‘You’ll wash the paint off it’: Can you wash your car too much?

If you’re a car enthusiast or just a neat freak, you know the importance of having a clean car to ensure it looks its best at all times.

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After the off-hand comment from your neighbour, “Haha, can you wash mine next?”, you might’ve heard the old saying, “You’ll wash the paint off it”.

But is it actually possible? Or is it an urban legend that you can wash your car so much the paint will come off?

Can you wash your car too much?

With modern paint, you cannot physically over-wash your car; however, improper wash techniques can damage and wear out your paint over time. Older original car paint can also be over-washed and thin out.

James Mate from Jimmy M Autocare told us, “I personally don’t think you can wash your car too much, but it does turn into the law of diminishing returns. Sure, it’s nice to have a clean car. But, if the car doesn’t get dirty, is it really worth cleaning it every drive?”.

We also spoke to an automotive painter in the Southern Highlands area of New South Wales, who said that, in theory, it’s possible – but he has not heard of it happening.

“I assume you probably could after a while, water will erode anything after long enough. If you have bad, flaky paint, a pressure washer could just blast it off,” said the painter.

“I haven’t personally heard or seen someone actually doing this, but you probably could.

“What you need to be careful of is buffing the paint too much. Every time you buff paint, you take off another thin layer. To prevent this, you need to keep moving with the tool and not just stay in the same spot.”

While modern paint can still be over-polished, older vehicles use enamel that doesn’t have a clear coat to protect it as much as modern paint, so if you are too firm and polish your car too much, you can rub through to the metal.

How often should I wash my car?

How often you wash your car depends on how much you drive it. Some professionals recommend washing it every three weeks.

“To get the most protection, depending on how dirty your car gets, can range from once every three to five weeks if it doesn’t get too dirty, to once a fortnight if your car is exposed to more dirt,” said James Mate from Jimmy M Autocare.

Josh Bunter, the owner of Enthusiast Detailing, says that the frequency is not so important as the products you use when protecting your paint.

“For maximum paint protection, employing UV protection [using products such as wax and ceramic coating] is actually more important over regular washing, provided there are no harsh chemical contaminants on the paint such as bird poo or acid rain (which is common if you’re near a steelworks or factory),” he said.

If you want further information, we have covered this topic extensively here.

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