I will confess that I only change the bar tape when it needs a change -- usually when it starts splitting and the LBS suggests it The 'used look' does not bother me at all; I actually even like it. If I spend time cleaning the bike, I focus almost exclusively on the drive train. And I make sure my tail light is clean, too, so it can be seen. Of course, if I spilled something gooey or coffee on the handlebar, then I would clean it. That has never happened, though... Think of holding to your bar tape as long as it is functional as a green practice.