[wtwo3]

Originally Posted by ntg44

Including equipment set up and clean up, it takes me 75-90 minutes on the R8, and 90-120 min on the STI. But I am super anal about water spots so I'm cleaning every crevice and door jam. I'm definitely moving quickly. Half the time I'm soaked from my own sweat afterwards, so it's not an issue of speed. But for the life of me, I can't figure out how people pull it off in 45 min. Leaf blower? LMAO. I'd be out there all day. What do they have, a commercial turbine?

I used to wash every 1-2 weeks, then kids happened. Now, the R8 gets about 4-5 washes per year, and the STI about 6-8. I just don't have time for it anymore. The R8 is garaged, so I can get away with a quick detailer/microfiber cloth wipedown once in a while.

I enjoy the time to myself and sense of accomplishment afterwards, but now that I have competing priorities, I'm starting to lean more towards chore than hobby. One of these days I'll build a garage with an interior wash bay so I can wash whenever the hell I want, rain or shine, day or night. Then I think I'll start getting back into it. Right now it's hard for me to justify a wash when I can't get more than 3 days of no rain in the forecast.

Yeah totally get the kids sucking time (life) away. Albeit I didn't really enjoy washing it before kids, but given more time to myself I think I'd be more open to it. I can see it being a thing I do in retirement. Get myself a soap cannon, and carve out a good couple hours on an afternoon prior to a good stretch of weather. Ugh I can't wait till I retire...

[spazzyfry123]

Wife's truck gets it once a week, maybe every two weeks, through the automated deal on a monthly unlimited plan. Probably has lots of micro scratches, but I've come to the point where we plan to hang on to it forever and it's just part of its journey.

Company car gets one once a month. I put enough miles on it and for some reason I seem to always find the parking spot under a tree that dumps junk on it.

Fun vehicles never seem to get washed. I guess because they never see any miles. Who has time for fun?

[br438]

I am once a week-ish. Sometimes 10 days, rarely 2 weeks.

It takes me forever, and it has to be shady - so mid-day washes are out. Wheels first - and that is not quick. Then undercarriage rinse, then "gentle" powerwash rinse, then foam, then wash-mit (2 bucket), then low pressure rinse, then high pressure rinse, then blow dry, then towel dry, then 10+ minutes on door sills and the like. ... then spend 30+minutes looking for and taking care of drips.

so... this first winter will be interesting to see if it ever gets cleaned. hahahaha...

[Mosaud1998]

Originally Posted by floridaorange

Great time of year to go ahead and chemically(Ironx) & manually (clay bar) decontaminate your car, then wash, wax. I just did my wifes white volvo xc90 and was amazed at how much iron fallout was on her car.

I did mines in September. Not clay bar but since the cars coated but I iron decon the paint and then applied mothers CMX on top.

[Mosaud1998]

Originally Posted by wtwo3

Yeah totally get the kids sucking time (life) away. Albeit I didn't really enjoy washing it before kids, but given more time to myself I think I'd be more open to it. I can see it being a thing I do in retirement. Get myself a soap cannon, and carve out a good couple hours on an afternoon prior to a good stretch of weather. Ugh I can't wait till I retire...

I'm 24 and I want to retire already

[Rokoz]

I hate when neighbors joke about you washing theirs next haha

[Mosaud1998]

Originally Posted by Rokoz

I hate when neighbors joke about you washing theirs next haha

Trust me. When I used to detail the E90, my neighbor a few blocks down would walk up to my car and be like. "man I wish my car looked that clean. When can you do mines". I almost slapped him

[Kowalski2011]

After every afternoon sprint when the bugs are bad, that can be day after day if needed. I always clean, detail and coat this helps to get the crap off. Come winter the car stays home, so it gets a break on washing, but then there is the truck and winter salt and crap - I use the touch-less automatic to get the under side at least weekly.

[Germanauto]

Originally Posted by wtwo3

Somehow I've never gotten pleasure from washing my own car. I know many people love doing it... to me it's just a chore. I don't mind rinsing it with the hose... that's fine. It's the scrubbing that just kills me. Getting down and cleaning the wheels... then hand drying ooof it's torture.

Am I doing something wrong? I love cars but I just hate washing them myself. I'd rather spend that time relaxing.

How long does it take some of you to hand wash your car? If it was like a 20 minute thing I could tolerate that but whenever I have done it myself I end up getting OCD and spend over an hour out there.

I feel similarly. It's somewhat enjoyable but not something I'm gonna dedicated a lot of time to. I try to get the body done in 10 mins and spend max 5 mins on all four wheels. Screw going deep inside the spokes Loll.

[hubbahubba]

At least once per week I run it through a Laser wash. About once every 5-6 weeks I will do a solid detail in the driveway at home. FWIW, one of these is mighty helpful for old knees that don't like getting up and down a bunch.
https://www.harborfreight.com/mechan...seat-3338.html

[3.0L]

Originally Posted by Rokoz

I hate when neighbors joke about you washing theirs next haha

When they do that, I tell them that my elbows suddenly started hurting.

[UncleWede]

Used to be I cleaned the wife's E90 and my GMC Sonoma every weekend. Then wife got a Toyota Highlander and it doesn't get along with me very well. The clear coat is now almost completely peeled off the hood of the GMC, so I sometimes wash the Bug.

I could wash, blow-dry, and last step with Z-6, clean windows, and dress tires with 303 in about 1 hour, either vehicle. The Bug is single stage, so it doesn't fair as well with that final Z-6, but I still do it every other time.

I did a lot of paint correction in former years. It was my regular gift to family, a certificate for their annual polish. It's been months since I used the Flex though.

I still enjoy a single car in a day.

[Tommy-G]

I have the kid at work do it at least once a week. I used to do it myself 1-2 times....now I park in the garage at home and under a car port at work so he may do the wheels twice and the body just once.....

[dizz81]

With hawaii weather the way it is. I get it cleaned once or twice a month depending on how hard it rains or how much red mud is on the paint from the roads. lol

[3.0L]

My cars always run better when they are clean.

[infinitekidM2C]

Originally Posted by 3.0L

My cars always run better when they are clean.

Mine too; it's quicker. It hates being dirty and holds some hp back ffs

[floridaorange]

I love washing the car IF there is full shade and IF the weather is nice and cool without humidity. Sort of like mowing the lawn, it's finding pleasure in the stupid mundane rigmarole I guess.

[Esteban]

Originally Posted by Tommy-G

I have the kid at work do it at least once a week. I used to do it myself 1-2 times....now I park in the garage at home and under a car port at work so he may do the wheels twice and the body just once.....

Great color combination, Tommy.

[Turkish Pickle]

I used to do it at least once a week, but over time I stopped caring about my car. Quite sad for someone who loves cars, yes, but it's the reality. Nowadays I just wash it once a month, if that lol

[e61it]

Washing car in the driveway puts lots of unwanted things into your local drainage system. So I use a local car wash occasionally.

[Mosaud1998]

Originally Posted by e61it

Washing car in the driveway puts lots of unwanted things into your local drainage system. So I use a local car wash occasionally.

Soap is harmful to the environment?

[e61it]

If the water winds up in a storm drain then yes. Here's a link that may help;

http://bothellwa.gov/1390/Car-washing