Estimate calories burned washing a car by hand from your body weight, washing time and effort, or find how long to wash to burn a calorie target.

Calculate your calories burned for any activity with our Apple and Android mobile app.

MET is the typical effort level for each pace. Pick moderate if unsure.

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Calories Burned Formula

Use the following formula to calculate calories burned while washing a car.

C = BW × t × f

Variables:

  • C = calories burned
  • BW = body weight
  • t = time spent washing the car in minutes
  • f = washing car activity factor

For a standard hand wash, use f = 0.0278 when body weight is entered in pounds or f = 0.0613 when body weight is entered in kilograms.

Common Washing Car Activity Factors

  • Light rinse or quick wipe: 0.0198 per lb per minute, or 0.0438 per kg per minute
  • Standard hand wash: 0.0278 per lb per minute, or 0.0613 per kg per minute
  • Heavy scrubbing or detailing: 0.0341 per lb per minute, or 0.0753 per kg per minute

Calories Burned Washing a Car

Washing a car combines steady walking, arm work, reaching, bending, and scrubbing. A quick rinse burns less than a full wash with wheel cleaning, drying, or detailing, while longer sessions raise total calories burned quickly.

30-minute standard hand wash examples:

  • 120 lb: about 100 calories
  • 150 lb: about 125 calories
  • 180 lb: about 150 calories
  • 210 lb: about 175 calories

How to Calculate Calories Burned Washing a Car

  1. Enter your body weight in pounds or kilograms.
  2. Enter the number of minutes spent washing the car.
  3. Choose your washing effort; a moderate hand wash is selected by default.
  4. Multiply body weight by time and the washing car activity factor.

Example

A person who weighs 180 lb and washes a car for 30 minutes at a standard hand-wash pace burns:

C = 180 × 30 × 0.0278 = 150.1

That comes out to about 150 calories.