How Often Should You Clean Your Car?
A car is a considerable investment, and to maintain its resale value and appearance, you need to pay attention to its upkeep. But how often should you be cleaning your car? Also, how often is too often? And, is wiping the dust off of its surface enough, or should you wash it? All these questions plague every car owner, and we’re here to help.
Below, you can find out the detailed cleaning protocol for your vehicle to ensure it looks well-maintained and doesn’t lose its pizzazz.
CLEANING YOUR CAR: HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU DO IT?
Well, it depends on the type of cleaning. Every car needs different cleaning and maintenance routines to stay in shape. The most common maintenance routine for a vehicle includes the following:
- Regular dusting and trash removal
- Washing
- Waxing
- Detailing
While all these elements come under the umbrella term of car cleaning, their frequency differs. Let’s discuss each factor in detail.
Regular dusting and trash removal
Dust is a car’s worst enemy. No matter where you live, tiny dust particles somehow make their way into your vehicle. They settle on the dashboard, carpet, and seats, making everything look dirty.
Since it is an everyday problem, it requires an everyday solution: daily dusting. You don’t have to take out the vacuum cleaner daily because a simple wet wipe or a damp cloth does the job. If you eat in your car, there will be trash. And if you don’t want your car to look or smell like a dumpster, take the trash out as soon as you step out.
Washing
As a general rule of thumb, you should wash your car once every fortnight. You can do so with a car pressure washer or traditional mug and bucket. While washing a car every two weeks is fine, this timeframe can be affected by a number of factors, such as:
- Frequency of usage
- Time of usage
- Place of usage
- Style of usage
- Washing routine
Detailing
Besides regular dusting, your car’s insides also need occasional deep cleanse. Keeping the interiors in good shape makes your vehicle look nice and improves its life span. To do that, make sure you carry out monthly auto detailing. This will help you get rid of the accumulated dirt on the floor mats, upholstery, and console.
Waxing
Preserving a car’s paint is essential to maintain its resale value. So, to protect the paint of your vehicle, you should regularly wax it. Most automobile experts recommend waxing a car every three months. But if you keep it clean overall, you may not need to wax your car more than twice a year. Newer cars also don’t need frequent waxing.
CONCLUSION
Keeping your car clean is essential. If you don’t clean it from the inside and out, its appearance will become dull over time. A poorly maintained car suffers from decaying paint, chips, scratches, and even rust, which is like car cancer. So, if you don’t want to end up with a car with a faded paint job and weathered upholstery, make sure you regularly clean, wash, wax, and detail it.