Perfect Your Detailing Schedule

How often should you wash your car? Well, buckle up because there is no wrong or right answer to this question. However, we've curated our best frequency tips we've spent years developing in this handy blog.

1. Initial Protection

First things first; your detailing schedule will be dependent on whether your vehicle is ceramic coated or not. Ideally, when you take ownership of a vehicle, it is advisable to treat as much of the surface as your budget will allow to help protect and maintain the shine for the longest amount of time.

Coatings don't have to be time-consuming! Some of the best protection can be applied quickly and easily whilst still being effective. A coated vehicle makes all the difference in your detailing schedule with a simple maintenance wash, especially using Koch-Chemie Ceramic Effect Shampoo or Reactivation Shampoo, bringing back the shine and gloss depth and saving valuable time.

Professional Paint Protection: Koch-Chemie Ceramic Allround Kit C0.02, Gtechniq Crystal Serum Light & Exo V5, CARPRO DQUARTZ Go Nano Coating

Easy Spray Paint Protection: Koch-Chemie Spray Sealant S0.02, Gtechniq C2 Ceramic Sealant, SONAX XTREME Ceramic Spray Coating

Glass Protection: CARPRO DQUARTZ GForce Glass Coating Kit, Gtechniq G1 Clear Vision Smart Glass, Soft 99 Glaco Glass Kit

Wheel Protection: Koch-Chemie Ceramic Rims Coating CR0.01, Gtechniq Wheel Coating Kit, SONAX XTREME Protective Wheel Rim Sealant

Rubber & Plastic Protection: CARPRO CQUARTZ DLUX, Gtechniq C4 Permanent Trim Restorer, CARPRO CQUARTZ DLight

Fabric Protection: Koch-Chemie Allround Textile Sealant, CARPRO CQUARTZ Fabric Coat 2.0, Gtechniq I1 Smart Fabric AB V3

Leather Protection: Koch-Chemie Colourlock ALS Allround Leather Sealant, CARPRO CQUARTZ Leather 2.0, Gtechniq L1 Leather Guard Anti Bacterial

2. Things to Avoid

Harsh cleaning chemicals, a poor wash process, automatic car washes, road salt, UV rays, and bird lime (poo) will ultimately affect the look of your paintwork. Avoiding these things will allow you to space out your maintenance wash, stretching out the weeks between cleaning.

If you notice tree sap or bird poop on your paintwork, remove these immediately to minimise damage.

For bird poop: Koch-Chemie Fse (for recent staining), Koch-Chemie Insect & Dirt Remover, Poorboy's Bird Sh#t Remover,

For tree sap: Koch-Chemie Eulex (Eulex M for matte vehicles), SONAX Tree Sap Remover

3. Weather Dependence

Weather conditions play a big part in how often you need to wash your car. The best answer to how often you should wash your car can be answered with a follow up question of “when does your car look so bad that you know you have to clean it?” 

In spring and summer, your biggest battles will be against bug splatter and UV rays. Protect your vehicle from UV rays and make sure you keep an insect remover in your detailing kit for when you need it.

See: CARPRO Bug Out Insect Cleaner, Gtechniq W8 Bug Remover, SONAX Insect Star

In autumn and winter you will find yourself fighting against heavier contaminants. Rain causes wet and muddy roads leading to splashes and splatter, road salt and grime sticks to surfaces, and these conditions can affect the interior of your car also. Protect your vehicle from the elements and up your detailing schedule to suit weather conditions.

See: Snow Foams, Pre-Wash, Interior Care

4. Quick Detailer & Waterless Wash

Quick detailers and waterless wash are perfect to clean lightly contaminated vehicles between full details. Remove light contaminants such as dust, fingerprints, oils, and minimal dirt.

Quick detailer sprays give existing layers of wax and sealants a ‘boost’ in order to maintain that showroom shine in between washes. They work by leaving a thin layer of wax and or polymers on top of the existing protective layer. Ceramic quick detailers have added ceramic elements to provide further protection and durability to paintwork.

See: CARPRO EliXir High Gloss Quick Detailer, Koch-Chemie Fse, Bilt Hamber Auto-QD, Chemical Guys HydroSpeed Ceramic Quick Detailer

Waterless car wash products are an effective way to get rid of dirt and grime helping you clean, shine, and protect in one swipe of a microfibre cloth. Designed to suspend dirt and debris from paintwork, waterless wash allows you to safely remove contamination without scratching the paintwork.

See: CARPRO ECH2O Waterless Wash, Koch-Chemie Rrw Rapid Rinseless Wash, Meguiar's Ultimate Waterless Wash & Wax

5. Maintenance Wash vs. Full Detail

If your car is ceramic coated, your maintenance wash is going to be dead easy. A snow foam or pre-wash, followed by a basic shampoo (without added wax or ceramic properties), and a quick go over on the wheels and glass should be all you need!

See: Koch-Chemie Vb, CARPRO Reset, Koch-Chemie Active Foam

Even uncoated vehicles can benefit from a simple wash process. Try ending your basic wash with a liquid sealant or wax that can be applied with a snow foam lance for ease and simple results.

See: Koch-Chemie Pw, CARPRO HydrO2 Spray and Rinse Coating, Autoglym Polar Seal

A full decontamination would also involve fallout & tar remover, maybe a clay bar followed by machine polishing. You would need to pay attention to wheel arches and hinges, anywhere that dirt can accumulate and build up over time.

6. Final Thoughts

Ultimately the answer to the question is different for all of us, only you can answer the question for yourself. Often times, a car is the second largest investment we all make after our homes. If you haven’t invested in a home then your vehicles is likely the most expensive item you own. So why wouldn’t you look after it?

If you are performing a maintenance wash that will keep your vehicle looking fresh between full details, once a week would be a good habit to get into. The idea is that the more often you clean your vehicle and the better protected it is, the less time these washes are going to take. Cleaning the car weekly provides an easy and quick routine, allowing you to remove the week's road grime safely.

You will only know when your car needs a deeper clean based on its appearance. Coatings will only need topping up once their performance and durability decreases (but always try to unclog a coating before reapplying).

See: CARPRO Descale, Koch-Chemie Reactivation Shampoo

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