To wash or not to wash (your car): That is the question. The condition of your car should dictate when you wash it and how intense the washing session is going to be.
The condition of the weather is also a factor. For instance, if it's persistently rainy then it's a waste of time to have your car cleaned at the carwash.
It's going to get wet and dirty as soon as you go out of the carwash or as soon as you're done washing your car in a DIY-manner. The default shouldn't be washing your car equals good automatically because there is such a thing as excessive washing.
How Different Motorists Approach Washing Their Cars
- On an "As Needed" Basis: More often than not, motorists clean up their cars only when it's needed or in dire need of a carwash. If a car can be cleaned by a light dusting then they'd rather do that instead of getting it all wet with their garden hose. Other car owners end up rarely washing their car except during the wet season. There are also those who wash their car almost everyday once it's dry season to keep the dust from bonding with the paint.
- You Can Clean Your Car Every Day with a Caveat: Car owners are discouraged from washing their car everyday in light of how many minerals there are in tap water. The more you use your tap to wash your car, the more minerals will end up on your finish, leading to its ruin. Thankfully, there are car care technological advances available to you that allow you to clean, shine, and protect your paint from wear-and-tear without using tap water.
- Economical and Practical Car Care: You want to limit your use of tap water as well for the sake of conserving water. The aforementioned water-free carwash products are usually spray-on brands that allow you to wipe dirt off of your car without the need for rinsing or soap application. Even if you're washing your car with conventional methods, you can still learn to be economical by maximizing your use of different car wash products.
- Should Dried Cars Be Waxed? Back before the Eighties, a washed car typically required the finishing touch of being waxed. Nowadays, only the most meticulous of car owners bother with the tradition thanks to the development of clearcoat paints that give off the impression of a fine polish through normal washing. Then again, it's not a crime to apply wax on a clean, dry car with clearcoat for double the protection.