Car Cleaning Poll

007.57

Hi, im doing a bit of research and was wondering how do people keep their car clean nowadays. I personally find cleaning my car with the powerhose is great fun on the outside, but cleaning the inside is a nightmare and if i wasnt so broke I would pay someone to valet it regularly. What do you think? any opinions? please answer my poll, thanks!

Panda General

I clean the car myself inside with a hoover and a bottle of window cleaner, does the job for me, As for the outside i go to a shop and do it myself as some useless idiots don't half clean the car sometimes:D

luckystar38

€10 for a wash in most shopping centres now - find them ok.

andyseadog

i could easily spend a day, dare i say a weekend doing it properly. a quick clean would be around 3 hours inside and out, all at home with my own hoover/ washer etc.

my interior very rarely gets dirty, i don't ever touch my windows or feel the need to wipe condensation off them and nor would i allow anyone else, i always have paper valet mats down so when they get dirty i just throw them away and put 2 more in so i also rarely need to hoover the car, all i ever need to do is wipe the dust from the dash and a quick hoover of the seats/ floor every so often just to get the dust.

as for the exterior, i think its been washed 3 times since last saturday, hasn't seen any polish in 2-3 weeks though, just a mist of detailing spray after the wash.
:pac:

biko

I just hoover the inside on the driveway occasionally and wipe it with some glass cleaner on the windows and some regular cleaning stuff on other surfaces. I never leave stuff/papers/bits/bobs/whatnot lying around in the car so it's easy to keep fairly clean.
You can get specialist products but I just go with whatever is under the sink.
Takes maybe 20 mins or so on a sunny day with the stereo on

Anan1

I pay for the occasional valet, maybe the odd wash as well.

L-M

I paid to have my car cleaned once, on the way to a wedding in Longford.

Other than that it's always a driveway job, it's always a driveway job!

colm_mcm

I'm pretty bad in comparison,

Every month
it gets ran through a carwash once a month and also gets a Hoover with shake+vac, glass clean, dash cleaned with aerosol foam stuff, polished with coloured wax to fill in any small scratches, I usually give it a good clean inside,


3 times a year
the seats come out a few times a year, I take the gear gaitor off and clean all the spots where dust gets stuck.

Once a year
Seats taken apart, material removed from seats, into washing machine and tumble drier. Carpets blown out with compressed air, boot Hoovered,

I've enough to be doing without washing my car every weekend and spending hours on a weekend cleaning out the air vents with a paintbrush. I'd sooner spend the time making its running well.

Depends on the car, when I had nice stuff I made the effort, It's a diesel avensis at the end of the day.

cantdecide

I always believe that a thorough wash, followed by a very quick going over again followed by a chamois dry works absolute wonders.

I would have said option 1 with a full professional valet about once a year. I think that technique is as important as choice of shampoos/ waxes etc.

Cookie_Monster

sometimes wash it at home with powerhose, sometimes in garage with manual wash and get it valeted every so often when deals etc come up.

But it's filthy at the moment, hasn't been washed in weeks and weeks

Einstein

andyseadog wrote: »

i could easily spend a day, dare i say a weekend doing it properly. a quick clean would be around 3 hours inside and out, all at home with my own hoover/ washer etc.

my interior very rarely gets dirty, i don't ever touch my windows or feel the need to wipe condensation off them and nor would i allow anyone else, i always have paper valet mats down so when they get dirty i just throw them away and put 2 more in so i also rarely need to hoover the car, all i ever need to do is wipe the dust from the dash and a quick hoover of the seats/ floor every so often just to get the dust.

as for the exterior, i think its been washed 3 times since last saturday, hasn't seen any polish in 2-3 weeks though, just a mist of detailing spray after the wash.
:pac:

You have valet mats, dont touch the windows, wash it three times a week and each "quick clean takes you 3 hours.." :eek:

On another note I'd love to draw a smiley face in your fogged up window :P

vectra

Einstein wrote: »

You have valet mats, dont touch the windows, wash it three times a week and each "quick clean takes you 3 hours.." :eek:

On another note I'd love to draw a smiley face in your fogged up window :P

same as myself except I do not use the valet mats.

Typical Saturday for me is start around 11AM and finish around 4PM..
at least 2 more washes during the week and a quick hoover is needed.

And that is on a 6 month old car

I am a firm believer in the saying "it is easier to keep it clean than spend ages trying to get it clean"

El Guapo!

I work in a garage so I have access to all the valeting stuff.
I usually go into work on a saturday and spend the whole day getting it like new again,-wax, buff, the whole shebang. Then I promise myself I wont let it get that dirty again. Before I know it, its 2 weeks later and the car is manky again! Start all over again!

andyseadog

vectra wrote: »

same as myself except I do not use the valet mats.

Typical Saturday for me is start around 11AM and finish around 4PM..
at least 2 more washes during the week and a quick hoover is needed.

And that is on a 6 month old car

I am a firm believer in the saying "it is easier to keep it clean than spend ages trying to get it clean"

i think is a very enjoyable way to spend a day really, and i think generally it takes so long because if you wash it, you need to dry it, if you dry it, it needs tyre shine and a buff, then that makes the interior look grubby, so you hoover that, then you do the windows... it sets off a bit of a chain reaction so to speak, you cant clean one thing and not clean everything else and if you put the valet mats in at the end it feels like you paid someone else to do it

edit : and if i annoy the missus in the car she breaths heavy on the window and draws a line through it :pac:

vectra

andyseadog wrote: »

it sets off a bit of a chain reaction so to speak, you cant clean one thing and not clean everything

Actually it is very enjoyable and relaxing.

As you said
Chain reaction
A bit like having white doors in your hallway at home and re-painting only one :P

Sleepy

I'd use the power-wash at the garage every two months or so and vacuum it twice a year or so.

ShatterProof

2year old and 4 year old = i dont clean car as it would be a loosing battle

Voodoomelon

I probably wash mine three times every two weeks on average.
Wheels get cleaned more often again, as having clean wheels makes the whole car look clean.

-Chris-

I wash mine once a week with a Karcher washer and Carbrite products (I get them free, plus they're pretty good). It takes about 20-30 mins.

I don't do much to the interior except for the odd hoover and wipe of the dashboard.

Northern Monkey

Gets washed once a week, waxed every 6-8 weeks and polished with a DA yearly or sooner if it needs it. I'm a complete freak when it comes to cleaning the car, I easily have £1,000 worth of gear and products for cleaning the car.

Stealthirl

I wash mine myself with all the proper stuff,i quite like it except for drying the car.I want 1 of those blow-dryers some of the drive thro places have

Daegerty

I have pretty much given up with this although I never did a whole lot

Yesterday was the first time in months I gave the car a small short bit of a scrub with an ould brush and water because I was bringing someone to the airport

When I got back there was more muck on the car than after I had cleaned it. Besides mud protects the paint work when pebbles would be picked up off the road and hit it, etc

If I had a power washer I'd be inclined to give it a quick blast while having it out for other jobs but I have no power washer to the car stays dirty

Marty McFly

I tend to go to topaz use the jet wash myself and hoover they have.

Then drive home wax the car, polish th alloys, blacken the tyres, clean the windows, clean car matts, and carpets, then dash boards and door panels etc, the shampoo the seats and clean the leather ( its half leather) all in al can take anywhere from four to 6 hours generally.

Tiring but i love doing i, nothing better than standing back and looking at your car gleaming, and then taking it for a drive really gives yeh a sense of pride.

andyseadog

Stealthirl wrote: »

I wash mine myself with all the proper stuff,i quite like it except for drying the car.I want 1 of those blow-dryers some of the drive thro places have

you need to get yourself one of these

http://cgi.ebay.ie/Autoglym-Hi-Tech-Car-Drying-Flexi-Water-Hydra-Blade-/370114283965

i used to hate drying the car too then i got one of these for christmas the other year, it has a totally stupid name, i was sceptical of it at first but it really is great. there are cheaper alternatives to this out there, but they are crap in comparison, the auto glym one is much softer.

you get the whole car 95% dry in literally 2 minutes, then get the remaining droplets with a microfiber.

sdanseo

I clean the inside mysel, but put the outside through the carwash once or twice a month. At a tenner, it's as cheap I reckon as buying a pile of car stuff, a proper pressure washer (mine's crap) and takes a lot less time while giving as good a finish as I need most of the time.

200motels

I clean inside and out every 2 weeks. I hate a dirty car.

vectra

andyseadog wrote: »

you need to get yourself one of these

http://cgi.ebay.ie/Autoglym-Hi-Tech-Car-Drying-Flexi-Water-Hydra-Blade-/370114283965

Good job BUT be wary of any little bits of grit that may be on the paintwork or you could drag it across it and ruin it

EPM

I clean the inside of mine at least once a week. A 3 hour daily commute ensures it gets dirty both inside and out in no time. I have given up cleaning the outside tbh.

TestTransmission

EPM wrote: »

I clean the inside of mine at least once a week. A 3 hour daily commute ensures it gets dirty both inside and out in no time. I have given up cleaning the outside tbh.

Same here,I washed,detarred,polished and waxed it there a few weeks ago.Thing is,I went in for a coffee after putting the wax on and fell asleep on the couch

Spent hours trying to get it right after.

neilthefunkeone

I clean it mine myself once a week.. maybe twice if i have time..
I have a stack of cleaning products i've picked up over the last year or so.. some great detailing site's out there to get really good quality products..

Bringing your car to the car wash or one of those parking lot washes.. BAD IDEA!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZjWkB_q2lE

W.Shakes-Beer

I'd never dare use a carwash or have anyone else wash my car. I was my car as if it is a bond between man and motor

Wash the car once a week, inside and out. Have a shelf load of cleaning gear that I tend to use.

Only had this car a month and would say it has been through many a carwash in its time and paint is a bit dull and crazed in areas. Shame really because its a beautiful colour.

Next week plan on claying, polishing and waxing it back to new using Dodo Juice products.

Should look the business!

W.Shakes-Beer

Also like to add that I seen my uncle once was his car with a bucket of soapy water and a yard brush!!

tc20

Never mind all that polish & wax malarkey, this is how you wash your car with just one bucket....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzroZ7YO36c

personally, i might wash the car 3 or 4 times a year. However, it does get a thorough going over each time. Handwash & shampoo, rinse, polish & wax. Including the glass, it takes 3-4 hours.
I recently clay barred the car for the first time a couple of weeks ago, and it was well worth the effort. this took about 6 hours all in, exterior only.
the cars a 82 Merc, i've had it for 3 years and it only ever gets handwashed.

no1beemerfan

I do everything myself. Would not let another person touch my cars. And the newest is 13 years old!

I use all car care products and clean the car once a week, mabey more during the winter. I don't eat in the car or touch the windows etc so a hoover and polish on the dash, vinyl etc. Usually take no more than 15 to 20 mins. Do the boot too.

I hose the car down paying particular attention to the wheel arches and underneath the car (one nct tester once said he could eat off the underside of my car!!) and wash the car with hot water and proper shampoo/wax stuff with a woolen mitt, (not a sponge), and dry with a drying cloth. Polish and wax the cars a few times a year.

On my 1998 Micra (black) one fella stopped me in the street last summer wanting to know who had resprayed my car as they had done a brilliant job! Goes to show that looking after a car pays.

Washed once every month or two in a local handwash, hoover inside about twice a year, dash gets the odd wipe. Used to be into the DIY handwashing and waxing but I couldn't be arsed now, don't have 3 or 4 hours a week or fortnight to devote to car cleaning, which is good imo :pac:

Might do some claybarring, polishing and waxing over the summer, probably won't though :P

Victor Meldrew

no1beemerfan wrote: »

I use all car care products and clean the car once a week, mabey more during the winter. I don't eat in the car or touch the windows etc so a hoover and polish on the dash, vinyl etc. Usually take no more than 15 to 20 mins. Do the boot too.

I hose the car down paying particular attention to the wheel arches and underneath the car (one nct tester once said he could eat off the underside of my car!!) and wash the car with hot water and proper shampoo/wax stuff with a woolen mitt, (not a sponge), and dry with a drying cloth. Polish and wax the cars a few times a year.

Not quite as attentive as you, but very, very close. Despite having two small boys, so I use a fair bit of glass polish...

muckwarrior

I like to keep my car clean, and dare I say I even enjoy doing it on a sunny day, but people who do it several times a week really need to get themselves a hobby :eek:

langdang

Stealthirl wrote: »

I want 1 of those blow-dryers some of the drive thro places have

I've heard a leaf blower will do the job!

Mr Benevolent

I've made a conscious decision not to clean the outside of my car. It deters drivers from coming near me and means cars avoid parking next to me in carparks. There are no dents or scrapes but the colour is horrible. The inside will always be kept clean, can't stand the 'crap in the footwell' concept.

Slig

With cars I generally wash them about a day before I put them up for sale. clean out the inside fairly regular though as its the part that most affects me.

Jimmy Bottlehead

I don't clean the car as often as I should... part of this is because, living in an apartment block, I can't do the wash myself... and it truly pains me to pay €10 for a car wash. The interior is usually kept pretty decent, but again, it'd be a million times easier if I was living in a house and had access to a driveway.

Roll on September!

MetzgerMeister

I do car valeting myself so I keep my own car in top condition.

It's washed, wet-waxed, hoovered, glass done once a week. Once every 3 months I give it a dry wax. Once every 6 months I polish and wax it. Once a year I clay it. I take off the tar whenever it builds up. I take off the wheels and give them a full wash, take off the tar and wax them every so often too.

The way I see it, I'm keeping the value of it up as much as possible.

no1beemerfan

Jimmy Bottlehead wrote: »

I don't clean the car as often as I should... part of this is because, living in an apartment block, I can't do the wash myself... and it truly pains me to pay €10 for a car wash. The interior is usually kept pretty decent, but again, it'd be a million times easier if I was living in a house and had access to a driveway.

Roll on September!

Moving in June/July and hoping and praying I don't have to rent an apartment. It seriously would be my worst nightmare as I love working on cars but trying to find a house in our budget or that is sensible is way harder than I thought

007.57

seems like we got a fair few car lovers out there, but maybe a bit worrying, check out this article

http://www.centralcontracts.com/news/survey-reveals-10-of-men-cherish-cars-more-than-their-partner-3385

NewApproach

Bear in mind OP that this probably isn't the best place to get results for such research, as the respondents to the poll won't be representative of the population overall.

Plug

Haven't washed her since Christmas.

vectra

Plug wrote: »

Haven't washed her since Christmas.

:eek:
Did you wash the car though??
whatever about her:P

Plug

vectra wrote: »

:eek:
Did you wash the car though??
whatever about her:P

Ah I washed her alright, the first month or two I washed it every second week, then since that its every 6 months or more. Too bloody lazy. When I get a car worth washing, well then I'll do it every week or so.

mb1725

W.Shakes-Beer wrote: »

Also like to add that I seen my uncle once was his car with a bucket of soapy water and a yard brush!!

Wire brush and Dettol Ma'am! :D http://mulledmadness.blogspot.com/2008/03/wire-brush-and-dettol.html

Where To

Every day:

Inside and outside:)