Not washed my car in a month...

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mrq0604

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I haven't washed my car since May 27. The car was exposed to rain (for the first time in years) two days later, and the car was only driven several times since then....

Is there a damage that could be caused by not washing the car for a month? I've been meaning to detail the car, but couldn't get around to doing it due to many reasons.
 
Maybe the only “damage” I can think of could be water spots if they became etched in. You’ll know when you wash next.

Wash carefully when you do if there’s a decent amount of dust/dirt buildup... but I wouldn’t be too worried about not washing in a month.
 
Not much to worry about if it’s “only
been touched” by the elements, IMO.


Bob
 
Guess it depends on what type of contaminants are on your paint and if your car is exposed to the weather. Bug guts, bird poop, road grime, water spots, etc can all damage paint especially if they bake in the sun. But if it's not that dirty, it might be fine.
 
I think your car will be fine. If cars were damaged from not being washed for a month or more, half the vehicles we detail would be damaged and that's not the case. We did an interior detail/exterior wash on a 2 year old Hyundai yesterday. She said it had NEVER been cleaned inside (true) and the last time it was washed was "around Christmas" (which also seemed true). The vehicle cleaned up good as new. It's not a maintenance plan I would recommend, but the vehicle didn't appear to be much worse for the wear.
 
showbbq said:
Guess it depends on what type of contaminants are on your paint and if your car is exposed to the weather. Bug guts, bird poop, road grime, water spots, etc can all damage paint especially if they bake in the sun. But if it's not that dirty, it might be fine.
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I was thinking the same thing. If you have a quality LSP on the car, the worst threat is bird droppings and bug guts.

In the winter, my cars may go six weeks to two months between washes due to weather conditions. All times of the year my work travel has lead to my car being parked at an airport to suffer the industrial fall-out for a couple weeks at a time followed by a week or two of neglect until I have time to wash. In every instance, there was no harm and I simply gave the vehicle a good wash.

Many people hear talk about giving their vehicles a good wash on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. That's great if you can manage it, but there are times when life simply won't permit a good wash to happen. The key to keeping your vehicle looking good is ensuring it always ensure the LSP is holding up and spot clean bird droppings or bugs as needed. Don't let those sit for very long.
 
Don't feel bad....

I don't think I've washed either of our two cars since April. We've had a ton of rain and we've also been in the middle of moving.

I've also been travelling.


My preference is to wash once a week, maybe every other week, but sometimes circumstances are out of our control. For the record, the wife has taken both cars to the coin-op car wash and blasted them clean.


Mix up some soapy car wash water, get your best wash mitt and have at it when the circumstances allow.


:)
 
showbbq said:
Guess it depends on what type of contaminants are on your paint and if your car is exposed to the weather. Bug guts, bird poop, road grime, water spots, etc can all damage paint especially if they bake in the sun. But if it's not that dirty, it might be fine.
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No bird droppings, bugs, etc. Not sure about road grime though. Car was always parked inside, but the car was driven on sunny hot days... Have never polished my car before, and I guess it's time
 
Once November/December hits, it's quite possible they won't get washed for months. Sometimes it's best to just let 'em accumulate the grime. All is well come Spring.
 
Years ago I would wash my vehicles every Friday evening so that I’d cruise in a clean ride all weekend. Time no longer allows for that. My daily gets hand washed about every 2 months, but I maintain it by spraying it off at the coin wash every 7-10 days and doing a 60mph cruise until it’s dry. Collinite 845 makes the water fly off of the truck. I get compliments on it fairly often. The paint is always slick and free of water spots after the rare hand wash.
 
BudgetPlan1 said:
Once November/December hits, it's quite possible they won't get washed for months. Sometimes it's best to just let 'em accumulate the grime. All is well come Spring.
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Exactly. It sucks, but it's true.
 
Desertnate said:
In the winter, my cars may go six weeks to two months between washes due to weather conditions.
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Mike Phillips said:
I don't think I've washed either of our two cars since April. We've had a ton of rain [...]
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BudgetPlan1 said:
Once November/December hits, it's quite possible they won't get washed for months. Sometimes it's best to just let 'em accumulate the grime. All is well come Spring.
Click to expand...

Yup.

More or less the same for me during the winter in Chicago. When it gets up above 40 degrees in the garage, I might do a rinseless wash if the car is absolutely disgusting. It's rained quite a bit in Chicago lately as well, so I haven't been washing much. After I come in from the rain, I like to blow it dry. But, winter and early spring -- forget about it.

Summer: try once per week or q2w.
 
Here's my take on washing frequency.

I like to wash my car once a week. That seems to not only work on my schedule but I accrue about a weeks worth of crap on my paint. The longer you wait between wash intervals the more crap settles on your paint. I believe more crap on your paint translates into quicker LSP degradation. Washing a months worth versus a weeks worth means you are potentially rubbing grit around and "wetsanding" the paint. The important thing is to use a quality wash soap during those once a week baths.

I use my windshield to gauge the road dirt accumulation...i.e.whatever is on the windshield is also on my paint.

As far as damage to the paint in between washes, I do NOT let water spots or bird bombs sit on my paint as some of the others have mentioned. They seem to want to continue to etch or harden until removed.

Having said that (for a daily driver), I wouldn't worry too much about what you described, mrq0604. That doesn't sound like you've really built up too much from its use.
 
Bird bombs are a different story. Those get taken care of ASAP.
 
I feel for ya! My ride is a Black color and after a month.....eeeewwwwww!!...LOL That is when we get the 2-Buccket 2 Grit guard wash!
 
The major issue with letting the car get covered in dirt is that if you rub anything on it while it is dirty, you are almost certain to cause micro scratches in the paint. Other have mentioned bird droppings and water etching, that can also be a problem especially on a dark colored car. Other than that, I would not worry too much about it. If some kid decide to write "Wash me" in the dirt, then you might have an issue ;)
 
Welp. Dropped all the clays... Was going to take my car out for a ride with the top down this weekend, but too bad.
 
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