Is Paying for the Higher Priced Car Washes Worth It?
You’ve no doubt heard the saying, “You get what you pay for,” or something about value being associated with cost. You may wonder if that idea extends to a car wash as well. When you see the costs of those higher-priced car washes, you may be hesitant to spend the money even though you want your car to be clean.
Consider How Often You Wash Your Car
One of the main considerations in deciding how much to pay for your car wash is how often you wash your car. If you wash your car regularly, you probably don’t need to get all the works every time. You don’t let your car get too dirty, so it won’t take a lot of extra work to get it clean. In fact, a basic wash or hand washing might be all you need in between an occasional high-priced wash.
It’s important to make time for regular car washes to protect your vehicle. Dirt can get embedded in the paint film, which will make it dull. Bugs that hit your car also release acids that can cause damage to the paint.
Consider Where You Live for a Car Wash
Some of the services with a high-priced car wash just aren’t necessary for the average car owner. Unless you live on a gravel or dirt road, you probably won’t have enough dust and dirt buildup to need an expensive wash.
You can pay extra for wheel cleaning and other specialty services, but they are usually not really needed unless you drive through mud or dust on a regular basis. In those cases, you may need the added service to prevent damage to specific components of your vehicle. However, dirt-like brake dust doesn’t harm your vehicle.
Consider the Reasons You Clean Your Car
Expensive car washes serve one main purpose–they allow your vehicle to be the talk of the town. Yes, it may look like it just pulled out of the showroom, but is that really your focus? Unless you want your vehicle to look like it’s never been driven, a cheaper car wash will probably work just as well.
If you’re taking your car through a car wash so that it can get clean and to extend the life of the paint and components of the vehicle, an inexpensive wash will work just fine. An inexpensive automatic car wash will remove dirt, salt and other chemicals from your vehicle as long as you take it in regularly.
For instance, you just need to clean the undercarriage of your car once a season. You also don’t need to worry about waxing your vehicle because the car paint finish is designed to last for 10 years or so. Paying for a wax at the car wash isn’t necessary or even beneficial. If you still want to have your car waxed at the wash, a basic wax can prevent water spots and swirl marks.
The next time you decide to wash your car, don’t assume that you need to pay more. An inexpensive car wash may be all you need for your vehicle to look fabulous and to last a long time.
