When Was the Last Time You Washed Your Car?

This is the kind of day when the lines for self service car washes are snaking their way through gas station parking lots. With temperatures in the 50s today after being in the teens for nearly two weeks, in fact, it appears that everyone is planning to get the muck and grime caused by three consecutive Sunday snow events.

Taking care of a vehicle requires both regular maintenance and regular cleaning. In many parts of the country, of course, this means that there are some times of the year when getting a car wash can be a challenge. In fact, in some places the temperatures drop so low that both full and self service car washes can be closed for days, even weeks, at a time.

Regular Car Maintenance and Cleaning Help Protect the Value of Your Investment

Whether you are willing to invest in a full service car wash once a month or you opt for the less expensive self serve touchless car wash on a weekly basis, there are many times of the year and parts of the country where getting a car wash on a regular basis is essential. In addition to avoiding getting your clothes dirty every time that you walk by your car in the garage, regular washing helps protect the paint on your vehicle as well. And while exterior car cleaning gets lots of attention, interior car shampooing and cleaning makes your car more presentable and also more healthy. Spilled food leaves stains and cold and flu season leaves germs that are difficult to tackle if you do not occasionally invest in full service interior car cleaning services.

In the last 15 years, the nation has seen a 69% increase in vehicle owners using car wash facilities rather than washing their car themselves. In fact, the annual revenue for the car wash industry, including gasoline purchases has reached $48 billion. In large part, this is because the car wash industry is cleaning approximately 2.1% more vehicles every year. Perhaps one of the reasons that these number are increasing is the convenience of as many as 65% of car wash stations also dispensing gasoline. And even at time when as many as 38 gallons of water is used for each car that is washed, there are still many consumers who see the value of this regular maintenance.