No chore is as annoying and repetitive as washing your car. If you're lazy like us, maybe you've had the thought, "What happens if I never do this again?" while filling a bucket with soapy water. Sure, you can skip a wash now and then, but letting your car get really dirty has consequences that go beyond a dusty exterior.
A car is constantly exposed to the elements, road debris, and chemicals, all of which slowly eat away at its appearance and performance, affecting its resale value. Over time, neglecting to wash your car can turn a seemingly harmless habit into an expensive problem.
Paint damage
Dirt, pollen, grime, and other contaminants stick to your car's surface and can corrode the clear coat, your car's defense against the elements. Bird droppings, bug splatter, road salt, and tree sap are especially destructive; many are even acidic and can erode paint. UV rays make matters worse by fading the color, making it dull, and breaking down that protective layer.
Rust
Once the paint is damaged, the next layer is the base metal. Rust forms when metal meets moisture and oxygen, but contaminants like salt accelerate the process dramatically. In winter regions where salt is commonly thrown on the ground to prevent slipping or in seaside areas, the process for rust to form is dramatically accelerated.
The undercarriage, wheel wells, door sills, and the underside of the trunk and usually the first areas to corrode. Because these spots are hard to see, rust often spreads extensively before you even notice. More than just being unsightly, rust can cause structural damage, making the car unsafe.
Impaired visibility
Not only does dirt make your car look bad, it makes it hard to see out of when driving, making it unsafe. Unwashed windows and mirrors impair visibility, especially in sunlight or at night. Grime buildup on headlights reduces brightness, cutting visibility by up to 80 percent. A dirty windshield allows wipers to drag grit across the glass, leading to permanent scratches that distort your view, even if you have seasonal windshielf wiper fluid.
Inside the car
Not washing the exterior of your car has consequences affecting the car's interior, too. It allows dirt, pollutants, and moisture to enter your car every time you open your door. It can get trapped in mechanisms, making them sticky or stiff, cause seals to degrade, worsen air quality, and even cause mold to grow. It can lead to potential respiratory issues and a generally unhealthy, unpleasant cabin environment.
Resale value
The damage from not washing your car adds up: a dirty car loses resale value and often appears older than it is. Buyers tend to assume a neglected exterior means neglected maintenance overall and paint repairs, rust treatments, and headlight restoration are much more pricey than regular washes.
How often should you wash your car?
If you don't remember the last time you washed your car, it's probably been too long. If you drive daily, it's recommended you wash your car weekly, but at the very minimum, make it once a month. It may strike you as annoying extra chore, but when you consider all the long-term damage you're avoiding, getting your hands soapy doesn't seem so bad.
