car wash

My car is currently so filthy even I am ashamed of it. I wash it myself and will continue as long as I able….I have to get a step ladder to do the roof. We have had both white and black cars and DH always said black cars showed the dirt more than white.

Get it valeted. Very carefully hand washed and cleaned. I only pay £20 for mine and it's immaculate inside and out afterwards.

I have never taken my car through a mechanical car wash. They scratch the paint. Hand wash only. Good luck keeping a black car looking good, they’re a nightmare!

Car wash for me every time and I’ve never noticed any scratches. It is filthy at the moment though. The roads where I live are rural and very muddy. Every time I go out my car is spattered. I had to clean the headlights the other day.

There are many car hand washing/valet services around costing about £20. I’ve used them regularly and never had a problem.

I take mine to a car wash - I have heard that it scratches the paint, but I intend to keep my car for a few years yet — it will see me out — I only do about 3500 miles a year . Enjoy your new car Joanna12

Have taken my car to the hand car wash since I bought it new nearly 3 years ago. Inside and out £18

I've had a range of colours and live down a long muddy track. The light grey car showed the dirt up far more than my current midnight blue one.

Many moons ago, I was told by a car fanatic never use a drive through car wash, The brushes damage the paint work. This a quote from Car magazine:
'These machines are essentially like slapping your car with a dirty mop, causing hundreds of deep micro scratches called swirl marks. Over time, this damage builds and eventually results in your paint becoming dull and the scratches become easily noticeable.

For quickness, at this time of year, I use the DIY car washes places, mainly because I can jet wash underneath the arches. Also, we are not on mains water, so have to watch how much we use.

Hand washed car places are OK and fairly thorough. Not so good with wheel trims. I've used our local one a few times but there's always a queue.

I have been using car washes as long as I can rmember and never had any problem.

thank you everyone,know i am being a fuss but would hate to damage a new car so want to start off right.

I’ve just had my mini re sprayed and I love it even more now. The sprayer man told me not to use mechanical cleaners or even the hand wash places.
We don’t anyway because we have space, an outside tap and energy so no problem .
I’m aware that a lot of the washer’s aren’t treated very well and am not sure if using them is a positive or negative move so doing it myself saves any angst.

I let the rain do the job for me.

My car is white and I live in countrywide. It’s currently filthy dirty. There doesn’t seem much point in getting it cleaned until the worst of the winter is over. I wipe the lights, camera and number plates, or rather Dh does.

I take it to the valet people in a car park when I want it cleaned properly. You get free parking with it so it really doesn’t cost much at all.

Countrywide?? It’s just an ordinary sized car, I promise!

I have never washed my car in my life. If I do want it cleaned I either take it to a cheap hand car wash or drive a tad further and get a fellow to put it through the machine. I have never had a problem.

Took mine to the car wash just before Christmas by the time I had driven it past 2 farms and muddy lanes it looked just as bad as before, I’ll wait until Spring before doing it again.
Cant wash it on our shingle driveway as the mud will grow the weeds.

My car is 15 months old and has been washed once, by me, with the GC’s helping, it’s white.
I’ll take it to a hand car wash when I get round to it, if they’d been gritting the roads with salt, I’d get the hose underneath, but they haven’t yet.