if you dont wash your car for a long time does it damage the paint. if it does, how so?

 

It can, yes.

Contaminants that attach themselves to the surface can slowly (or quickly, in the case of bird droppings, some bug guts and excretions) eat away at the clear coat, leaving pits, etch marks (especially with hard water and acid rain), or eat all the way through to the primer - as I've seen with some long-ignored bird droppings.

Industrial fallout can also cause serious paint problems as described above. Chemically treated ("salted") roads can lead to serious rust problems in the body and undercarriage, as can the strong salt air along the ocean coasts.

Does that answer the question well enough?

 

very complete answer animes2k!

just "normal" air contains pollution that will embed into the paint and can eventually damage the clearcoat if left long enough.

does your car sit outside all of the time, geoff2005?

 

no my car is left inside. i was having an argument with my friend. my friend said there no way it can damage the paint if u dont wash it. i told him it can but i had no explaination.

 

 

Not only that but dirt and debris left on the surface can result in scratching. Leaves flapping against the paint can cause scratches as can twigs sliding across the paint. Not only that but if your car is dirty and you touch the paint to say close the trunk, hood, or doors it will cause scratching. Even if someone just brushes up against your car and it's dirty it increases the chances that scratches will result.

 

good point, Mikey! Can't believe I forgot that (at nearly 4am no less). It's been a while since I washed my car and I had WAY too much caffeine in me, so I um... Went out and QEW'd my car in the garage last night after I posted here

 

I leave my car outside 100% of time, sometimes it will be parked under a canopy if i am lucky to get the spot cuz i live in an apartment, how often should i wash my car? it got dusted up very often but usually i just use duster or quick detailer to take care of it.

 

Invest in a cover with a lock. It makes a big difference

 

just what i was about to post!!

as for the other question:
inside you can go a long time with a clean car (with a duster and detail spray)- outside an average would be wash it once a week or so... really depends on where its parked outside and where you drive it.
wash it when it starts getting dirty.