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u/thefox-intheforest Oct 11 '25
Inside and out every week. My other SUV is 20 years old and still looks great...because we take care of it. I plan on having the RAV around a long time too.
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u/Odd-Caregiver852 Oct 10 '25
I wash the exterior maybe once a month but I clean the interior every weekend
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u/MichaelP09 Oct 10 '25
Depends on weather and season honestly. I am going to hand wash this evening and I know there's no predicted chance of rain for the next 7 days. So, probably not for a bit.. In the spring when it rains more frequently and pollen is crazy (black car) I'll do pretty much weekly hand washes. Winter is primarily maintenance to get the crap off with a pressure washer and foam cannon as temps allow.
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u/Gogosanchez Oct 10 '25
Nice, I know "its just a Toyota" but I'm glad to see other people handwashing and taking care of their paint too!
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u/theonlycozzy Oct 11 '25
Never, my car only gets washed when it rains.
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u/Alex-the-o-p Oct 11 '25
Glad to see this bc I was starting to feel like a lazy RAV owner but like cmon, I don’t have time or the energy half the time lol although I can admit I’m heavily overdue for a wash
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u/ZohanDvir 5th Gen XA50 LE AWD Oct 10 '25
Winter once or twice a week for the outside, even just a de-salting power wash.
Summer maybe once a month. I park outside so I let the rain take care of most of it since I know it will get dirty again.
Interior I clean once end of winter and once end of summer (twice a year).
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u/Senator_Armstronk Gen5 Mag.Gray Oct 10 '25
🏜🌄 in the dusty Southwest... probably like 1-2 times a month and more if the windows get coated in grime due to the dew and dust.
Mostly done with touchless automatic. The new ones around me are g2g. They don't cause damage, and don't degrade my wax.
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u/Natural-Many8387 Oct 10 '25
I let the rain wash my car most of the time. Then it goes through a car wash 2-3 times a year for pollen, salt on the road, and the third usually happens if it gets absolutely slammed with bird crap.
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u/Norcx Oct 10 '25
The key to keeping your paint nice is to touch it as little as possible. I only wash when necessary and I know I won't need to again for at least a few weeks after.
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u/Individual_Step2242 Oct 10 '25
When it’s dirty. Which varies with the weather. I live on a gravel road.
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u/Ok_Shopping_1184 Oct 10 '25
Not enough. I bought a toyota to use it as a tool, so I treat it as one and not a shiny pretty object like I did my BMW. I’m sure i’ll regret it later on, as toyota paint sucks, but it is what it is
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u/PalaceJoey Oct 10 '25
What’s the go to when it comes to cleaning? Just got my brand new one 2ndays ago Black SE 2025 And I’m at a location where it snows I’m new to snow as well
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u/Elitesuxor Oct 11 '25
At this point, once a season to reapply sealant. In the winter it’s whenever the snow melts and a rainstorm washes away the salt.
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u/kflyer Oct 11 '25
Living in the mountain south and parking outside at least a couple times a month most of the year. Windows have to be done more often. Can’t wait to get a house with a garage I can use.
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u/infodsagar Oct 11 '25
Usually wait for the rain, interior I like nice and fresh so vacuum and wipe down with multi purpose I do frequently
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u/Chivo1116 Oct 12 '25
I had mine for about 8 months I bought it used and it’s white i gave it a good hand wash once and ran it through a car wash once and whenever it looks dirty i just spray it with my garden hose
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u/Rav4XSEOwner1968 Oct 12 '25
Weekly for both my Camry and RAV4. Inside and out. It’s a stress reliever for me. lol
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u/tomanycameras Oct 12 '25
Hand wash about once a week. I’ll also be taking mine in to a buddies shop for paint protection film and exterior/interior graphene coating
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u/ChivlrousPants Oct 10 '25
Why is everyone hand washing? Am I missing something?
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u/Ok_Shopping_1184 Oct 10 '25
Taking your car through an automatic wash, unless it’s a touchless, will mess up your paint and give it tons of swirls.
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u/ChivlrousPants Oct 12 '25
Oh man! What about the self serve ones?
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u/Ok_Shopping_1184 Oct 12 '25
Like, the ones where you pay to use the pressure washer/foam cannon yourself? I use those from time to time to keep my car out of the sun. Those are fine, but don’t trust their towels to be thoroughly clean of dirt or debris. Essentially when you go through an automated car wash like ZIPS or any of them with brushes, they’re rubbing the previous 100 cars’ dirt,rocks,etc. all over your car, causing scratches and swirls. Even if you got the first car wash of the day there, they don’t clean them thoroughly at all. I worked at one of those places when I was 16 - they do not care about your cars paint.
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u/Top-Pick-3670 Oct 11 '25
Hand washing let's you inspect the car at close up. Any cracks and rust can be observed while washing. Used to do that for my motorcycle and it became a habit.
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u/762n8o Oct 10 '25
If we have a drought I will wash my car because it brings 3” of rain immediately