How often do you bathe your beauty | FerrariChat

How often do you bathe your beauty

Discussion in '360/430' started by fabo, Aug 2, 2014.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

  1. fabo

    fabo Formula Junior

    Dec 14, 2013
    552
    Sydney
    Full Name:
    Fabo
    How often do you wash your car?
    I wash my weekly regardless of how clean it is



    Is this normal :)


    Also am I doing more harm than good ?
     
  2. freaky1

    freaky1 Formula Junior
    Owner

    Dec 10, 2012
    434
    Sydney, Australia
    Full Name:
    Paul
    Joe, if its clean, I would not wash it just for the sake of washing it.

    Everytime you put a sponge, wash mitt, chamois on the paintwork you are potentially exposing it to scratches no matter how careful you are.

    I only wash when required, I keep the car covered with its car cover in the garage so it does not collect dust.
     
  3. Formula1r

    Formula1r Formula Junior

    Feb 7, 2007
    458
    Los Angeles, CA
    Full Name:
    Ross
    Twice a month is the norm for 360BLUR. Garage parking helps...
     
  4. stevecomp

    stevecomp Formula Junior

    Mar 1, 2013
    743
    South Australia
    Full Name:
    Steve
    Only if they get dirty and always take it for blast after that to get rid of the water.
     
  5. Cyt

    Cyt F1 Rookie

    Feb 1, 2014
    3,299
    Sydney
    Full Name:
    Cyt- Chin
    Wash Just before a cruise/ ran... So your mates/ others can see how nice the car is and a chance for it to dry.
    Although I find driving with wet rim/ brake tends to cause brake dust mix with water dripping on the inner rim which is hard to wash off
     
  6. Mozella

    Mozella Formula Junior

    Mar 24, 2013
    905
    Piemonte, Italia
    No, it's not normal. Seek professional help.

    Wash it when it's dirty. It's bound to get some dust whenever you drive it, but that's not the same as being dirty. If you're just going to the grocery store (which I do all the time), a little bit of dust is OK. If you're going to an event, then washing and waxing is nice.

    As for car covers, I only use my full cover when the car is perfectly clean and it's going to be stored for a while. If I drive it, even on clean dry roads, it picks up dust, particularly from the door handles down. So, I had my wife cut an old soft king size sheet in half, and sew it together end-to-end. When the car is not perfectly clean, I use one of those synthetic dust wands to lightly dust off the upper surfaces and then put this home-made cover on. It covers the car from front to back and hangs down just over the side mirrors, keeping additional dust off the top. The advantage is that the car is mostly covered but I don't risk scratching the lower parts by using the full cover. Plus I don't risk contaminating the lower edges of full cover with road grime.

    It works great and I find that if it isn't raining, I can make quite a few trips and/or spirited drives here and there without washing; yet to the "non-Concours d'Elegance" eye, the car looks clean. Usually brake dust on the wheels or a drive in the rain is what triggers a wash job for me.
     
  7. fabo

    fabo Formula Junior

    Dec 14, 2013
    552
    Sydney
    Full Name:
    Fabo
    Now I realise why my wife looks as me weird when I wash a perfectly clean car:)
    I also use a leaf blower to get all the water out before I chamois it

    If it's any bonus I enjoy washing it
    It's like admiring a beautiful woman

    Maybe I do need help lol
     
  8. Cyt

    Cyt F1 Rookie

    Feb 1, 2014
    3,299
    Sydney
    Full Name:
    Cyt- Chin
    I fully understand ... What I do when the car is clean yet you feel the need to outpour your 'love' is to clean under the car and all the bits under the wheel arch. They are always in need of a clean..
     
  9. SLViper1

    SLViper1 Formula Junior
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Mar 25, 2014
    742
    Nashville/Destin
    Full Name:
    Steve
    Simple rule: "Drive it when its clean, wash it when its Dirty"
     
  10. scudF1

    scudF1 F1 Rookie
    Silver Subscribed

    Jan 21, 2012
    2,864
    Long Island, NY
    Full Name:
    Billy
    I wash my scud whenever gets really dirty. The rest of the times I blow the dust away with a blower.
     
  11. singletrack

    singletrack F1 Veteran

    Mar 16, 2011
    5,767
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Every 2-3 weeks depending on luck with weather.

    Use a great shampoo like Meg's Shampoo Plus.
    Use a great wash mitt like the Dodo Supernatural.
    Use a great deep waffle weave MF towel to dry or a system like CR Spotless which requires no drying.

    ...if you clean the car like that you will dramatically reduce (or eliminate if the paint is hard enough) the amount of scratches you are putting into the clear.

    Good luck!
     
  12. Kevin Rev'n

    Kevin Rev'n Two Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Nov 29, 2009
    22,965
    Honolulu
    Full Name:
    Kevin
    I don't really wash my car, unless I drive through mud and then I only wash the sides and wheel areas. This has happened once when the roads were really dirty. I do wash the wheels with soap and water to get the insides brake-dust free. I use detail sprays and dusters, wax often to keep mine looking up to snuff.
     
  13. RCorsa

    RCorsa Formula 3
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Apr 5, 2014
    2,040
    West Coast

    Agree. You need help. OCD is a real thing. I wash once a month maybe and I drive every week. After washing I also use the leaf blower to get the water out behind grills etc. Funny thing is a didn't even wash for a month before the last Concours and I still won first place! Ha.
     
  14. SCKOMS

    SCKOMS F1 Rookie
    Silver Subscribed

    Oct 21, 2011
    3,843
    Lake County, IL
    Full Name:
    Spiro
    Chamois?!? Noooooo!!! Use a good quality waffle weave microfiber that is dedicated for the exterior paint only. Even then, blot as much as possible rather than wiping.
     
  15. rmani

    rmani F1 Veteran
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Nov 1, 2003
    7,301
    NJ
    Full Name:
    RMani
    full detail once a year. stays pretty clean since it's garaged and is only driven two to three thousand miles a year.
     
  16. jpk

    jpk Formula Junior

    You are doing more harm than any good washing this much and using amateur technique. You are just guaranteeing a paint correction will be required in the near future.

    I used to wash my cars regularly until I learned that car washing is the main cause of dull, swirled finishes. Unless there is bird dropping or something like that which must be removed to protect the paint from etching, leave it alone until it really is visibly dirty and in need of a wash. For the cars I have now, I maintain a glossy smooth, corrected finish by very sparingly washing it and using as gentle of a wash and dry as I can. I have synthetic sealant applied instead of carnuba wax for the same reason, requires much less frequent application which means fewer opportunities to create swirls.

    If you want to be OCD about the car, then be OCD about your wash technique. There are plenty of methods to learn about on detailing forums.
     
  17. PbPedis

    PbPedis Formula Junior

    May 6, 2007
    710
    Ontario, Canada
    Full Name:
    Dennis
    I have not even washed it once this year! (No joke)
     
  18. fabo

    fabo Formula Junior

    Dec 14, 2013
    552
    Sydney
    Full Name:
    Fabo
    Wow now I think I'm starting to suffer from depression because I can't wash her as much :)
     
  19. jpk

    jpk Formula Junior

    If you are looking for something to do with the car while not driving it, you can either just go drive it instead or just get that time back and use it on a more useful chore.

    You probably had been convinced you were doing the best you could to maintain the car and keep it looking great. Just have to realize you were fooling yourself and expending unnecessary energy. The car is much better off just left in the garage when you aren't driving it. Keep the washing days for when it's actually dirty from a lot of driving.
     
  20. mikeyr

    mikeyr Formula 3

    Jun 17, 2004
    2,154
    Santa Barbara, CA.
    Full Name:
    Mike Rambour
    I have owned my 360 2 1/2 years now, washed it 3 times...a few dozen times if you count driving in the rain as good as a wash. Polishes up real nice when I wash it.
     
  21. fabo

    fabo Formula Junior

    Dec 14, 2013
    552
    Sydney
    Full Name:
    Fabo
    Thanks for your advice
    So true
     
  22. redduke

    redduke Karting

    Apr 19, 2011
    146
    Silverstone - UK
    Full Name:
    Tim
    Not wishing to turn this into a detailing thread but I'd add:

    Pressure washing with snow foam

    as an initial step to that list. If you eliminate most of the grit before you touch the car there's less chance of marring the paint. I haven't had to correct or polish the paint in 4 years using this regimen :)
     
  23. singletrack

    singletrack F1 Veteran

    Mar 16, 2011
    5,767
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Great additional step also - I agree! I may be adding one to the arsenal soon myself : )

    What pressure do you use? Too high is dangerous right? I have really high water pressure from the tap which is nice.
     
  24. dlopez001

    dlopez001 Formula Junior

    Sep 25, 2007
    908
    CA
    Full Name:
    DL
    First a couple of caveats...
    1) I'm fortunate to have owned two 'forgiving' colors -- Grigio Silverstone and Giallo Modena
    2) I had my cars detailed, paint corrected and coating applied as soon as I took possession; I get a follow up detail annually
    3) Entire front and key areas have Xpel film
    4) I don't drive in the rain, and almost never on wet roads
    5) I live in Southern California where they are now really clamping down on water waste!

    One of my pet peeves is dirty windows. Therefore, I clean all exterior glass before each major drive. I also keep my interior vacuumed. Heck when I drive these are the parts I see!

    1x per month and/or before an event, I either clean with Optimum No Rinse and the '2 bucket' method or use Eco Touch Waterless car wash directly from a spray bottle and microfiber cloths. ONR when the car is more dirty, and only consumes 4 gal of water which when done, I use to water plants. Eco Touch consumes 20 oz. of water for the whole car (it's a concentrate to which I add distilled water)!

    These methods keep my car beautiful year round and whenever I drive.

    Cheers,

    DL
     
  25. I'm gone

    I'm gone Formula Junior

    Feb 5, 2006
    618
    Phoenix,az
    Full Name:
    Brian
    Last time I washed mine was in March, it's probably due for another one.
     

Share This Page