Question for Detailers - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

What, if any bad consequences could/would arise from not regularly washing a car that has been garage kept under cover its entire life, and never driven in the rain? The finish is regularly maintained with a quick detailer, and the wheels and brakes are cleaned and rinsed. Is there any reason to do a full wash? How about rinsing the undercarriage?

What is the point of cleaning/rinsing the wheels or brakes if you aren't washing the whole car? Wheels only get dirty from bake dust so if it's just sitting in the garage this is kind of pointless is it not? Is there any reason to not do a full wash?

In general I would say nothing that couldn't be brought back with a thorough clean/clay/polishing. A few things to be careful of: -If you leave bird poop to sit on the paint too long it can etch the surface (would need to machine polish to remove this, or wetsand/repaint in extreme situations) -If the surface is unprotected and left to bake in the sun, you could see some oxidation or fading of the clear coat (and headlights) in the long term. I'd recommend a wax/sealant/coating with some UV protection. -Obviously if it is not being washed regularly you may see an accumulation of bonded contaminants (sap, iron etc.) but these can be removed with the right chemicals Really depends on your climate and what you mean by not regularly (ex: 6 weeks, 6 months, 1x a year etc.) but like I said, most things can be brought back with some work and I wouldn't sweat it in the short term.

But he did say it's in a garage and covered

You're right, I misread. Thought he was asking about the risks of moving a formerly garage kept car outside, and not washing it regularly. In that case, I would say just make sure the car is completely clean before putting the cover on, otherwise you're just grinding dirt into the paint while you're taking the cover on and off. I keep my car in the garage and never drive it in the rain either. I've been using waterless wash on it exclusively for a long time now. It hasn't even been sprayed with a hose in 3 years. Of course, if you drive through rain or mud or anything like that you'll probably want to spray down the wheel liners and stuff.

I'll have to look into the waterless wash stuff.

If I'm understanding your post correctly, you don't wash the car because it is kept in a garage and covered, but you do clean the car with quick detailer, and clean the wheels. I do think that is a bad idea. Quick detailer is more for spot cleaning between full washes, so things like bird droppings don't sit on the paint and etch it. Using quick detailer with a towel (I hope a good quality microfiber), introduces a lot more potential for scratches and swirls than rinsing the car with water and a good lubricating car wash, because anything picked up by the towel is getting pressed into the paint as you wipe it around. If you do a good job washing the car, the soap will lubricate those small particles and help prevent them from scratching/swirling. Second, quick detailer provides no protection, a good wax or sealant will help protect the paint when it is hit by small particles, rocks, sand, etc while driving the car. You want that extra barrier on the paint. And cleaning the undercarriage is always a good idea, especially if you live somewhere that puts down salt.

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Hit the nail on the head. Reminds me of "dry hair shampoo"...you're just putting more gunk on top of things.

It sounds like the car stays pretty clean, doesn't need a "full wash" often (if ever). In that setting, I typically use ONR. A little into a bucket of water; dunk a good quality microfiber towel into it, and wipe the exterior down (moving along the same lines that wind flows over the car), repeat until clean. Doesn't need to be dried, though I'll sometimes use a wetted and wrung chamois (I know, a "no-no" in some minds—but I've been doing it for 30 years and can't understand why).

Up until I started doing waterless washes I was totally in the same school of thought. I believed there was no way you could safely clean a car without a bucket wash. If you do a waterless wash correctly, however, there is no risk to the paint. I use Ultima waterless wash. It has a wax component and since I never drive my car in the rain, I don't even bother doing any additional waxing/sealing/coating. In my case, it is sufficient on its own. A 16oz bottle is ~$20 and the dilution is 0.5oz to 22oz of water. So less than a dollar a bottle. I use plenty of clean towels and by the time I do the wheels and door jambs, I use a whole 22oz bottle per wash. Look on youtube for proper technique. Obviously I wouldn't use this method on a very heavily soiled car. Believe me, I though it was complete heresy before I started doing it. I wash my car once every two weeks and it's been 2 or 3 years since I last corrected my paint. Here is a recent pic of the paint. You be the judge.

Thanks everyone. I have super-hard water, and currently, there's not a water spot to be found on the car, anywhere, as I've avoided washing it. I've been using a battery powered pressure washer to rinse my boat, using distilled water, as it leaves nothing behind when it evaporates. Perhaps I'll try rinsing the car with distilled water and gauge the result. It's a 100% nice weather car, and the prior owner never had it in the rain either. I put maybe 500 miles/year on it, so it really doesn't get that dirty!