# How do you wash your car? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 18, 2007, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-wash-your-car/419642 "2007-09-18T19:09:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2007, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-wash-your-car/419642/1 "2007-09-18T19:09:28Z")
Growing up, we always washed the family cars in the driveway. I lived in an apartment for many years and when I infrequently washed my car, I’d take it down to one of those quarter operated sprayer places or one of the high school kids raising money events . Now I have a house, and I was going to wash it in the driveway but I notice nobody in my neighborhood does that. (and I’m not in a partcularly upscale neighborhood) And I’ve read stuff that say you shouldn’t wash your car at home because of the soapy run-off. So, is washing your car at home now a completley gauche thing to do? How do y’all wash your cars? ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2007, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-wash-your-car/419642/2 "2007-09-18T19:16:35Z")
In a lot of places it’s actually illegal to wash your car in the driveway/street, specifically because of the run off. It’s not the soap, it’s the grease and oil that gets into the wastewater stream. Wastewater eventually makes it back into the water basin and often is used downstream as a water source for another neighborhood. Yes, it’s treated, but they can’t get rid of everything. The less you put into the wastewater system, the less you tax the wastewater treatment plant. Car washes recycle water (in most places), which is why it’s more environmentally friendly to visit one. ---
**Author:** ![psycat90](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@psycat90](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psycat90)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2007, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-wash-your-car/419642/3 "2007-09-18T19:19:18Z")
For the most part, I don’t. But when I do, I go through the car wash. Especially now, as this is an incredibly dry year and we’re asked to conserve water. My husband takes his truck to the car wash every couple of months or so. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2007, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-wash-your-car/419642/4 "2007-09-18T19:26:30Z")
Count me as another who goes every once in a while and shells out $5 at the local car wash. It’s fast, it’s cool (big consideration in sweltering Houston), the kids love to ride through the tunnel… ---
**Author:** ![Mikemike2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikemike2/32/305_2.png) [@Mikemike2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mikemike2)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2007, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-wash-your-car/419642/5 "2007-09-18T19:27:17Z")
I just had my car waxed by a company that just does detailing… nice. They got rid of years of small scratches. So now I will just use spay wands to clean it. I do not want to melt too much of the wax off that an automatic will do. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2007, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-wash-your-car/419642/6 "2007-09-18T19:51:05Z")
Gas station car wash. I went years getting washes practically weekly, but now that I buy my gas at Costco, I have to remind myself from time to time to go get a wash. I’m overdue now, so thanks for the reminder! ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2007, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-wash-your-car/419642/7 "2007-09-18T19:51:57Z")
One of the things that I looked forward to when I bought a house was the ability to wash my car whenever I wanted. I do wash my car in my drive way and while it isn’t too common in this area of Austin, I am for sure not alone in washing at home. ---
**Author:** ![brewha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@brewha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brewha)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2007, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-wash-your-car/419642/8 "2007-09-18T19:57:30Z")
I use the [Mr Clean AutoDry Car Wash](http://www.mrclean.com/en_US/mrclean/home.do) in my driveway. Works pretty good for as easy as it is. ---
**Author:** ![back\_before\_irony](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb9ed0/32.png) [@back\_before\_irony](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/back_before_irony)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2007, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-wash-your-car/419642/9 "2007-09-18T20:17:01Z")
My son washes at home on the front drive, no problem. I go to the cheapie $2 spinning brush coin-operated washer place. They also have bays to wash your own car for $2 for a few minutes with a soapy spray wand. The brushes don’t do a great job on the back side of the car, but I just want all the dust and bird spots gone, so I’m happy. ---
**Author:** ![DustyButt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc348/32.png) [@DustyButt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DustyButt)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2007, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-wash-your-car/419642/10 "2007-09-18T21:31:24Z")
I take my car to the brushless-spray type car wash, and I hand dry it with a soft towel about every two weeks. And, I plan to have it detailed and waxed once every three months. I’ve only had it for 5 months so far. ---
**Author:** ![ThisSpaceForRent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisspaceforrent/32/345_2.png) [@ThisSpaceForRent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisSpaceForRent)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2007, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-wash-your-car/419642/11 "2007-09-18T21:32:57Z")
Haven’t washed the car for a year and a half…still looks OK…not great but ok… tsfr ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2007, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-wash-your-car/419642/12 "2007-09-18T21:38:40Z")
Every four or five years I trade my car in. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2007, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-wash-your-car/419642/13 "2007-09-18T21:41:16Z")
When the cheerleaders have a fundraiser. ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2007, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-wash-your-car/419642/14 "2007-09-18T21:48:11Z")
My neighbor and I wash our cars in the yard so that we water the grass while we do it. Then again, we’re in Bubbaville (South Austin, Zilker specifically), and you toney East Side types wouldn’t be surprised if we kept goats and mules in our yards.\* 🙂 It saves water and the car is only there for an hour or so. \*Hey, I’m serious. My neighbors across the street recently got rid of the pet goat that they kept in the backyard and would occasionally tie up in the front yard. When I first moved to Austin in 1986, I lived at South First and Annie, and I would sometimes hear a donkey’s braying in the early morning quiet. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2007, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-wash-your-car/419642/15 "2007-09-18T21:49:13Z")
I take mine to the car wash every couple of months. They vacuum, hand dry it and do the tires and windows, all for about $16 including tip. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2007, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-wash-your-car/419642/16 "2007-09-18T21:49:19Z")
I go through [here](http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=37.702646,-122.483461&spn=0.002589,0.004538&z=18&om=1&layer=c&cbll=37.701625,-122.483824&cbp=1,347.7863117966239,0.500241884421696,2) every few months. I need to go to a real car wash, though, sometime soon… there’s a _lot_ of sap and dead bugs that the nine dollar Chevron drive-thru doesn’t clean. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2007, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-wash-your-car/419642/17 "2007-09-18T21:58:49Z")
I got to the dealer where I got my car, since car washes there are free. But if it’s not a time when they are open, I spring for $8 of the deluxe car wash. Usually seasonally, like when it gets back above 25 degrees and I need to remove the salt thrown up by the road. And like after mud season. ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2007, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-wash-your-car/419642/18 "2007-09-18T22:09:13Z")
[QUOTE=cornflakes] My neighbor and I wash our cars in the yard so that we water the grass while we do it. Then again, we’re in Bubbaville (South Austin, Zilker specifically), and you toney East Side types wouldn’t be surprised if we kept goats and mules in our yards.\* 🙂 It saves water and the car is only there for an hour or so. \*Hey, I’m serious. My neighbors across the street recently got rid of the pet goat that they kept in the backyard and would occasionally tie up in the front yard. When I first moved to Austin in 1986, I lived at South First and Annie, and I would sometimes hear a donkey’s braying in the early morning quiet. [/QUOTE] Dude, there’s chickens next door, a colony of feral cats living under the house behind me, and a couple of free range chihuahuas live down the street. It’s not all that toney. 🙂 Is it the goat over there near Magnolia? The one that hung out with the German Shepherd on top of the dog house? He’s not there any more? Hmmm, so it sounds like I can wash my car in the driveway without committing an egregious faux pas. Truthfully, I haven’t washed my car in probably over five years but my new driveway is situated under some pecan tree branches and I have a mound of brid crud on the hood. I’m embarrassed to drive it and I’d be embarrassed to take it to a car wash that wasn’t a do-it-yourself kinda place. (plus, it’s a 19-year old beater, it doesn’t really need detailing) ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2007, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-wash-your-car/419642/19 "2007-09-18T22:47:30Z")
“toney East Side types?” I live in NW Austin, and honestly, I just bought a new-to-me car and was thinking the same thing. I’ve yet to see someone washing their car in the driveway. How queer! ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2007, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-wash-your-car/419642/20 "2007-09-18T23:00:18Z")
Those of us on the East Side wash our cars in the driveway. Maybe we have no shame. 😛 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-wash-your-car/419642.md?page=2)