To Wash or Not to Wash?

[TNWade]

A coworker, who also off roads a lot, and I were laughing at a post someone made in a Jeep forum about toweling off his Jeep when it got wet. It digressed into a conversation about how much should you wash your ride.

 

So, I pose this question to you all: do you wash your Pathy? If yes, how much/often? What constitutes a wash? If no, why not? When was the last time you cleaned her up?

 

** For the record, I typically wash the exterior after wheeling to get the exterior cleaned up. I'll wipe out the interior from time to time, but not as I do my daily driver.

[ahardb0dy]

I haven't washed mine in a long time, my step daughter (who is driving it now) may wash it, or my brother in law (he details for a living), I haven't been 4 wheelin in my PF yet so it hasn't seen any real dirt or mud yet

[SkiBumBrian]

I wash all my rigs top to bottom after off roading. I don't wear mud like a badge, I like my stuff clean plus it gives you a chance to inspect after an outing. People tease me about my bike and say it looks like it has never been off road. Well, it see as much off road as on I just clean it with a toothbrush after I get home !!

[devonianwalk]

I need to wash the moss off of mine. I whore bathe my rides every now and then with the pressure washer. The Miata gets waxed all the time though!

[5523Pathfinder]

I wear my mud like a badge for a week or so. Normally he gets washed every 2 - 3 months. When I had my 300zx, that was a different story.

Edited August 19, 2013 by 5523Pathfinder

[92Path_68CJ]

The thing about mud is it seems to promote rust.

 

I really liked wearing the mud on my last pathy for up to months at a time, but it had pretty good rust already so I wasn't worried. Jeep gets washed that day or the next. Next Pathy will get the same treatment.

 

I don't have a huge budget, and if washing after mud might keep rust at bay, then I'll do it.

 

 

Now dirt wise, my Jeep hasn't been washed in about two years...

[nunya]

When I actually used to wheel, the next day at the latest and the soap and water was out.

[Slartibartfast]

Couple times a year. When I do, I pressure-wash it off at the self-serve place. More rarely I'll go at it with Windex and an old towel to get rid of the black marks from winter slush etc. There's enough paint left on it that I like to keep it looking good; I'd wash it more if I took it off-road with any regularity. The interior gets a wipedown/vacuum from time to time, especially in winter when I track all kinds of stuff into it.

 

The discussion reminds me of an old yellow pickup my dad used to have. We never washed the thing until we decided to sell it. Washing it changed its color dramatically!

[k9sar]

I wash mine when it rains (hands-free cleaning) and do the undercarriage when there is a nice puddle or stream to blast through. Other than that, hand's off my mud.

[msavides]

Yes it is true that mud will promote rust. Even once it is dry on the outside it hold water against your truck where it is stuck. even once it is dry any bit of water will wick into the much and go to your truck.

 

The longer water stays in contact with your truck the more chance of rust your going to get. this is probably more true with the frame than your finished metal.

 

keep your truck clean to help keep it rust free. (some areas of the world it is impossible to keep it rust free)

[Kingman]

I wash mine a couple times a month, after I go wheeling though it stays muddy for a few days. I'm constantly cleaning the inside. Dirty interiors are a pet peeve. From a distance it looks like a pretty bro truck but get close and you'll see the dents and trail scratches all over it. Under its got mud and twigs crammed in all kinds of places. I really should pressure wash the underside...

[Bruce]

I wash my R50 once per year, normally before the Chinese New Year. It's important to give clean image to family members.

[Karmann]

The longest I've gone after getting it muddy was 1 week, and I always do a full top to bottom cleaning. I hate having it caked on the underside, and I'm pretty anal about the interior.

 

As it's my daily, I wash it from street use every two weeks or so. Soap and water, microfiber wash mitt, grit-guard buckets, tires cleaned and shined, wipe out the interior; the works. It and the Ram get neglected every now and then though, as I end up washing the Mercedes and Lincoln every other week.