How often do you wash - what about LSP degradation

[MrOneEyedBoh]

I've always wondered this. How often should I wash a truck that sits outside, driven maybe twice a week and either has a wax/sealant or coating on it.

I usually wash once a week and use something as a drying aid, such as aquawax, sonax BSD, Echo/Reload mix etc

Could this be the reason the waxes / sealants don't last as long as any others on this forum? Am I washing too much?

Am I washing too hard possibly? Any pointers? Yes I use the double bucket method.

[DETAILROOKIE]

I believe it depends on where you live, time of year, and prep work.


I wash mine once a week and usually spray hydro blue or wet coat every 4th wash, roughly once a month, and it is garage kept. I dont think you are washing too much.

What waxes and sealants are you using? How long are they lasting on your truck?

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[Route246]

Is the paint prepped well? That would be my first question, same as detailrookie. I wash once a week but use spray wax as a drying agent. Never lose gloss since I've been doing that.

[PA DETAILER]

Once a week here. In the summer that is. Always use a good drying aid to maintain the LSP.

Mc Kees 37 Trademark Extender spray wax.

Stoners Speed Bead Detailer.

Are 2 of the best I have used to extend the LSP.

[Paul A.]

Interesting question with regard to LSP degradation as I've wondered the same thing myself.

I cannot go much more than a week before washing my black car. I just can't stand a dirty car. WHen I do it is always with a very gentle wipe with my mitt and copious amount of foam. I use the drip method to remove as much water as possible and then blot dry. And a drying aid.

I am certain that frequency affects the layer of LSP however I like to keep any contaminants from super gluing to the paint. I may be reapplying LSP more often than its advertised life but it always looks clean and shiny.

[Desertnate]

I typically wash every one or two weeks depending on weather and my availability.

Two things I can think of:

- What shampoo are you washing with? While I don't think a shampoo will completely degrade most sealants, I think some are stronger than others and they will probably accelerate the aging process over long periods of time. Also, I've seen some temporarily kill the beading properties of the LSP.

- How are you determining the LSP's are gone? Personal example from this week: I washed my wife's car which was coated with McKee's 37 coating about 15 months ago. After washing the vehicle, water wasn't really beading and sheeting was slow during rinsing. I figured the LSP was done. However, when it rained the next day the surface was beading really well again and sheeting fairly quickly. I didn't use any toppers or drying aids.

[GEM65]

Weekly wash with a spray wax/sealant as drying aid, the LSP is infinity...

[Black Bowtie]

If you truck is not that dirty and only being driven twice a week, maybe look at doing a rinseless or waterless wash if it is not extremely dirty. Like said above, just depends on how it was prepped and what you are using for sealant and LSP. I try to wash once a week or a rinseless if not very dirty and my truck sits outside and driven almost every day.

[MrOneEyedBoh]

Hey guys, so let me touch a few questions above:

Ive used all the big boys in terms of sealants/waxes :
Collinite 845 ( looked great, I think it lasted about 4-5 mths)
Collinite 476 ( hard to remove, and I got a ghosting effect on my paint. I used it only on the roof due to longevity and difficult to remove )
WDGPS 3.0 ( didnt seem to last beyound 4-5 mths )
Pinnacle Signature Series II ( Lasted about 2-3 months, looks great, easy to remove etc )
Wolfgang Fuzion - (Unsure on longevity, looked good but attracted pollen )

I used McKees 37 around October 2018, prepped etc etc per instructions and I have water marks/etchings, beading is jagged It may still be there but doesnt have good water behavior. Once washed and dryed using an aid, looks great still though... Just wish it didnt etch as easy. I have McKees 37 V2, so I'll see how that is going to work.


As far as prep, once a year the truck gets a light polish to remove old sealant/coating etc and to remove list marring. Im not going after a show truck, just a clean looking one. I use Iron-X on it as well.

As far as car wash - Ive used Megs Hyperwash and Duragloss's 902 only. Ive never used anything else.. Maybe I need to change things up?

I have added WG uber into the bucket here and there...


As far as drying aids: Ive used Aquawax, V07, Echo/Reload mix ( more often I use this ), Sonax BSD. I like to switch it up, just because.

I use nice MF mitts, double bucket method, grit guards, good drying towels etc etc.

I just bought the FinishKare sealant and see how that works out. I might use that on the truck in the meantime, because I dont have a garage, just a big driveway with shading, I have to wait for the coating to be applied, pollen etc might bond.

[CleanIT]

I've been thinking about this lately because I wash 1 to 2 times per week always using Reset. 2x a week is excessive, and I'll likely cut it down to 1x per week going into fall.

[evo77]

I've been thinking about this lately because I wash 1 to 2 times per week always using Reset. 2x a week is excessive, and I'll likely cut it down to 1x per week going into fall.

YIKES! 2x within a 7 day period? Does the paint really merit a full cleaning that frequently? Especially with such an aggressive soap.

[CleanIT]

LOL sometimes but not always. This week I just hit it with Ech20 QD. I definitely am guilty of touching the paint too much.


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[Nicholas@Autogeek]

One time a week sounds like it would work better. Using a detail spray for a quick wipe down instead a full on wash helps as well. Use Pinnacle Crystal Mist Carnauba Spray Wax anytime to bring back that just-waxed shimmer. Contains real carnauba wax in a easy spray formula. (https://www.autogeek.net/pincrysmis.html)

[evo77]

I've always wondered this. How often should I wash a truck that sits outside, driven maybe twice a week and either has a wax/sealant or coating on it.

I usually wash once a week and use something as a drying aid, such as aquawax, sonax BSD, Echo/Reload mix etc

Could this be the reason the waxes / sealants don't last as long as any others on this forum? Am I washing too much?

Am I washing too hard possibly? Any pointers? Yes I use the double bucket method.


I believe there is a STRONG correlation with contact washing and wax/sealant durability.

That physical part that occurs through hand washing, towel drying and towel buffing or anything where some sort of abrasion occurs on the surface of the paint, no matter how soft the towel is, or how light the pressure is, or how lubricated it is, contributes to the wear of the paint protection.

Manufacturer durability claims are mostly derived from a 1 wash per week basis. That's because the method of a consistent washing/drying schedule can determine the rate of wear that occurs through this process within reasonable accuracy.

So the more frequent you wash, the shorter the lifespan of the protection. Of course this is assuming there are NO toppers added. Just soap and water.

Adding toppers adds some complexity to this. Because if you add a topper once a week at EVERY wash, well then I suppose you continue to rejuvenate the protection indefinitely. So then it doesn't really matter what your base layer of protection is because your just continuously adding on top.


Since I've added Meguiars HPC to my truck I've been on a strict schedule of washing every 7 days (no toppers). My situation is much like yours, my truck is parked in the driveway 24-7 and I drive it a few times a week (it mostly stays parked). I have now switched my wash schedule to every 10 days because the truck stays very clean so I don't feel its necessary to wash so frequently based on the usage of the vehicle. If I drove every day, and drove a lot of miles then I'd probably stay on a weekly schedule. But as of right now, I'm going to keep it at 10 days and I probably won't go much farther out than that.

[CleanIT]

Our cars sit under trees and get dirty quickly. I was always a once a month person but the more I started getting into trying new products I started washing more frequently.

Ech20 has been a great QD for Can Coat.


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