The general rule
- Wash: roughly every two weeks for a daily driver
- Full detail (inside and out): every three to six months
That’s a guideline, not a law. Adjust it to how the car is actually used.
Detail more often if…
- The car carries dogs or young kids
- It’s parked on the street under trees — sap and bird droppings sit on the paint
- You eat in the car or do a lot of long trips
- It’s a work vehicle carrying tools, dust or dirt
- You do lots of beach or dirt-road driving
You can stretch it if…
- The car lives in a garage
- It’s a low-kilometre second car
- No pets, no kids, no eating in the car
Melbourne’s seasons and your car
Winter: wet roads throw grime up the lower panels and wheels, and damp carpets can start to smell musty if they don’t dry out. Musty smell guide.
Spring: pollen and blossom fall on everything parked outside.
Summer: heat bakes bird droppings and sap onto paint fast — remove them quickly rather than waiting for wash day. Strong sun is also hard on interior plastics.
Autumn: leaf litter clogs scuttle panels and drains below the windscreen.
A rough schedule by car type
| How the car is used | Wash | Full detail |
|---|---|---|
| Garaged weekend or second car | Monthly, or when dusty | Every 6 months |
| Daily commuter, parked outside | Every 2 weeks | Every 3–4 months |
| Family car with kids or dogs | Every 2 weeks | Every 2–3 months |
| Work ute or van | Weekly to fortnightly | Every 2–3 months |
These are starting points. If the car feels dirty sooner, it is.
Signs it’s due now
- A smell that comes back every time the car warms up
- Sticky cup holders, steering wheel or door handles
- A greasy film on the inside of the windscreen that smears when the sun hits it
- Grit you can hear or feel in the carpet and mats
- Wheels that have gone from silver to brown
- Dust visibly sitting in the air vents
What happens if you leave it too long
Mostly it just gets harder (and slower) to clean. But a few things do real damage over time:
- Bird droppings and sap can etch the clear coat, particularly when they bake in summer sun.
- Brake dust bonds to wheel finishes the longer it sits and gets heat-cycled.
- Grit in carpet grinds at the fibres every time someone gets in.
- Spills soak into the seat foam and become smells rather than stains.
Between details
- Shake the mats out weekly
- Keep a microfibre cloth in the car for dust and smudges
- Remove bird droppings as soon as you see them
- Don’t let rubbish build up — it’s what makes a car feel dirty fastest
When it’s time, our $150 full detail comes to you, seven days a week across Melbourne’s north.