More than four in 10 British motorists are either too lazy or too busy to wash their own cars, and get someone else to do it, according to a survey carried out by AA Cars. That figure rises to nearly six in ten for time-poor Londoners. In Scotland, the weekend tradition still appears to be in fashion with more than two-thirds stating they wash their own cars, followed by Wales, the North East and South West.
Almost a quarter (22%) of car owners polled now use a pop-up hand car wash, which can often be found on a supermarket or major out-of-town retailer car park. The convenience means customers can do the weekly shop and have their car cleaned at the same time.
The AA-Populus poll, which canvassed 19,619 AA members on how often they clean their cars, and the methods most frequently used, also revealed that fewer professionals (54%) wash their own cars compared to semi-skilled and manual workers (63%). And the gender difference is even more marked with close to two thirds of men (61%) claiming to do a DIY bucket and sponge job, or home pressure washer, compared to just 49% of women who preferred to pay to have their cars washed.
But the survey also showed that just one in ten (10%) respondents give their car a clean on the outside once a week, with only 29% admitting they only gave their vehicle a wash once every few months.
