[BarePaw]

Every time I wash my car more paint comes off. That's why I don't bother. I did wash it this last week, however, because I was pulled over for having a dirty license plate. I was in a hurry to get to work the morning after coming down out of the mountains and Yak PD just wanted to tell me he couldn't read it. Understaffed my foot.

[Opus]

Every week, sometimes every other week.

[Backpacker Joe]

I vacuum my car about every third time I drive it. I like the inside clean. I wash it when it's prudent. Depending on the season. Probably twice a week. Sometimes once a week.

[Quark]

[jenjen]

The simple fact that I have to drive said vehicle on a dusty gravel driveway just to get to and from my house makes me not even want to bother washing the dirt off. It's just gonna get dirty again as soon as I leave the house - why waste the water? I clean out the inside of the car when it starts smelling really funky or I know I'll have passengers in it.

[MtnGoat]

I wash mine and it's covered in mud and dust again in a week. the driveway alone gives it a dust coating instantly, then even one weekend gives me some mud or more dust. there is no point in washing it, even if it makes my rig look like a hobo going down the road. when I'm on a dirt road and I see a clean unscratched, undented car, especially any kind of truck, SUV, or Subaru, I think they're not actually using their rig. City folk in city car. Time spent cleaning not spent doing. If you *don't* look like a hobo, you're spending too much time cleaning, or not going up the road because of a lousy branch on the side, or a rock in the way... keeping your rig spiffy and all prefected eliminates those marks of honor that create backwoods or outdoor creds for your rig. a healthy set of rock chips, a big dent under the door sill, a cracked turn lamp lens above a pushed back bumper, and a couple standard issue branch gouges fore to aft along the entire side of your rig are minimum.

[l]

Whenever my mother shows up. Not only out of respect, she's a member of the white glove club. But she'd never confront you directly about filth or disorder. No, mother guilts and prods with subtlety, like this question from the backseat of my car: "Jim dear, do you need this or would you like me to throw it out for you?" while holding up a week-old Wendy's bag.

[Hiker Boy]

Never! Driving a clean subi is like walking around outside naked.

[Opus]

I'd happily leave my vehicle dirty, dented, scratched, muddy - if it wasn't a city car. Some just look better that way, especially trucks. I bought my car before I started hiking so it's really not suited to driving on anything more than a good quality FS road. Until I can afford a second rig just for trailhead driving this one gets treated with the kid gloves. Now me on the other hand, frequently I come back from a hike looking like a hobo. A hobo driving out in a nice clean car.

[Quark]

[Bryan K]

I wash it every week with a free wash from the gas station.

[Dante]

I have my commuter cleaned inside and out two to four times a year. I garage it fall-through-spring (until camping gear starts to take over the garage), so that keeps it looking reasonably nice. I wash our minivan once a year and try to clean all the trash/toys/books/tapes etc. out of it once a month.

[Elvis]

We wash ours religiously. Easter and Christmas

[Riverside Laker]

Thanks for the sage advice, especially the sagebrush-in-the-grill advice. Now I know all y'all are country folk, but my new-fangled rig is a citified car, used for elegant drives to the Space Needle valet parking and other such things. Why, I even had 'em pave our alley this spring so when the new rig arrived I wouldn't get alley dust no mo'. Plus the potholes were gonna cause clearance issues (the car has 4.7" clearance). Last time I washed a car, it broke down the next day. I had to sell the thing, only got $50 for it. So any advice on how to wash a car without ruining it is appreciated.

[Toonces]

I haven't washed mine once in 6 years . . . now it has a nice matte finish that can't be beat!