How often do you wash your car in an automatic car wash?

[duck__dodgers]

So nearly all of the automated car washes in my neck of the woods are pushing unlimited monthly wash subscriptions----ie, raising the price of an individual wash so that a monthly plan is cheaper so long as you wash your car >=3x a month.

Being that it's salt season, I signed up and wash 2x/week, but going back to the touch-free washes once the salt stops.

Would you take it? How often do you wash your car at drive-thrus?

With my old Honda that I drove to 180,000 miles, I rarely used a brushed, drive-thru was and I had rust issues in the exhaust system at year 14. My parents were religious about washing their cars (automated, brushed washes) in the winter and they didn't have any rust issues w/their Honda even with 290,000 miles.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

Never.

 

[wpod]

I haven't hand washed a vehicle other than my tractor for over 35 years. years. It is a car wash that cleans the out side of my vehicles. I wash the vehicles as needed , once or twice a month I used to do it weekly weekly using a membership plan but now I really don't care about spotless. To me a vehicle is a commodity , a tool used to get the job done.

 

[BHopkins]

I take advantage of a subscription at a automated car was chain, particularly in the winter. I'm not very scheduled on how frequently the cars get washed, but probably average once a week during the winter.

When the weather is nice enough, I'll put my subscription on hold and wash my cars at home. The automated car washes do an acceptable job. But not great. So I like to hand wash my cars when possible.

 

[Leo99]

Probably once every 3 months. The prices have gone way up. About double what they used to be.

We have a new Valet Auto Wash that seems to push the monthly membership more. They only do the exterior and their employees are very lackadaisical so I use the local full service car wash and practice my Spanish with their friendly and conscientious employees.

 

[barryh]

I never used an automated car wash in over 50 years of driving.

I've also never had a car rust from the outside and that's all a car wash cleans. To combat salt wouldn't a car wash also have to clean both the underneath and inside the wheel arches.

 

[RitcheyRch]

I never use an automated car wash. I have someone come to my house every few weeks and wash my vehicles.

 

[Spedestrian]

Only once this winter since I couldn't see out of the windows because of all the salt. It was a touchless wash so it got my car clean enough. Luckily, the car is grey so it hides dirt well compared to my black car.

 

[Zee09]

Afraid too

 

[grisby]

Never

 

[PontiacHO]

Once a month Dec thru Feb. 3 times a year unless I’m really pressed for time otherwise.

 

[stormgol]

i wash my vehicle or i get someone i trust to do it.

 

[Leo99]

I never used an automated car wash in over 50 years of driving.

I've also never had a car rust from the outside and that's all a car wash cleans. To combat salt wouldn't a car wash also have to clean both the underneath and inside the wheel arches.

They have an underbody wash option. Cleans off all the salt that accumulates under there. None of my cars have rusted.

 

[Aredeeem]

Every Monday, every Friday. Go right by the place at around 930 AM on my way home from my crossing guard job. It’s usually empty at that time. Ala carte wash is $6, I pay $24 a month for unlimited, so the last 2 weeks are on the house.

 

[BHopkins]

I never used an automated car wash in over 50 years of driving.

I've also never had a car rust from the outside and that's all a car wash cleans. To combat salt wouldn't a car wash also have to clean both the underneath and inside the wheel arches.

Every automated car wash I've ever used, does wash the underside of the car. I suspect that the wheel wells don't get cleaned near as well as they can be, when hand washing by someone who is very thorough.

But when it is freezing outside, how many of us are hand washing our cars at all? I've done it a few times, but quickly realize that it is an exercise in futility, when the soap and water is freezing on the car before you can dry it off. A heated wash bay would make it possible to hand wash in the winter, but very few of us have access to one.

 

[Bud_One]

Two to three times a week.
Wash subscriptions on two of our vehicles.

 

[wavinwayne]

Several times a month. Would probably be better to hand wash, but I've got stuff to do.

 

[I<3oil]

Been a while. I need to wash CR-V though......ton of salt and dirt on it.

 

[ecotourist]

Never. Haven't been through an automated car wash in at least 10 years.

I use the 2 pails and a hose method on the driveway.

The problem here is it rains every few days for about half the year so the roads are usually messy. So we don't wash our cars a lot during those 6 months. The good news is there is almost never salt on the roads so there's no salt to wash off anyway.

When we lived on the prairies we washed our cars during the winter at a spray it yourself place. We could wash (meaning spray, wipe and spray again) both cars in about an hour. Then, the 2 pails and a hose on the driveway method for the rest of the year.

 

[SammyChevelleTypeS3]

We have an automated drive thru car wash less than 3mi from the house. We usually pass thru the car wash at lease 3-4 , maybe 5 times a month with both cars for a flat $19 a month each. They always try to upsell at end of each year but we stick to the original plan/price when we renew. Keep both cars garaged at all times they are not on road so the paint jobs stay like new.