One in three motorists get their car hand-washed every couple of weeks

Nearly a third of motorists who have their car cleaned regularly pay to get it hand washed rather than do it themselves or take it to an automated car wash, according to latest research from British Car Auctions (BCA), the leading vehicle remarketing company.

1 in 3 respondents to the BCA research said they get their car cleaned or clean it themselves at least every couple of weeks and nearly 1 in 5 (18%) get it spruced up at least once a week. Of these nearly a third (31%) use a hand car wash service with only 6% going to an automated car wash.

For those motorists happy to pay out for a hand car wash, 1 in 3 go every couple of weeks and the same number around once a month. 1 in 6 get their car hand washed once a week.

With a basic hand car wash starting at around £6 and potentially costing as much as £65 for a full valet, this could certainly add up with even just a weekly basic wash costing a motorist over £300 a year. It perhaps not surprising, therefore, that more than 60% said they do it themselves, although a cheeky 2% would get their partner to do it!

But whether motorists clean their car themselves or go to a car wash, Tim Naylor, Editor of BCA’s Used Car Market Report believes the new research shows that many motorists have real pride in their vehicles and this should be good news when they come to sell.

“It is great to see that so many motorists are investing in getting their car cleaned regularly. Anything that can be done to ensure a vehicle stays in good condition is going to help with getting a good resale value when they’re ready to change.”

The BCA research did, however, expose a few dirty drivers, with nearly 4% cleaning their car just once a year!

For more information, visit bca.co.uk