Is it bad to clean my car every night?


Michael Flare

Michael Flare

My Final Heaven
Joined
Mar 11, 2010
Messages
472
Is it bad to clean my car every night after I'm done driving it for the day? I look for spots and dead bugs on my car, and I use WATER & MICROFIBER TOWEL to take it off. If I do this every night, then will my car's paint fade faster or be damaged more than if I just left it alone and did nothing? This is very important and I need a really honest and detailed answer because I've been cleaning my car every night after I'm done driving it for the day for almost exactly a year ever since I got my $2000 paint job. Also, here a very big information: I get a car wash the FIRST DAY OF EVERY MONTH, and I WAX my car the FIRST DAY OF EVERY 3 MONTHS [the safest wax for cars with no cleaners that will not harm car's paint].
 
Last edited:
It will be fine. I've heard that those little bug bodies are actually quite acidic inside so getting them off the car is the best thing to do and using water will not damage the paintwork in any way, shape or form.
 
I`d say you`re way overprotective!!! If you put your car into brushes at the car wash don`t you ever do it again! The brush in time will screw your varnish making it dull and getting scratches all over it! Always use a sponge or towel, never brush at the car wash. You could do with a waxing every 3- months and good buff once a year. With that routine your paint job will look fresh for many years to come.
 
if your only cleaning the bugs etc off i would use a "quick detailer" like
meguairs offer and a microfibre cloth,this will help reduce marks that you would get with say plain water.

"lambswool" mit is the item to use when doing a proper hand shampoo wash,throw the sponges away!

good to hear someone cares for their paintwork :nice:
 
pateras_vtec said:
I`d say you`re way overprotective!!! If you put your car into brushes at the car wash don`t you ever do it again! The brush in time will screw your varnish making it dull and getting scratches all over it! Always use a sponge or towel, never brush at the car wash. You could do with a waxing every 3- months and good buff once a year. With that routine your paint job will look fresh for many years to come.
Click to expand...

LOL. Thank u so much for ur help. BTW, the car wash I go to uses a BRUSHLESS machine drive thru wash [It's all strong water with soap and coating ingredients, no worries]. LOL. Thanks though! =) BTW, I'm overprotective cuz I really love my car a lot.
 
Michael Flare said:
LOL. Thank u so much for ur help. BTW, the car wash I go to uses a BRUSHLESS machine drive thru wash [It's all strong water with soap and coating ingredients, no worries]. LOL. Thanks though! =) BTW, I'm overprotective cuz I really love my car a lot.
Click to expand...

i dont clean my car everyday but theres no way in hell id go to a drive threw car wash brushless or not. has to be full of chemicals to remove dirt. meguiers mit and wash does the job for me
 
same, wouldnt use any form of car wash on my car, i think your a bit too over protective cleaning it EVERY night. I try to do mine once a week, consisting of just wheels and shampoo wash with lambs wool mitt.

then every 6 months or so it gets a full detail incl clay, polish, sealed, waxed.

Just been out and spent 3 hours cleaning it inside and out, polished the wheels and ran some Zaino Z6 over it, looks super shiny now :)
 
totally agreed with the foam wash too. Strong chemicals that really hurt car surface.
 
I wash my car every weekend and every other i use super resin polish and extra gloss protection.. i wouldnt have thought washing it with just water etc would harm the paint. as said bugs etc are acidic and can damage paint if left on for long enough!
 
I love my car too like most people on this site try wash it as much as i can but with irish weather and parking it on sites monday to friday really beats me down :( haha. That said if I can't keep it clean outside i make sure the inside is mint. Like hover it out every second day or so. Its a sunny saturday right now and she is spotless sitting outside now :)
 
U guys keep telling me to POLISH AND DETAIL MY CAR. That wears down the car's paint and makes it fade earlier than usual. I don't care if my car is super shiny or not, I just want it's paint to last forever and not fade like how my car was before I got it painted. I NEVER want to see my car faded again.
 
I'm in the same position I payed $2000 for my Jet black Hatch.. I keep it with a car cover all week...
 
Michael Flare said:
U guys keep telling me to POLISH AND DETAIL MY CAR. That wears down the car's paint and makes it fade earlier than usual. I don't care if my car is super shiny or not, I just want it's paint to last forever and not fade like how my car was before I got it painted. I NEVER want to see my car faded again.
Click to expand...

thats the whole point of detailing... to protect the paint.
 
If anything your just going to get loads of swirls washing it every day with water. A good wash once a week,as said use a lambswool mit and a good shampoo (i like chemical guys extreme) using two buckets and dry with a good drying towel, and then a good clay and polish and a couple of coats of a good wax (collinite 476 or similar) every 3-6 months will be fine. Minimal swirls and deep shine all year.
 
Might not be bad but sure is gay!

Jestingz lol
 
Michael Flare said:
U guys keep telling me to POLISH AND DETAIL MY CAR. That wears down the car's paint and makes it fade earlier than usual. I don't care if my car is super shiny or not, I just want it's paint to last forever and not fade like how my car was before I got it painted. I NEVER want to see my car faded again.
Click to expand...

That doesn`t ware the paint. Keeping your colour in good shape makes it easier to clean because your colour doesn`t have pores letting dirt go deep and in time making it dull. If you don`t maintain your paint, it won`t last forever. Just keep it washing like you do, and don`t ever polish it. Let me know what it`s like in two years. And wax does nothing unless it`s used after a good polish. That`s my work, i know what i`m talking about.
 
As alot of people have said your doing it wrong. Your causing swirls by doing what you do everynight as there isn't any lube in water.
Car washes are bad. Don't care what you say.
Detailing the car ie proper wash, clay, polish, glaze, seal and wax will make your finish better and last longer.
Takes me just short of 2 hours to wash my car.
I foam the car with my foam lance. Leave for a couple of mins and rinse off. Foam again and wash with 2 bucket method with mitt.
I use a separate bucket and mitt for wheels. They will never be used to wash the bodywork.
As people have said clay. Clay will remove stuff from the paint and remove tar which a wash won't.
I can go on and on...
Polishing the car will make the paint last longer than some1 that doesn't polish. Fact!
Like it or not your doing it all wrong for some1 who loved his car.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top