Washing the Cayenne

Our Cayenne’s body color is white, but starting around December last year, the dirt really started to show. So my husband tried to wash it once, but

The Cayenne is so big that I just can’t reach the middle of the roof. Washing it properly by myself is tough. Maybe it’s better to get a hand wash service.

he said.

However, the end of the year was hectic, and we couldn’t find time to wash it, so the Cayenne kept running around all muddy.

Still, somehow the Cayenne looks good even when dirty… it gives off the vibe of having just driven through snow or sleet-covered roads, and I found myself thinking, “It actually looks kind of cool with that rugged, driven feel.” (Totally just making excuses here.)

Then, at the end of the year, my husband took the Cayenne for a spin and washed it on the way back. When I asked, he said he put it through an automatic car wash.

“Wait, you can put it in an automatic car wash? Doesn’t it get scratched or anything?” I was surprised, and he said,

I checked the width and height limits for cars allowed in automatic car washes beforehand, and apparently, many car washes have a width limit of 2.3 meters. I wasn’t sure if that was the width including mirrors or just the body width, but since the Cayenne’s width is 1985mm, I thought it might just work, so I gave it a try.
That said, although there was about 30cm of width to spare, the tires didn’t fit inside the yellow guide lines painted on the ground at all. I don’t think those lines are actually 2.3 meters wide?
Anyway, I aligned the driver’s side tire with the yellow line and the passenger side tire stuck out quite a bit, but I stopped there. Watching the car wash gate get closer was really nerve-wracking. The gate felt way too small, and it seemed like the Cayenne was squeezing in tight.
I was praying, “If it’s really going to hit something, the safety sensors will stop it,” while waiting (lol).
From the driver’s seat, even with the mirrors folded in, the gate was so close on the passenger side that I was worried it might scrape the mirror. It was scary to watch.

he said.

My husband took several photos, and looking at them, it really looks intense and a bit scary…!

However, regarding the wheels, it seems the automatic wash didn’t get them clean at all,

I definitely have to wash the wheels myself. I chose a course that focuses on washing the wheels, but they didn’t get clean at all. In fact, the brush marks were patchy and made them look even dirtier.
I think it’s better to just do a regular wash course and clean the wheels myself.
Or maybe a touchless car wash that cleans with water pressure would be better. I’ll try that next time.

he said.

H3 Heading a

A few days later, after a long day of playing in the snow with the Cayenne, I came home and looked at the car—it was shockingly dirty…

Since the Cayenne is an SUV, it actually looks fitting when it’s dirty, like it’s been off-roading, but this was just too much. So we headed straight to the automatic car wash.

My husband had said before that “the width was really just barely enough,” so I wanted to experience that myself—and it really was that close, lol.

I wonder how everyone else handles washing their large SUVs. Do you always get hand washes? There’s a touchless automatic car wash a short drive from home, so next time the car gets really dirty, I plan to try that one.