Am I abnormal? How long to wash and polish your car?

Am I abnormal? How long to wash and polish your car?

Author
Discussion

_Hoppers

1,175 posts

64 months

Tuesday 8th June 2021
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JakeT

5,406 posts

119 months

Tuesday 8th June 2021
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pablo said:
It says a lot that people list things like pre-wash, foam, clay bar etc etc but only one has mentioned a fluid check and no one uses the time to get underneath to look for damage, component play, fluid leaks etc... I’m assuming these are mostly modern cars that make home servicing a bit harder?
I said I did though confused

It’s serviced every year/10,000 miles, and given a good look over twice a year when the wheels are swapped.

Antony Moxey

8,014 posts

218 months

Tuesday 8th June 2021
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JakeT said:
pablo said:
It says a lot that people list things like pre-wash, foam, clay bar etc etc but only one has mentioned a fluid check and no one uses the time to get underneath to look for damage, component play, fluid leaks etc... I’m assuming these are mostly modern cars that make home servicing a bit harder?
I said I did though confused

It’s serviced every year/10,000 miles, and given a good look over twice a year when the wheels are swapped.
And somewhere on a thread about servicing a car and giving it regular checks of all the major components, some bell is whining on about people not keeping them clean as well.

Shanksy87

370 posts

121 months

Wednesday 9th June 2021
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It takes me 3 hours to get round a car these days.

It's made easier by having ceramic coated most of my cars which at this time of year could just have a rinse and come out looking nearly perfect in all honesty, it's more the ritual of giving it a through clean that I enjoy.

I would add polishing and waxing a car after each wash shouldn't be necessary. I do a 20+ hour machine polish every 2 years, followed by a ceramic coat to protect, then up top after each wash with a spray sealant to act as a gloss enhancer/sacrificial layer. This takes about 15 minutes.

JmatthewB

912 posts

121 months

Wednesday 9th June 2021
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I'd say it usually take me 90 minutes or so, but that doesn't include the interior. My usual process is jet wash and hand wash the wheels and then snow foam the body, rinse, two bucket hand wash, clean glass, rinse, spray on wax, rinse, spray on quick detailer and towel dry, microfiber cloth drying door jambs etc. and finish with tyre dressing.

If I skip the dedicated wheel wash I can probably get it all done in under an hour. But I think the most time consuming aspect is filling up buckets and setting up the power washer.

Do people actually polish every time they wash? If you're doing a proper paint correction with a DA polisher then surely once every 6 months is enough?

JakeT

5,406 posts

119 months

Wednesday 9th June 2021
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JmatthewB said:
Do people actually polish every time they wash? If you're doing a proper paint correction with a DA polisher then surely once every 6 months is enough?
I do not. Once a year I hand polish the paint and add a hard wax. If the paint is marked then it needs polishing. It’s the same with claying the paint too. It should only be done when necessary.

sean ie3

1,956 posts

135 months

Wednesday 9th June 2021
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I live on a farm so I don't bother to often, when I do get stuck in it can take half a day, the next big clean is a seats out job and shampoo the carpet and maybe a aircon bomb, I haven't used one before so should be interesting.

Tommie38

758 posts

193 months

Saturday 12th June 2021
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SWoll said:
pablo said:
It says a lot that people list things like pre-wash, foam, clay bar etc etc but only one has mentioned a fluid check and no one uses the time to get underneath to look for damage, component play, fluid leaks etc... I’m assuming these are mostly modern cars that make home servicing a bit harder?
Thread is about cleaning?
biglaugh

SeeFive

8,280 posts

232 months

Sunday 13th June 2021
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I did my freelander today, first time for about 3 months. APC bug ridden front and grimey lower sides, wheels, arches and mirrors. Shampoo and quick ceramic spray to dry. Took about 90 minutes but it was disgusting and its a big old unit needing ladders.

Wife's car is a bit different. Washed every week, bilberry for wheels and barrels, snow foam, ceramic shampoo, ceramic drying spray and about every month dress the tyres. Takes about 45 minutes but it is so easy as that ceramic LSP means that most of the crap comes off with the snow foam. Here is today's result.

Edited by SeeFive on Sunday 13th June 23:23