Car Cleaning Guideline on a Budget 2024/25

Lit Homie on 08/11/2024 - 18:07

Hi OzBargain,

I’m back with another guide and some tips for cleaning your car! I’m hoping to spark some community discussion, interactions, and engagement. Please note, I have no professional experience in car cleaning, so take this advice with a grain of salt.

Cleaning your car in 2024/25 is crucial, especially with many of us owning new EVs or pickup trucks. It’s important to save money on cleaning and maintaining our vehicles.

Interior

I bought the Ozito PXC 18V Cordless Hand Vacuum PXHVS-250 (Skin Only) for $60 at Bunnings Warehouse. I keep this in the frunk and use it whenever the floor looks dirty. It’s a very light and handy unit, and it works wonders.

I paired it with the Ozito PXC 18V 2.5Ah Battery and Charger PXBC-25B for $20 (normally priced at $70). The battery in the black box is identical to the standard one in the red box. It lasts roughly 30 minutes but definitely enough time to vacuum the car

Diffuser: $5 (varies)

Exterior

My car is ceramic coated, and here’s what I use:

SCA Wash and Wax: $7
Foam Gun from Temu: $5
Window Cleaner: $5
Microfibre Cloths and Car Detailing Kit from Temu: $20
2 Buckets from Supercheap Auto: $3

Car came with interior cleaning liquid: $??

Fill the two buckets halfway with water (free if borrowed from public facilities).

With this combination, my car is always sparkling clean for a total cost of $125. This setup has lasted me a year without needing to buy new materials, and I wash and clean my car every week. If anyone has further suggestions, feel free to add them. This routine has provided me with excellent results each time, with no complaints!

Automotive Car Care

Comments

  • oscargamer on 08/11/2024 - 18:29
    -1

    There is SO much more to life than keeping a depreciating asset clean.

    I wash mine when it needs washing (it's a brand new car). I use a bucket filled with nice warm water and a quality wash and wax, a sponge and a hose.

    I also use a vac when it's dirty on the floor. Very occasionally I'll clean the inside of the glass.

    • Lit Homie on 08/11/2024 - 18:57

      Oh i forgot to mention it takes about 15minutes for the whole clean. 5 minute vacuum and 10 minute exterior. There is so much more to life than this you are correct, but it is nice to have a clean car also.

      • JIMB0 on 08/11/2024 - 19:01
        +1

        Takes zero effort to leave it out in the rain.

        • Sal in SA on 08/11/2024 - 20:32

          that does nothing compared to a good proper soak and wash - min 2 buckets - foam lance - tyre brushes - and detailing brushes for the badges/handels/lights/grills etc.

          • JIMB0 on 08/11/2024 - 21:12

            @Sal in SA: I've got plenty of other things I'd rather be doing.

      • Sal in SA on 08/11/2024 - 20:30

        2 hours for decent was and dressing here.

        2 more hours doing door jams / boot jams - interior detail.

        • rumblytangara on 09/11/2024 - 15:06

          Am I misreading this or do you spend 4 hours cleaning your car?

    • rumblytangara on 09/11/2024 - 11:14
      +2

      A fair number of people seem to pack a lot of their identify into their cars. Never understood it myself, but whatever floats their boat (or car).

      This reminds me… I should probably give my car a bit of a wash, it's been six months and the rear window visibility could do with some improvement.

      • altomic on 09/11/2024 - 13:35
        +3

        Last i washed my car was in 2017. (Car wash).

        It's always parked outside, under a tree so I care little .

        • Nugs on 09/11/2024 - 19:38

          Even my $400 Metro gets a few washes per year
          .

      • Sal in SA on 09/11/2024 - 18:12

        Not a mark or swirl scratched or fleck of dust when doing next trade in (every 2-3 years or so) - paint will look usually better than it came off the showroom floor with.

        • rumblytangara on 09/11/2024 - 19:14

          Let's say 4 hours from your other comment above. 3 years to trade in. If you value your free time at $50 (this is a figure pulled out of the air) then that's $7,200 in time costs.

          Not sure what level of car you're trading in where the appearance of the paintwork carries more than 7.2K between spotlessly perfect and average, but I suspect it'd have to be a pretty high end car.

          I'm totally fine with people lavishing that much attention on their cars, personally it's not for me- I'm one of those "it's a tool to get you from A to B" kind of people so even the example of someone else paying $600 a year later on in this thread is puzzling to me.

          • Euphemistic on 09/11/2024 - 21:18

            @rumblytangara: Thats a good way to look at it. 4 hours a month? Thats pretty serious.

            Its amazing how much a good clean and polish will bring back the shine too. Could spend 4hr per month OR give it a quick wash every now and then and spend 6h or a couple hundred dollars to get it detailed before sale for the same trade in result.

  • Hybroid on 08/11/2024 - 19:29
    +1

    IMO car washes start at $11. Cheaper with the app. You can add-on extras incl interior clean once every three months or as required. Triple foam for approx $15 is the average fortnightly or monthly go-to. Zero elbow grease effort.

    https://www.imocarwash.com/media/6670/au.jpg

    • Lit Homie on 08/11/2024 - 19:57

      Well priced will keep this in mind for future situations

  • Sal in SA on 08/11/2024 - 20:30

    Had to do detailing setup from scratch as well in last 2 months.
    bit different approach
    Starts with Bigboi pro pressure washer and goes from there to mtm foam cannon etc
    .
    ave used cheap and cheerful "cost effective' foam lances prior and every time they were crap compared to a good one - always way to watery that woud run off far too fast and effectively do bugga all.

  • Euphemistic on 08/11/2024 - 20:47
    +3

    Cleaning your car in 2024/25 is crucial, especially with many of us owning new EVs or pickup trucks

    Many more of us dont own new cars and use a hose a sponge and a bucket of soapy water once every few months.

    • JIMB0 on 08/11/2024 - 21:17
      +1

      It's possible to drive a car for many years without even washing it.

      • Euphemistic on 08/11/2024 - 21:27

        That too. I find inwash my cars on a logarithmic scale. Every fortnight for a few months, then every month for a while, then maybe 3-4 months and finish on 'as needed'

      • Nugs on 09/11/2024 - 19:41

        I bought a white Stanza many years ago that previous owner boasted hadn't been washed in 7 or so years. First 'cleaning' was with 1200 wet & dry
        .

      • Sal in SA on 09/11/2024 - 20:05

        Get much bird crap on it ?

    • Sal in SA on 09/11/2024 - 18:18

      The avg age for cars is less than 11-12 years or so. So still new enough to keep paint work in top shape.

      • Euphemistic on 09/11/2024 - 18:22

        Thats pretty funny.

  • angywoo on 08/11/2024 - 21:39

    I paid $600ish for a year of unlimited car washes and 12 inside details.

    Keeps my car looking schmick!

    • dragonslayer on 08/11/2024 - 22:45

      this is great was it a local person or a shop?
      would do this totally if available locally ( Melbourne)

      • angywoo on 09/11/2024 - 00:16

        In Perth. Magic hand car wash. Just checked they have some in Melbourne too.

        My suggestion would be to go and watch how they treat the cars first and also have a look at how much space the staff have to work in.

        The one I go to is amazing. I went at the end of the financial year and they took another $100 off because it was raining.

        It is called Wash Club but I paid an annual rate not monthly. Sometimes I go through twice back to back. Will definitely consider getting it next year too.

        Forgot to add, this is for a '23 Carnival

  • brendanm on 08/11/2024 - 23:49
    +5

    Cleaning your car in 2024/25 is crucial

    What's so special about these years that makes it crucial?

    especially with many of us owning new EVs or pickup trucks

    How are these different than an ICE vehicle or a sedan/hatch?

    • 1989jdm on 09/11/2024 - 07:00

      +1. What’s so crucial about it? And how do you know it’s crucial in 2025? Can you see into the future?

    • Lit Homie on 10/11/2024 - 18:46

      Not different but check the front page majority vehicle deals are for EV. Cleaning a car regularly is a good way to maintain the paint and reduce costs in the future. Can sell the car for more also

  • bazingaa on 09/11/2024 - 09:03

    I am too lazy to wash it, so occasionally, I go to an automatic laser car wash ($12). I ask my wife to clean windscreens, windows, and mirrors regularly though. She also does vacuuming but I don't ask that lol.

    • Sal in SA on 09/11/2024 - 18:19

      How many swirl marks ….yikes…

      • bazingaa on 11/11/2024 - 09:11

        none, it is a laser wash

  • DingoBilly on 10/11/2024 - 09:38

    $2 vacuum at a car wash is much cheaper than buying your vacuum combo.

    • rumblytangara on 10/11/2024 - 11:54

      Not when you already own a vacuum cleaner.

    • Lit Homie on 10/11/2024 - 18:43

      Assuming vacuum every week it definitely isn't. 2x52

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