Rear Numberplate - do you clean or keep dirty?

[jwo]

My wife cleaned my rear number plate last night.... Said she didn't want me getting fined... I was quite happy with the no number plate look! (Glass and lights spotless I hasten to add! - cloth wouldn't stretch to number plate officer!)

[g3org3y]

billzeebub said:

However dirty the car, I always make a point of cleaning windscreen, lights and NumberPlate (in that order of priority)

[chris1roll]

My numberplate is going from clean to totally unreadable even in daylight in the period of a week at the moment. (big miles on little roads in a hatchback).
I've got to clean the front headlights every day or so.
I used to not bother cleaning the rear plate, but then I decided why give them reason to pull me needlessly? In 14 years of driving, doing 38k/yr for the past 5 or so, I've never had a speeding fine, and only been stopped twice.

[saaby93]

Graham said:

indeed i love the irony there, you've cleaned the plate so plod can id you, but not bothered to clean the lights which could stop someone running into the back of you...

or do you mean so he can be id'd for having obscured lights

[Sensibleboy]

A number plate is reflective just like reflectors so it actually works as a safety item too. So keep it clean. It also reflects light from the number plate lights therefore making the car more visible.

[shovelheadrob]

I have a routine in the morning, start van, hit the quick clear screen button, while that is warming up walk around & clean all windows, lights & mirrors, obviously checking the lights as I go round, give the rear plate a wipe if it looks bad, then jump on to a nice warm seat, quick tap on the brake pedal to make sure the brake lights are working, then off we go. Even then by the time I get to work the rear can be as dirty as cheap hooker.

[MrBig]

If it gets to that stage I give the lights and plates a wipe over. I don't want to give the BiB any more reason to pull me over.

[Spare tyre]

I keep a little sponge in the towing eye

Used to do use it on the jimny when leaving a green lane, now do it on my road car, very handy

[Toaster Pilot]

MrBig said:

If it gets to that stage I give the lights and plates a wipe over. I don't want to give the BiB any more reason to pull me over.

Exactly how I see it, which is the reason a non working bulb would be changed very quickly too.