Britain a nation of dirty car owners

obi_waynne

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An interesting press release from the guys at Karcher came my way today. I thought I'd get your comments on this.

“Manners maketh the man”, the saying goes, but “motors maketh the man” could be a lot nearer the target. Why? Because your car says as much about you as a well-tailored suit or the latest gadget. And yet, as a Kärcher survey* reveals, 40% of us only wash our car every few months.

One in five Brits have been embarrassed about the state of their dirty car, but luckily a sparkling set of wheels is within easy reach. Here, Nigel Adams the Car Cleaning Master from the Kärcher UK Academy, offers his top tips for turning your dirty car into a clean, gleaming machine.

“It is possible to achieve a high standard, professional-looking, clean car yourself, without having to use the services of an expert valet. Instead, you can do the job with an absolute minimum of effort and outlay. Follow my top tips and not only will you save time and money, you’ll have a clean car that you can be proud of.” Nigel Adams, Car Cleaning Master, Kärcher UK Academy.

The Right Tools
Using a pressure washer can help to save both time and water compared to using a traditional hose and bucket and sponge
Kärcher’s Jubilee Package includes a ‘3’ series pressure washer, with over £100 worth of accessories free. It is the complete kit for cleaning your car, all at the special price of £199

Stain Removal
Use Kärcher’s insect removal spray to remove tough stains from the bonnet, headlights, wing mirrors, windscreen and wipers

Soaping
Whilst you have left the insect removal to work its magic, prepare the wheel cleaning agent into another dilution bottle and apply to the wheels, starting at the bottom and heading to the top of the rim
This will mean that if the liquid drains down, it will cause double the chemical to work on the lower part of the wheel and make sure that all heavy soiling is effectively treated

Brushing
Turn the lance to low pressure and soap the vehicle from the bottom upwards, thus allowing the heavy residue at the bottom of the vehicle to be treated twice by virtue of the soap draining down from the top of the vehicle

A common mistake in washing with a bucket and sponge is washing the wheels first. Grit can gather on the sponge from the wheels and then be transferred onto the paintwork of the car causing scratching. The use of a pressure washer alleviates this problem

Rinsing
Use the Vario lance to increase the pressure of the water. At this pressure the Vario lance makes sure that no detergent is allowed to escape the machine

Rinse the car thoroughly from the top to bottom to avoid chemical residue and water marks.

National Car Washing Facts – The Dirty State of the Nation
40% of people wash their car every few months
10% of the nation never wash their car
One in five men has been jealous about how good another man’s car looks
Men are five times more likely than women to invest their time in their car
 
By Car Type
Volkswagen drivers are the most likely to feel jealous about how good another man’s car looks (27%)
Rover drivers are least likely to feel jealous about how good another man’s car looks (5%)
Regional Facts
Brighton’s men are the most content with their cars – only 5% have been jealous of another man’s car
Bristolian men are least satisfied with their lot – over 25% of those surveyed say that they have been jealous about how good another man’s car looks
Glaswegians will be the busiest car washers this bank holiday weekend with over 30% of the city washing their car
Liverpudlians are the least likely to be embarrassed about their car compared to the rest of the nation; only 4% say that they would feel self-conscious about showing someone their car
People in Norwich take the most pride in their cars with over 50% washing their car at least every few months
Additional Regional Car Washing Facts
Belfast
15% of people have been embarrassed by how dirty their car is when picking someone up on a date / meeting someone they know
8% of people say they love their car
8% of men say they have been jealous about how good another man’s car looks
46% of people wash their car every few months
0% of people will be washing their car this May Bank Holiday

Birmingham
11% of people have been embarrassed by how dirty their car is when picking someone up on a date / meeting someone they know
24% of people say they love their car (highest in UK)
17% of men say they have been jealous about how good another man’s car looks
39% of people wash their car every few months
15% of people will be washing their car this May Bank Holiday

Brighton
13% of people have been embarrassed by how dirty their car is when picking someone up on a date / meeting someone they know
18% of people say they love their car
5% of men say they have been jealous about how good another man’s car looks (lowest in UK)
44% of people wash their car every few months
10% of people will be washing their car this May Bank Holiday

Bristol
29% of people have been embarrassed by how dirty their car is when picking someone up on a date / meeting someone they know (highest in UK)
6% of people say they love their car
25% of men say they have been jealous about how good another man’s car looks (highest in UK)
53% of people wash their car every few months
20% of people will be washing their car this May Bank Holiday

Cardiff
17% of people have been embarrassed by how dirty their car is when picking someone up on a date / meeting someone they know
2% of people say they love their car (lowest in UK)
14% of men say they have been jealous about how good another man’s car looks
48% of people wash their car every few months
7% of people will be washing their car this May Bank Holiday

Edinburgh
16% of people have been embarrassed by how dirty their car is when picking someone up on a date / meeting someone they know
18% of people say they love their car
24% of men say they have been jealous about how good another man’s car looks
18% of people wash their car every few months (lowest in UK)
18% of people will be washing their car this May Bank Holiday

Glasgow
37% of people have been embarrassed by how dirty their car is when picking someone up on a date / meeting someone they know
21% of people say they love their car
18% of men say they have been jealous about how good another man’s car looks
21% of people wash their car every few months
32% of people will be washing their car this May Bank Holiday (highest in UK)

Leeds
6% of people have been embarrassed by how dirty their car is when picking someone up on a date / meeting someone they know
20% of people say they love their car
10% of men say they have been jealous about how good another man’s car looks
41% of people wash their car every few months
29% of people will be washing their car this May Bank Holiday

Liverpool
4% of people have been embarrassed by how dirty their car is when picking someone up on a date / meeting someone they know (lowest in UK)
17% of people say they love their car
15% of men say they have been jealous about how good another man’s car looks
26% of people wash their car every few months
23% of people will be washing their car this May Bank Holiday

London
21% of people have been embarrassed by how dirty their car is when picking someone up on a date / meeting someone they know
23% of people say they love their car
20% of men say they have been jealous about how good another man’s car looks
46% of people wash their car every few months
11% of people will be washing their car this May Bank Holiday

Manchester
10% of people have been embarrassed by how dirty their car is when picking someone up on a date / meeting someone they know
19% of people say they love their car
12% of men say they have been jealous about how good another man’s car looks
42% of people wash their car every few months
13% of people will be washing their car this May Bank Holiday

Newcastle
20% of people have been embarrassed by how dirty their car is when picking someone up on a date / meeting someone they know
10% of people say they love their car
15% of men say they have been jealous about how good another man’s car looks
27% of people wash their car every few months
7% of people will be washing their car this May Bank Holiday

Norwich
19% of people have been embarrassed by how dirty their car is when picking someone up on a date / meeting someone they know
12% of people say they love their car
12% of men say they have been jealous about how good another man’s car looks
54% of people wash their car every few months (highest in UK)
9% of people will be washing their car this May Bank Holiday

Nottingham
22% of people have been embarrassed by how dirty their car is when picking someone up on a date / meeting someone they know
18% of people say they love their car
20% of men say they have been jealous about how good another man’s car looks
35% of people wash their car every few months
18% of people will be washing their car this May Bank Holiday

Plymouth
8% of people have been embarrassed by how dirty their car is when picking someone up on a date / meeting someone they know
18% of people say they love their car
16% of men say they have been jealous about how good another man’s car looks
29% of people wash their car every few months
18% of people will be washing their car this May Bank Holiday

Sheffield
22% of people have been embarrassed by how dirty their car is when picking someone up on a date / meeting someone they know
19% of people say they love their car
22% of men say they have been jealous about how good another man’s car looks
52% of people wash their car every few months
22% of people will be washing their car this May Bank Holiday

Southampton
17% of people have been embarrassed by how dirty their car is when picking someone up on a date / meeting someone they know
17% of people say they love their car
17% of men say they have been jealous about how good another man’s car looks
43% of people wash their car every few months
6% of people will be washing their car this May Bank Holiday (lowest in UK)
 
How can these stats be real? Cause I for one have never been asked any of them questions?

Let's have our own survey and see what response we get on here.

Will you be washing your car this bank holiday? Which area do you live in?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I tend to hang up on market researches as well! But they have compiled these and to get 5% you will need to have asked at least 20 people!;)
 
Accuracy depends a lot on the size of the sample. Just asking 10 people gives an almost random result but asking 1000 people gives a much more accurate picture.
 
statistics tell us every person has one testicle and one breast. Why clean a car when you could be driving it, people allways get out of the way of a dirty car anyway!
 
buy a white or burgandy car, they look cleaner, Dirt, dents and rust is the way to go, spend that time making love
 
I agree, white is the way forward in car cleaning, hate people being in mine it takes ages to hoover the carpets in mine its that wirey texture and just holds everything especially TWIGS!! the smallest thing possible and takes no effort to break but to hoover...Wheres the logic! Enough of my rant lol White man!
 
my cars silver and is just to unsatisfying when it comes to polishing it. washing it it looks like u polished it but then u dont get the saisfaction of polishing.. loose loose situation i think!!
 
i know that feeing 3 hours washing the wifes yesterday turned out this
Bonnet
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side view
IMG_0003.jpg





it hadnt been washed in about 6 months, driving it though a field would have made it cleaner. seems to me that if she leaves it long enough ill wash it for here.


IMG_0032.jpg

IMG_0021.jpg





mines after an hour and a half and it wasnt as bad as it had been washed around a fortnight ago
cant get a good reflection on the silver, seriously thinking about getting a polishing machine and doing both cars as theres a few swiral marks on both

(images were edited slightly as i was playing about with setting on the camera and had a polorised filter on)
 
i got bought one of them for chistmas feel lil embarressed out the front with a polishing machine hahha where i live you would get abuse for using one lol. i will use it one day!!! but vey good results there mate after doing mine i havent got the will power to do the womans car aswell haha!!!
 
I clean my cars every day, pressure wash the engine compartment and the A/c heat exchangers every week, required in this hot climate to keep the A/C cooling effectively
 
I washed my car the other day and it looked rather good, I wish I would do it so often but there are rust patches and miss matched paint and ill fitting rubbish insurance job panels so I feel dishearten, hopefully all will be rectified in course and my car will look like it should,

I do think that the 306 has aged with grace :)
 
Is this a nation of owners of dirty cars or are the owners themselves dirty?

My mind is like a disused railway line in mid Wales. One track and filthy.
 
My little pocket rocket is washed EVERY week,and DETAILED at least once a month,so how can they say we are a nation of dirty car owners?
 
Yo Waynne, try doing the full clean by hand, not with a power jet washer, ( under bonnet only), you'll see more of any problems,ie,clips not secure, belts need ajusting,leeks,etc AND you'll polish the whole bay, if your anything like me...ex Marranelo ( ferrari uk) head valet.
 
and why do you need it to stop raining to wash it?
your from scotland you should be used to washing it in the rain. all the extra rain makes the dirt softer and easier to get off :)
 
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