Photo: silversponge.com.au

There is no general rule for how regularly you should wash your car. If you drive a lot, especially off-road or in muddy conditions, or park your car outdoors, you need to clean your car often. Someone who drives rarely and keeps their car in a garage can wash less frequently.

It's best to pay attention to how your car looks. That will also be affected by the weather and the season. If you park under trees or power lines, you will probably also have trouble with bird droppings. Always wipe them off immediately. Bird droppings contain acids which will seriously damage your paintwork.

There are 3 options for car cleaning:
• Do it yourself at home.
• Pay someone else to do it for you.
• Take your car to a car wash.

Do it yourself
At home you can take time and care, without rushing. You will also know the quality of your sponges, cloths and brushes. Use proper car wash soap, not laundry or dishwashing detergent. These products can damage your paintwork. Always wash your car in a shady area. Direct sunlight can leave ‘burn’ spots and marks.

Professional cleaning
Find one with a good reputation and facilities. A car spa is one of the safer options, though expensive.
There is a danger that on busy days the car spa workers might use a dirty cloth on your car, to save time. That can leave marks or even scratch your paint.

Automatic car wash
Look for a drive-through car wash that offers a ‘brushless’ or ‘touch-less’ service. Automatic cleaning brushes can damage your paint, just like dirty cloths. Touch-less car washes use high-pressure water jets and proper cleaning products to wash your car.

This advice comes from Tim Marsh, at newcarsplus.com.au. If you have any good tips, please let us know and we can share them with our readers.

Span Hanna