[bmwguy123]

how often can you wash you car without it causing harm to the paint?

[Chesmu]

Obviously depends on what you are using/what your are doing. Take a look at the washing your car sticky. it has a LOT of good info:
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9145

I would not polish more than once a year
Make sure to use sheepskin mitts/microfiber towels
Rinse with ridiculous amounts of water
Use the right kind of soap
I hand wash once per month, and go thru a brushless carwash in between

[nikegunit]

those "no touch" car wash are a NO NO, sorry Chesmu.
i believe they reuse the water which contains particles that could damage the paint. plus the hot wax leaves a bad waxy residue on the car =\

if you wash the car yourself, you can wash as many times as you want, but waxing/washing is two different things. using the proper towels, chamois and mitts to wash/dry should never damage the paint. plus the car is clear coated. if you wash too often, no matter what towel you use, swirls will happen. it doesnt matter what the towel/mitt claims, "it picks up dirt rather than push it." any type of friction will cause swirls. i tried my best, i used all the towels and mittens out, swirls are inevitable. your cure for swirls are waxes, but overwaxing is not good either. you just have to find a balance between keeping the car clean with as little washes as necessary.

[wj4]

I know my buddies with dark color cars wash theirs as least 2 times a week.
I wash mine as least once a week. And I do it super old school, lol. Buckets o water, not even hoses

[Chesmu]

[QUOTE=nikegunit;742065]those "no touch" car wash are a NO NO, sorry Chesmu.
i believe they reuse the water which contains particles that could damage the paint. plus the hot wax leaves a bad waxy residue on the car =\

QUOTE]

good to know....guess it just handwashes from here out....

[cm3rc]

once a week using the two bucket method

[GregL]

I thought Picus said it's ok to use a touchless if necessary, just don't wipe it afterwards.

[Master Deep]

Haven't washed for maybe 2 months+ due to cold weather and snow. But car is at the dealer, so I expect it to come back clean but w/ a bunch of swirls, thus killing my fall detail job. Car is Jet Black.

[ironic]

^ i hate dealer washes

[pander5]

I wash mine every week and very rarely cause any marring to the paint. I polish what is necessary to remove any slight marring about twice a year but my buffing is just enough to remove the micromarring and I'm only cutting down VERY little.

If you mean how many washes significantly reduce the layer of clear coat or paint layer I would guess it is extremely unlikely you could reduce or jeopardize paint thickness over the life of the car just from washing it regardless of frequency.

[NFS13]

Originally Posted by GregL

I thought Picus said it's ok to use a touchless if necessary, just don't wipe it afterwards.

If its too cold to wash by hand and the car is full of salt/dirt/bird crap etc, its better to use a touchless than having that sit on your paint for weeks.

[ga-bmwdrvr]

I hand wash every onre to two weeks. the wheels get washe at least once a week. I have polished the car twice with a mild polish and PC since I've had it (about 18 months). If you use good products and are careful with your technique, you can wash as often as you want without damaging the paint.

[picus]

Originally Posted by NFS13

If its too cold to wash by hand and the car is full of salt/dirt/bird crap etc, its better to use a touchless than having that sit on your paint for weeks.

A good touchless without rails is ok every now and again (by hand is preferable, but not always realistic), but as David mentions in the FAQ it's not good to dry it afterwards, just let it remain a little wet.

If you wash properly you can wash indefinitely without causing any harm to the paint.

[neuronpetkowski]

thanks picus