[MLJJ]

I've had mine 8 months. It is sitting in the garage filthy and I am finding other things to do besides clean it. After all, it's just a car, right? For the first couple of months every speck was wiped away immediately and washes/details were weekly. I suppose responses will vary by individual (OCD vs slob), but wondering if anyone has noticed a decline in their car-care routine with age of the vehicle? For those of you that hibernate your car, it must feel like you are getting a new car again once the cover comes off in Spring. That would be nice!

 

[Semitone]

I was a slob on day one, so no new car feeling for me. I try not to wash my car more than once or twice a year whether it needs it or not. It was a nice rainy day in CT today so I took it out for a ride and let nature wash it off.

No decline in my car care routine yet after two years. I've been pretty consistent with my cars for the last twenty years.

 

[roundtail]

I've been pretty consistent since taking delivery over a year ago, in that I really only keep the car as clean/waxed as it needs to be to look good and the surface protected. With where and when I drive it, it doesn't need a lot of attention.

I've never been into detailing on any car I own. Too many other things to do, especially on my high-maintenance property.

 

[BlueNorther]

It's hard for those of us up north that drive our P-cars through the winter. You don't get much chance to wash with soap and water, and the crud is too much for a safe waterless wash. And if you do get a thaw, messy weather is right around the corner. I don't worry too much about it. Come spring, I go back to my waterless wash routine, it only takes me 10 minutes (when I use chemical guys eco-smart-RU and microfiber towels).

 

[don]

I would understand if you use your car as a daily or regularly you would get quickly sick of keeping it spotless and leave cleaning to maybe once a fortnight or once a month. That's why a lot of people get ceramic coatings.

My car now 8 months old and 6000 miles or so is not a daily so when I finish using her once a fortnight or once a month, I might go a few days or so before I have time to do a wash but then I tuck her in with a cover and she stays clean until the next drive. Apart from some small nicks in the PPF from driving rural & mountain roads she still feels and smells like new when I take the cover off and sit inside.

 

[MikesGTS]

I have used my CGTS.. on a daily basis , and always wash it once a week , spend a lot of time on the wheels as they are gloss black , and are a nightmare to keep the gloss showing. I drove it threw winter last year but it was a mild one , I work mainly in house construction sites, and it was being constantly covered in brick dust and grime. So I actually contemplated selling it , and buying a golf R ... however Iv now bought a little fiesta for work , and will use the cayman when suits ...

 

[JazzCatGab]

I've always been remiss on cleaning my cars, usually depending on automated car washes but usually the brushless, unless it was really dirty. When I bought my 2019 base Cayman, and with love at first sight, I got it multiple ceramic coated before driving it anywhere but home from the dealer (except for one short sprint). I knew I'd be remiss at keeping it clean, but have done a pretty good job of monthly two-bucket washes during the warm months, and giving it rain baths during the winter in the condo parking lot. I've also become a fan of non-rinse washing, particularly the front of the car when the bugs are out. I have also done a number of non-rinse full washes in my condo garage. The upshot is the ceramic coating makes washing the body drop dead quick and easy. The wheels, on the other hand, even though they are coated also, take the most time and have been known to be cleaned in a more slap-dash manner. So, my advice to car washing haters like I generally am, is get the PPF or ceramic coating (or both) and make yourself undeservingly proud about how good your car looks most of the time.

 

[Muppet]

Owned my 718 for almost two years now.
The cars my daily driver and gets used all year round.
(Not sure it will do it any good to park it up for four or five months of the year)
Usually wash and polish my car every three or four weeks throughout the year, takes me about three or four hours each time to clean the wheels, snow foam the car and then wash with two bucket system before finishing off with a coat of polish and a hoover and wipe down inside.
When cleaned and polished it looks the same now as the day I drove it out of the showroom.
The full leather interior still looks and feels great too.
The only down side is after getting it spotless it’s heartbreaking to then have to take it out in crappy weather, at least I have the reassurance that it’s got a good coat of polish on it to protect it.
Also once it’s dirty already it’s not such a pain to have to use it in bad weather.
Role on spring time.

 

[Kingmota]

My car is 8 months old with about 7,600 miles. When I first got my CGTS in the Spring, I drove it almost every day and hand washed it at least every other drive and would inspect and clean with detailer spray after every drive. In the Fall, I drove it less often and washed about once per week, but still clean with detailer spray after each drive. I still admire my car in the garage every time I go there, so I guess it is still new to me. It does have enough minor nicks that I don't obsess over them, probably because the GT Silver color hides them so well.

I also have a 2017 Audi S7 that used to get the detailing love, but since we got the Cayman the AudI is lucky to get washed once per month. So I guess for me, "new" is really "newest". Our 2012 Acura TL has gotten washed about 5 times this year.

 

[DriveInHouston]

The car is two years old and has 24k mi. I think I've been to a carwash twice and a handwash (carwash with manual human washers) three times in the year I own it. The dealer washed it 4-5 times.

PPF for the win!

 

[Viffermike]

I've owned mine as new since August 2017. It's my DD, and I bought it to drive it: 23k miles, more than half of which was accrued during three multi-day road trips. I considered ceramic coatings but ended up spending those funds elsewhere.

I live in a LEED-certified condo building that forbids self-washing vehicles, so I have to have a third party wash it. Compounding my situation is a new condo building under construction right behind mine, which creates dust that settles on my car within days -- effectively making waterless washing a no-go, too.

My routine has become:

• Wash every 2-3 weeks, courtesy of a mid-grade detailer set up in the parking garage I park in for work. (He regularly washes exotics, so he can't be all that bad ... and isn't.)
• Wax/detail (Meguiars) at said detailer every 3-4 months, and/or ASAP after a road trip. He does a decent job, but not a stellar one. Good enough, though.
• Hand-apply wheel-specific polish/protectant every 4-6 months at the condo (My gloss-black wheels require some TLC)
• Hand-apply 303 UV Protectant to plastic exterior bits every 3 months or so, to prevent long-term deterioration/discoloration
• During road trips, I wash the car every other day in the early a.m., or if rain/conditions have caused grime to build up and the forecast for that day is relatively clear. NOTHING hurts a car finish more than insect guts.

That's pretty much it!

 

[Scubaregs]

Ceramic coated. Can nine times out of ten get away with a rinse/snow foam/rinse/drive to dry off which leaves it looking as good as a proper wash

 

[SonicSid]

One of my newest t-shirts states my opinion succinctly...

https://www.blipshift.com/products/made-to-be-driven

 

[Viffermike]

One of my newest t-shirts states my opinion succinctly...

https://www.blipshift.com/products/made-to-be-driven

DANGIT I missed that Blipshift shirt? DANGITDANGITDANGIT!!!

(I have one of its "The World is Flat" shirts ... in dark blue, of course.)

Blipshift is awesomeness. The last media company I worked for helped get it off the ground publicity-wise.

 

[MLJJ]

DANGIT I missed that Blipshift shirt? DANGITDANGITDANGIT!!!

(I have one of its "The World is Flat" shirts ... in dark blue, of course.)

Love it! Not so subtle reminder to folks. Or, for whatever reason you bought it.

 

[SonicSid]

Blipshift is awesomeness. The last media company I worked for helped get it off the ground publicity-wise.

Thank you to your former media company! I have about 2 months worth of Blipshift shirts that I wear daily into the office. Yes, I'm known as that crazy car nut guy...

 

[GTS18BGTS]

I have a 2004 350Z in the garage with 31k miles. It still feels and looks new and fun to drive. Wash your car!

 

[717R]

With my base Cayman being a DD now just past the 1 year mark with 10k km on the clock, what keeps it “new” for me is the weekly wash and the mthly/qtrly interior/exterior detailing routine I put her thru. Somehow when it is in a spanking clean condition every week it feels like I’m driving a new car everyday! I also got a “new car smell” spray from Chemical Guys that kinda restores the new showroom smell - but nothing really beats vacuuming thoroughly on a weekly basis.

I must admit though that the scrutiny on details during the wash has slackened abit, so I certainly second ceramic coating once my satin wrap comes off in 1-2 years!

 

[Steve48]

As I’ve gotten older (turning the big 50 next year) I find my car cleaning routine has become more serious and frequent. I typically do about an hour hand wash/interior detail once per week, coupled with a once per month more intense detail session (vacuum interior, clean and condition leather, etc...). It’s total overkill but I find the cleaning sessions highly therapeutic ?