Car washing - How many calories do you burn

Jakz2508
Jakz2508 Posts: 2
edited November 12 in Fitness and Exercise
Having just spent an hour hand washing and drying my car, I have no idea how many calories I may have burned. Anyone got any idea?
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Replies

  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,422 Member
    I would say don't get into the habit of trying to affix a calorie burn to everything you do. Especially chores. Use the extra calories when you perform a planned, aerobic/conditioning activity.

    And, if you insist on logging it, it all depends on how vigorous your movement was and how much you weigh - your gender - height.

    Don't log it is my advice.
  • kbmnurse
    kbmnurse Posts: 2,484 Member
    Really?
  • Lysander666
    Lysander666 Posts: 275 Member
    Maybe you burned a couple of calories typing the OP?
  • Jakz2508
    Jakz2508 Posts: 2
    Good point cmriverside. I've had a pretty good workout today anyway, so will disregard the car cleaning. Going to lie in a darkened room now!
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    3.141592653589793238462643

    Seriously though - probably not enough to worry about.
  • cmichelle615
    cmichelle615 Posts: 1 Member
    I disagree with everyone here. I burn 300 calories when I clean my house with light to moderate effort for an hour, so why couldn't it be for a car wash too? I don't know about you, but when I'm done washing my car I am sweating profusely from all of the squating, bending, stretching, not to mention all in the blazing sun.
    I checked a few other websites and the average seems to be about 250-300 calories per hour burned while washing a car. I say go for it. My doctor is always reminding me that "everything counts" and the point is to be active.
  • WendyL525
    WendyL525 Posts: 14 Member
    Absolutely count those calories. To wash, dry, vac, clean the inside....u r absolutely burning calories and every one of them count! I just put 150 for the hour I spent. I count cleaning the house too, that's grueling work at times and is equal to a work out.

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  • Joannesmith2818
    Joannesmith2818 Posts: 438 Member
    When i wash my car a work up a right sweat. I defo log it.....back then i was eating 1200 cals and had entered sedentary and from all the people saying STARVATION etc I figured any extra cals burnt should be eaten otherwise I would be netting below 1200 cals. Now that I eat more cals its not such a problem.....but just saying mixed messages people.
  • devonutopia
    devonutopia Posts: 1
    I spent 8 hours polishing a massive Audi yesterday - This involved a wash, dry, decontamination, two stage machine polish - the most exercise came from removing polish with a cloth, and also removing the layer of wax too - the machine polishing isn't the easiest. Over the 8 hours I decided to log it as a 2mph leisurely walk of 3 hours - so 6 miles. I felt that's more or less what I had done after the 8 hours of car cleaning was up.
  • rdrlh2a
    rdrlh2a Posts: 2 Member
    Seems to me for someone who, like me, is seriously out of shape and overweight, any extra activity is a good thing and if it helps to keep you motivated to add it, then it is a good thing. As i begin this website and am exercise program, I am happy to have a little more energy to do any extra chore and if it helps me have more energy for tomorrow woo hoo...so for me, I record it.
  • awerewka
    awerewka Posts: 151 Member
    I log shovelling snow so why not log washing a car? I wore my HRM when I did it just to see and I burned over 150 cals in 18 minutes....shovelling snow really is a work out. But the amount and weight of snow makes a big difference. I wouldn't bother logging it if it were just a light dust of snow. But this was a major snow storm and I had to shovel at home and then again 10 min later at work. I didn't log any extra for the snow at work...just to be conservative on the cal burn.

    So if a site said for example 200 cals for vigorous car cleaning ... I would log half of that and no more.
  • Warchortle
    Warchortle Posts: 2,197 Member
    Absolutely count those calories. To wash, dry, vac, clean the inside....u r absolutely burning calories and every one of them count! I just put 150 for the hour I spent. I count cleaning the house too, that's grueling work at times and is equal to a work out.

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    Uh... I'm not going to try to estimate how many calories it took for me to type this post.
  • awerewka
    awerewka Posts: 151 Member
    Typing a post vs an hour of actual movement for someone who may have set herself as sedentary?

    Common people....get your heads out of your *kitten* and be a little more supportive.
  • fast_eddie_72
    fast_eddie_72 Posts: 719 Member
    Typing a post vs an hour of actual movement for someone who may have set herself as sedentary?

    Common people....get your heads out of your *kitten* and be a little more supportive.

    I didn't read it as unsupportive. Sorry, I wouldn't log it either. I think anything that gets you moving and doing is awesome. I just wouldn't log something that likely burned so few calories.
  • pinkraynedropjacki
    pinkraynedropjacki Posts: 3,027 Member
    I disagree with everyone here. I burn 300 calories when I clean my house with light to moderate effort for an hour, so why couldn't it be for a car wash too? I don't know about you, but when I'm done washing my car I am sweating profusely from all of the squating, bending, stretching, not to mention all in the blazing sun.
    I checked a few other websites and the average seems to be about 250-300 calories per hour burned while washing a car. I say go for it. My doctor is always reminding me that "everything counts" and the point is to be active.


    Sweating does not indicate a workout. I'm currently sweating & not doing anything.... it's hot. I sweat in my sleep. So please do not measure a workout in sweat terms.

    Also 300 cals an hour for light cleaning??? I doubt that very much. I do a 40 min high aerobic workout & will be lucky to burn 350 cals so I doubt very much indeed that 300 cals for an hour of light cleaning will do that.

    Rule 1 though.... don't measure sweat.... it means nothing in terms of a workout.

    After that... don't log every little thing as a workout....
  • awerewka
    awerewka Posts: 151 Member
    Yah I would not count an exercise by sweating.

    i just shovelled vigorously for 15 min burning 105 cals and not one drop of sweat...froze my *kitten* off.

    Not planning on logging that one since I am headed to the gym in an hour anyways.
  • 970Mikaela1
    970Mikaela1 Posts: 2,013 Member
    You're supposed to wash them?
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    I don't log things I normally did while I was fat. I cleaned the house for hours and washed the car without ever getting in shape. That's part of what I view as my regular activity level. I am sedentary during the week (desk job) but weekends are active with cleaning, so I set my activity level to light.
  • knra_grl
    knra_grl Posts: 1,566 Member
    If you washing the car is something you would not normally do (maybe your husband or kids do it normally?) and you feel the need to log it - log it.

    Personally I don't log anything that I would do on a day to day basis like housework, yard work, etc. If I was building a deck which I don't normally do, I don't think I would log it but I might eat more that day.

    Some people consider their daily steps tracked on fitbit exercise - sorry I would have made those daily steps anyway it's not included in my exercise.

    Whatever works for one person doesn't work for another - I guess it's all about personal choice.
  • pinkraynedropjacki
    pinkraynedropjacki Posts: 3,027 Member
    I don't log things I normally did while I was fat. I cleaned the house for hours and washed the car without ever getting in shape. That's part of what I view as my regular activity level. I am sedentary during the week (desk job) but weekends are active with cleaning, so I set my activity level to light.

    You ate when you were fat so you should not log eating.
    Some people consider their daily steps tracked on fitbit exercise - sorry I would have made those daily steps anyway it's not included in my exercise.

    I walked when I was fat, I still walk now... I log it. I never did walk a marathon each day though, but I still walk. Anything not sitting down is exercise..... you don't have to log it...but walking is considered exercise. I would normally have walked to work... does not mean it's not exercise.
  • HealthyMakeover
    HealthyMakeover Posts: 142 Member
    I log non-workout things as exercise, too, but I don't go overboard with it.
    I don't think there is anything wrong with logging washing a car.
    If you were trying to calculate how many calories you burn while brushing teeth, or walking from one room to another, then I think that is a different story.
    Washing a car really does get your heart pounding, so why not count that? It would probably be the same as walking or going on a light jog.

    When I ride my horse, I feel myself working muscles and my heart get's going. I log that as exercise. I log it when I go shopping for hours on end. I mean, I'm walking, right? And I also log light house cleaning, but I ALWAYS underestimate the calories it tells me that I burn. Everybody has a different house, everybody does different chores.

    But overall, I really see nothing wrong with it.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    I don't log things I normally did while I was fat. I cleaned the house for hours and washed the car without ever getting in shape. That's part of what I view as my regular activity level. I am sedentary during the week (desk job) but weekends are active with cleaning, so I set my activity level to light.

    You ate when you were fat so you should not log eating.

    Excuse me. I don't log ACTIVITIES I did while I was fat. Not sure why you elected to attack that when I took the time to explain that it's more about weekly activity level.

    By all means if you want to log you burned 300 calories washing the car for an hour feel free to do it. I simply explained how I have elected to do things.

    ETA: You're also talking about the opposite end of the calorie equation. I didn't suddenly burn more calories cleaning when I decided to get in shape. We are simply more aware of our activity level.
  • fast_eddie_72
    fast_eddie_72 Posts: 719 Member
    I don't log things I normally did while I was fat. I cleaned the house for hours and washed the car without ever getting in shape. That's part of what I view as my regular activity level. I am sedentary during the week (desk job) but weekends are active with cleaning, so I set my activity level to light.

    You ate when you were fat so you should not log eating.
    Some people consider their daily steps tracked on fitbit exercise - sorry I would have made those daily steps anyway it's not included in my exercise.

    I walked when I was fat, I still walk now... I log it. I never did walk a marathon each day though, but I still walk. Anything not sitting down is exercise..... you don't have to log it...but walking is considered exercise. I would normally have walked to work... does not mean it's not exercise.

    Oh for cryin' out loud.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,422 Member
    quite an impressive resurrection of this thread
  • pinkraynedropjacki
    pinkraynedropjacki Posts: 3,027 Member
    I don't log things I normally did while I was fat. I cleaned the house for hours and washed the car without ever getting in shape. That's part of what I view as my regular activity level. I am sedentary during the week (desk job) but weekends are active with cleaning, so I set my activity level to light.

    You ate when you were fat so you should not log eating.

    Excuse me. I don't log ACTIVITIES I did while I was fat. Not sure why you elected to attack that when I took the time to explain that it's more about weekly activity level.

    By all means if you want to log you burned 300 calories washing the car for an hour feel free to do it. I simply explained how I have elected to do things.

    ETA: You're also talking about the opposite end of the calorie equation. I didn't suddenly burn more calories cleaning when I decided to get in shape. We are simply more aware of our activity level.


    Speak for yourself. I do more now in regards to housework alone than when I was fat....and I do it with more of a workout as well. I don't log it cause I have no need to log anything I do...my walking from fitbit is more than enough & anything over that is a bonus.

    But just to clarify.... you didnt stress activity in your post... you just said
    I don't log things I normally did while I was fat.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    I don't log things I normally did while I was fat. I cleaned the house for hours and washed the car without ever getting in shape. That's part of what I view as my regular activity level. I am sedentary during the week (desk job) but weekends are active with cleaning, so I set my activity level to light.

    You ate when you were fat so you should not log eating.

    Excuse me. I don't log ACTIVITIES I did while I was fat. Not sure why you elected to attack that when I took the time to explain that it's more about weekly activity level.

    By all means if you want to log you burned 300 calories washing the car for an hour feel free to do it. I simply explained how I have elected to do things.

    ETA: You're also talking about the opposite end of the calorie equation. I didn't suddenly burn more calories cleaning when I decided to get in shape. We are simply more aware of our activity level.


    Speak for yourself. I do more now in regards to housework alone than when I was fat....and I do it with more of a workout as well. I don't log it cause I have no need to log anything I do...my walking from fitbit is more than enough & anything over that is a bonus.

    But just to clarify.... you didnt stress activity in your post... you just said
    I don't log things I normally did while I was fat.

    You stopped reading at the first sentence. Please quit twisting my words or ignoring all of what I say. I do not appreciate it. There is a reason I write more than one sentence.
    That's part of what I view as my regular activity level. I am sedentary during the week (desk job) but weekends are active with cleaning, so I set my activity level to light.

    You may do more housework now, but if you did the same amount you would not burn more calories. You don't suddenly burn more calories when you are aware of your activity level, you only burn more when you increase it.

    Once again, please don't chop my words and make them out to be something different from what I said. Thank you.
  • DannehBoyy
    DannehBoyy Posts: 546 Member
    Simple...car washing burns exactly 84 calories.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,993 Member
    Car washing usually isn't a chore so you can count those calories. But everyday cleaning, etc., nah.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • bobkat80
    bobkat80 Posts: 347 Member
    "3.141592653589793238462643"

    Now I just want pi.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,422 Member
    Car washing usually isn't a chore so you can count those calories. But everyday cleaning, etc., nah.


    :angry:


    just for that, I'm stripping you of your autosig.
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