How often should you wash your car? Washing routine to keep your car looking new, always

You track your oil changes. You change your tires. Before a road trip, you have your brakes checked. But when was the last time you washed your car, really washed it, and not just because it looked embarrassing in the parking lot?

For most millennials and young adults with busy schedules and even tighter budgets, car washing is an option. It’s just about appearances, right? But it’s a lot more than that, it turns out. One of the easiest and most overlooked ways to protect one of the biggest purchases you’ll ever make is to wash it regularly.

Your car is fighting off damage every single day
Every time you drive, your car gathers a cocktail of pollutants: road salt, bird droppings, tree sap, industrial fallout and plain old dirt. They're not just ugly, sitting on your paint. They are actually eating away at the protective coating on your car.


Bird droppings are acidic enough to damage your paint in days. Road salt eats at metal and the undercarriage, especially in states that do heavy de-icing in winter. If you're anywhere near the coast, such as Miami, Boston, or LA, you've got the salt in the air working against you all the time.

Washing and polishing your car is one of the best ways to protect its finish from the damaging effects of acid rain, says the Car Care Council, the non-profit behind the “Be Car Care Aware” campaign. They suggest keeping vehicles consistently clean and not letting chemicals and grime build up, which can gradually ruin a car’s exterior over the years.

How often should you wash your vehicle?
The general rule, experts agree, is every two weeks. But that depends on where you are and how you’re driving.

If you live in a snowy state (Chicago, Minneapolis, or Denver), it’s smart to wash your car weekly or bi-weekly during the winter, especially in areas where the roads are salty or the humidity is high. Drier areas may only need once a month. The biggest danger in winter is road salt, which doesn't just sit on your paint; it gets into crevices and attacks the steel underneath.

If you park outside, drive every day or use dusty back roads, you’re better off washing more often. If your car lives in a garage and only comes out on weekends, you have a little more leeway.

Winter is actually when your car needs you most
Most people think car washing is a summer thing. It is not. Actually, winter is your car's most vulnerable season. Ice control salt is the most corrosive threat to vehicles attacking paint, chrome, aluminum, and especially undercarriage steel components.

The solution is simple: wash more often once the snow starts and pay special attention to the undercarriage. Most full-service car washes include undercarriage rinses, well worth the price in January and February.

Don't skip the wax
Waxing is not just for car enthusiasts. Wax acts like sunscreen for your car’s paint. It forms a barrier between your paint and anything that tries to destroy it. A good coat of wax on the bodywork of your car creates a barrier between the paintwork and the elements, helping to prevent flaking and further damage. It’s a good idea to aim for twice-a-year waxing, but you can’t go wrong with more often.

Quick test: splash some water on your hood. If it beads up and rolls off, your wax is working. If the water sits flat, you need another coat.

The environmental bonus of going pro
Here’s something most people don’t think about: washing your car at home sends dirty, chemical-laden water straight into storm drains and eventually local waterways, untreated. Research from the International Carwash Association shows that professional car wash facilities are built with reclaim and recycling systems that capture runoff before it can cause harm, dramatically improving their environmental profile. If you’re concerned about your environmental footprint (and many millennials are), the car wash is actually the greener option.

The bottom line
A good wash every two weeks, waxing every six months, and a basic interior clean every few months will keep your vehicle and your investment in great shape. It costs less than most people assume, takes less time than you think, and can save you thousands in paint repair and rust damage down the road.

Your car does a lot for you. The minimum you can do is give it a regular wash.