes wrong like scratches and such. We don't keep our cars all that long so I don't get to use it that much.

Dan

[schwarcw]

I never wash my 10 year old Buick Lesabre:eek: I let the rain do that for me.

[petrym]

The winter weather is still too crappy here in Nebraska to want to wash your car right now. My maroon minivan is a ghostly grey right now and the chrome wheels look like regular alloys. It's supposed to rain the next few days, so maybe after that I can get her cleaned up enough to go cruising for soccer mom babeage. ;)

[Shizelbs]

Twice a year.

[dkg999]

Every couple of weeks, or whenever it rains and the Missouri car wash is open :D

[CrBoy]

Since I bought the Jetta (black) I wash it every week or two... When I had the Metro (blue) I used to wash it every month or so... :p

[VR3]

Every two weeks. (Along with Chrome polish)

Armor All In/Out Once a week.

Tires and Wheels Once a month. (tire foam) and chrome polish...

[Zero]

Twice a year - handwashed.

Maybe a car-wash treatment a handful of times a year.. if its being good.

[TroyD]

Nice truck, Sid!

BDT

[Pablo]

Not often enough (busy sid?). For my good car I try to do it at least once a month, but I don't often get to. But I always give it a wash (turtle wax wash) and a wax (meguairs gold) before I take it on a trip. My other cars I will do by hand when it's nice out and I have nothing to do, otherwise they go to the car wash. I should be out there right now since it's over 60 today (but I have tons of other crap to do around the house).

[billbillw]

I used to be very good at washing my cars every week or two (except in the winter when it was too cold in Michigan). I've always been a proponent of hand washing. My cars have never been through the auto car washes.
I must say, after I bought my first silver car, that frequency went way down. I'm on my third silver car now in a row. It just doesn't show the dirt like the darker colors. Now I probably don't wash my car more than every two months. Just isn't a priority anymore. Too much yard work to keep up with now, not to mention the other hobbies.

[steveinaz]

Never. I'm a pig. I used to be super-anal with my vehicles, not anymore. Mother nature does all my washing.

[BIZILL]

Never. I'm a pig. I used to be super-anal with my vehicles, not anymore. Mother nature does all my washing.
how's 'bout that bike you own? actually, have you gotten on her again lately? she seemed extremely clean last i saw her.

[steveinaz]

Yeah, I still like my bike...hehe