I desire to wash my car in the winter but the water is SO cold on my hands that it makes the experience not pleasurable. I wear rubber boots that keep my feet toasty warm and I wash in sunlight which makes my body warmer but holding the sponge is cold. Wearing rubber gloves helps only a little. Is there a sponge or a mop that I could attach to a short threaded paint pole that I could use to keep my distance from the cold water? Also I am afraid to use one of those very soft bristled bruches made for a motor home. I do't want to use touchless or wand car wash because it won't get all the oily grime off. What do you guys do?
Winter Cleaning Dilemma
- Thread starter SuperBuick
- Start date
I like to use warm-moderately hot water during the winter. The weather still has to cooperate. If its below 28 degrees outside, then it will be real hard to wash the car, because the water will freeze, and attempting to wipe a car with frost on it or your towel will not be the best thing for your paint. If its between 28 to 32 and or above, then warm buckets of water will do nicely.
Last night I went to put my roof rack on my car. There was a considerable amount of salt on the roof, so I had to clean the four spots where the roof rack would touch. It was about 12F, but I figured that I could apply and remove hot QEW in a 6inch by 6inch area before it could freeze. I was mistaken. It literally froze on contact. Never seen anything like it!
SuperBuick
Member
You have SG or any other sealents on it? From what I was told that salt causes damage when the temp drops and rains. That's when the salt will desolve on your car and if you don't have anything protecting it, it will eat your clear coat. BUT if you have a sealent on your car you should be fine till the weather clears up.
I live in NE Ohio and we have a foot of snow today. I wait till it gets 33oand above to just wash it at those no touch washes. Make sure you do it early so it can dry not at night then it will freeze your doors.
I live in NE Ohio and we have a foot of snow today. I wait till it gets 33oand above to just wash it at those no touch washes. Make sure you do it early so it can dry not at night then it will freeze your doors.
You're not alone. My car hasnt been washed in several weeks. Usually my car is the cleanest car on my street, but now it looks like crap. I can't believe Im actually looking forward to 40 degree weather so I can wash it.
The forecast says it should get up to the 40s on wednesday. I have some long rubber gloves ready for the task. I can't wait to have a clean car again.
The forecast says it should get up to the 40s on wednesday. I have some long rubber gloves ready for the task. I can't wait to have a clean car again.
solarafied
New member
I am in the same boat as many of you here only my car now has hood damage and fender damage in addition to the endless amount of salt. It sucks truly. I got lucky a few weeks ago as it was 50 degrees and I did a complete wash. After each snowstorm I run to one of the pressure washer bays to rinse it off and just go. Not the most ideal way but it works for me.
klnyc
Deep scratch guy.
Tell me about it Good thing I done last detail on my car 2-3 weeks ago. Man, like about post say, I can't wait till the temp reach above 33deg.
Good thing I done last detail on my car 2-3 weeks ago. Man, like about post say, I can't wait till the temp reach above 33deg.SuperBuick
Member
3 feet of snow here today......
repost-
I have washed my car though out the Boston winters-
My method is this.
1. Start car, turn on all heat (medium fan speed- high speed will not get it hot enough while idleing ) and defrosters. Wipe snow off leaving a 1/2 inch layer. Over entire car including windshield.
2. Dump 1/4 gallon of windshield washer solution on windshield- let car idle for 10 minutes. Using edge of piece of plastic sheeting - get this under the ice to help lift off ice sheet without scratching your windshield- also make sure your windshield is cleaned with a MF every time you park your car- and get under the wipers too to remove grime.
3. Go and a run a few errands (car has to run for at least 25-35 minutes) with the car to get the heat distributed throughout the car.
4. When nearing home- turn on the heat full blast with air recycle on. Leave car on - do not do this in the driveway! Pull the car onto your frozen lawn, or your drive way will become a skating rink.
5. Now the car is hot- and hopefully it is sunny out and about 25-32F near 11-noon.
6. Take the hose and blast the remaining snow, salt, sand, ice off the car + windows paying special attention to the ice chunks near the wheel wheels and under the undercarriage behind each wheel.- carefully blast under the fender ridge- on jet spray- to dislodge any sand and especially salt. Do the undercarriage twice, hopefully by driving the car- you got some fresh road salt under there to help loosen debris. OF course you don't want this on your car.
7. The car will ice as you do this unless the car is hot and still running.
* the roof often ices first even when car is on as the roof is well insulated (Cold air falls and makes cars drafty so roofs have lots of insulation- and hence so pay special attention to this. ) Roof is the last thing to get warm and the first to get cold.
8. Using your mit clean the roof completely- Dry remaining excess quickly with microfiber towel that has been wrung dry from a hot steaming water bucket. (Towel will be steaming like crazy- but won't be hot enough to melt wax once wrung out.) Use a laddle to laddle out a portion on hot water each time- You can rinse the MF in warm water. You'll need to use the laddle because you won't be able to see through the steam to see the water or find a dropped MF. The warm water rinse bucket won't steam as much. So rinse towel in Warm- second rinse with hot- wring towel and dry car.
9. Take out bottle of quick detailer which has been soaking in hot water bucket.. Mist the hot towel- for some reason this helps remove more water. Wipe roof dry- Killer.
10. That is the hardest part. at least 75% of the work. You have to battel the icing- but you can dry a car in very cold weather doing this. Don't try to do a large area or your MF will freeze to the car (If this happens use the laddle to dump some water on the MF to dislodge.- do a small area at a time.
11. Now spray down the side panels taking car not to let mist get on roof. Spray down using a shower head gentle spray instead of jet setting. (I use one of those multi spray heads for winter cleaning.)
12. Same drying procedure for side panels- you might not need the hot water if it isn't icing. Forget about the windows completely- let them ice up once you've cleaned them, or you will never stay ahead of the icing process. We will de-ice the windows later.
13. Next do the trunk. Or if your engine is in the rear do the front. The engine will keep the hood warm enough to do last.
14. Do rear fenders after the trunk. Then rear bumper with separate microfiber for all lowers.
15. Now strangely enough...do your front air dam and front fenders.. I know you will be saying that water will come off of your hood (which it will) but as the hood water will be warmer it is no big deal. You have lots of ice build up on the front air dam as well as the front fenders (Which get splattered with ice and snow and salt and sand....so cleaning them twice is not a bad thing).
16. Now do your hood. This will be the easiest. Shoot water from top of hood towards front air dam.
17. Dry hood in same fashion- quickly blast the air dam and do the same thing. You can use soaking wet hot microfiber MF's for the air dam.
18. Now with water pressure lower- nearly a trickle, reclean your front fenders. Try to keep hose off of snow as much as possible- put it on a shoveled walk way - to prevent hose water from getting near freezing.
19. Give underside of car a final blast with the hose. Do rims one at a time using rim cleaner that has soaked in hot water bucket. You'll also have to preheat each rim by pouring about 1/2 gallon of hot water onto the rim (I use old economy size plastic detergent jugs for this- pour spout works awesome as well as no drip spout for reducing splatter.)
20. Now you can roll this into your garage. The heat from inside the cabin will usually melt the remainder of snow from the windows once inside unless your garage is really freezing.
21. QD all the snow drips from windows.
22. Use warm MF towel to do side mirrors.
23. Use hot QD to do final QD over rest of car. To do roof- you will need to drop a "hot wrung out clean water only MF" on the roof to pre- heat the roof area and then QD and MF it.
24. To hand wax use a wax that melts easily- such as Souveran. Use your hands on cold car. Souveran is Chapstick for your hands. Buff with MF. IF your hand gets cold put hand inside a open ziploc- dunk ziploc halfway down into water so hand warms- then remove hot hand to melt souveran. DO NOT put Souveran in hot water bath! You'll use too much wax and have a real mess on your hands.
** if windows did not de-ice when brought into garage, double ziploc bag some hot water and apply that hot bag to the inside of the glass to act as a defroster.
Hot QD the car. To remove drips
Sick,,,,,, Yesâ€Â¦.did I have a clean car all winter??? Yes.
I didn't have a garage at all for this- and my car was clean nearly every day. I have no rust on my undercarriage as a result. This winterâ€Â¦I have a garage! Thankfully,,,,,- but alas unheated- so the car will still be washed on the frozen lawn.
I have washed my car though out the Boston winters-
My method is this.
1. Start car, turn on all heat (medium fan speed- high speed will not get it hot enough while idleing ) and defrosters. Wipe snow off leaving a 1/2 inch layer. Over entire car including windshield.
2. Dump 1/4 gallon of windshield washer solution on windshield- let car idle for 10 minutes. Using edge of piece of plastic sheeting - get this under the ice to help lift off ice sheet without scratching your windshield- also make sure your windshield is cleaned with a MF every time you park your car- and get under the wipers too to remove grime.
3. Go and a run a few errands (car has to run for at least 25-35 minutes) with the car to get the heat distributed throughout the car.
4. When nearing home- turn on the heat full blast with air recycle on. Leave car on - do not do this in the driveway! Pull the car onto your frozen lawn, or your drive way will become a skating rink.
5. Now the car is hot- and hopefully it is sunny out and about 25-32F near 11-noon.
6. Take the hose and blast the remaining snow, salt, sand, ice off the car + windows paying special attention to the ice chunks near the wheel wheels and under the undercarriage behind each wheel.- carefully blast under the fender ridge- on jet spray- to dislodge any sand and especially salt. Do the undercarriage twice, hopefully by driving the car- you got some fresh road salt under there to help loosen debris. OF course you don't want this on your car.
7. The car will ice as you do this unless the car is hot and still running.
* the roof often ices first even when car is on as the roof is well insulated (Cold air falls and makes cars drafty so roofs have lots of insulation- and hence so pay special attention to this. ) Roof is the last thing to get warm and the first to get cold.
8. Using your mit clean the roof completely- Dry remaining excess quickly with microfiber towel that has been wrung dry from a hot steaming water bucket. (Towel will be steaming like crazy- but won't be hot enough to melt wax once wrung out.) Use a laddle to laddle out a portion on hot water each time- You can rinse the MF in warm water. You'll need to use the laddle because you won't be able to see through the steam to see the water or find a dropped MF. The warm water rinse bucket won't steam as much. So rinse towel in Warm- second rinse with hot- wring towel and dry car.
9. Take out bottle of quick detailer which has been soaking in hot water bucket.. Mist the hot towel- for some reason this helps remove more water. Wipe roof dry- Killer.
10. That is the hardest part. at least 75% of the work. You have to battel the icing- but you can dry a car in very cold weather doing this. Don't try to do a large area or your MF will freeze to the car (If this happens use the laddle to dump some water on the MF to dislodge.- do a small area at a time.
11. Now spray down the side panels taking car not to let mist get on roof. Spray down using a shower head gentle spray instead of jet setting. (I use one of those multi spray heads for winter cleaning.)
12. Same drying procedure for side panels- you might not need the hot water if it isn't icing. Forget about the windows completely- let them ice up once you've cleaned them, or you will never stay ahead of the icing process. We will de-ice the windows later.
13. Next do the trunk. Or if your engine is in the rear do the front. The engine will keep the hood warm enough to do last.
14. Do rear fenders after the trunk. Then rear bumper with separate microfiber for all lowers.
15. Now strangely enough...do your front air dam and front fenders.. I know you will be saying that water will come off of your hood (which it will) but as the hood water will be warmer it is no big deal. You have lots of ice build up on the front air dam as well as the front fenders (Which get splattered with ice and snow and salt and sand....so cleaning them twice is not a bad thing).
16. Now do your hood. This will be the easiest. Shoot water from top of hood towards front air dam.
17. Dry hood in same fashion- quickly blast the air dam and do the same thing. You can use soaking wet hot microfiber MF's for the air dam.
18. Now with water pressure lower- nearly a trickle, reclean your front fenders. Try to keep hose off of snow as much as possible- put it on a shoveled walk way - to prevent hose water from getting near freezing.
19. Give underside of car a final blast with the hose. Do rims one at a time using rim cleaner that has soaked in hot water bucket. You'll also have to preheat each rim by pouring about 1/2 gallon of hot water onto the rim (I use old economy size plastic detergent jugs for this- pour spout works awesome as well as no drip spout for reducing splatter.)
20. Now you can roll this into your garage. The heat from inside the cabin will usually melt the remainder of snow from the windows once inside unless your garage is really freezing.
21. QD all the snow drips from windows.
22. Use warm MF towel to do side mirrors.
23. Use hot QD to do final QD over rest of car. To do roof- you will need to drop a "hot wrung out clean water only MF" on the roof to pre- heat the roof area and then QD and MF it.
24. To hand wax use a wax that melts easily- such as Souveran. Use your hands on cold car. Souveran is Chapstick for your hands. Buff with MF. IF your hand gets cold put hand inside a open ziploc- dunk ziploc halfway down into water so hand warms- then remove hot hand to melt souveran. DO NOT put Souveran in hot water bath! You'll use too much wax and have a real mess on your hands.
** if windows did not de-ice when brought into garage, double ziploc bag some hot water and apply that hot bag to the inside of the glass to act as a defroster.
Hot QD the car. To remove drips
Sick,,,,,, Yesâ€Â¦.did I have a clean car all winter??? Yes.
I didn't have a garage at all for this- and my car was clean nearly every day. I have no rust on my undercarriage as a result. This winterâ€Â¦I have a garage! Thankfully,,,,,- but alas unheated- so the car will still be washed on the frozen lawn.
togwt
The Old Grey Whistle Test
Quote: As long as it stays nice and cold the corrosive stuff won't do anything much to the undercarriage. Next year, spray it down with some AMSOIL or something similar before the snow flies. EOQ
:xyxthumbs
Totally agree, leave the salt alone, by adding water (undercarriage spray) will make things worse once you add water to salt it becomes acidic (corrosive); "Always add the acid to the water, never add the water to acid" Chemistry 101.
:xyxthumbs
Totally agree, leave the salt alone, by adding water (undercarriage spray) will make things worse once you add water to salt it becomes acidic (corrosive); "Always add the acid to the water, never add the water to acid" Chemistry 101.
SuperBuick
Member
Erase - For the past month (or even more) steps 4,5,and 6 have all been impossible in the boston area - way too col, no "lawn", and again, hose won't work because it will freeze while you are using it... :-(
My car has been clean nearly every day!
Ahhhh- the hose...forgot that detail...I use this-
http://www.shipstore.com/ss/html/ASM/ASMMRT50.html
It is a flat hose with a reel that squeezes out the water once you are done- Make sure you wind it up within a few minutes of finishing or the water will start to freeze in the hose. If this starts to happen and slush starts to come out while winding...you have to flush water through fast with the noozle off- and then wind it up right away.
The key to not having the hose freeze is to keep the water moving through it the whole time. Never let it sit without water flowing for more than 5 minutes.
I have one of those "Keys" that lets you turn on faucets that take that special key to open. There is always a university nearby with those faucets- which are there for watering the lawn. I have found lots of them that are not turned off for the winter.
I also have filled old laundy giant size jugs with water and used this. I use rechargeable d-batteries.
http://www.safetycentral.com/baoppososh.html
this one- is a little more crazy
http://www.zodi.com/
they have 12 volt versions as well as the battery version. There are also adapters for garden hoses.
These are the over the top ones.
http://www.hazmatshower.com/haz_hottap.html
, and I think if you can fill a bunch of old laundry jugs you are better off with that. Keep the jugs inside the car- they will radiate heat as well. Don't use Gerry jugs as they get to be too squishy to manage when filled with hot water. You don't need hot water for anything but the final rinse anyhow- this heats up the panels so they can be dried- much of the warmer water instantly steams off anyhow.
The key is to do the roof first spraying from the middle line down one side of the car- and try to do that side next immediately before that side ices. You have to have a good noozle like the ace hardware one with lots of spray selection. I use "Jet " setting to de-ice and get off the mud, then "Center" to do the rims and undercarriage, then "Shower" to do the sides of the car.
Since sun is limited- try to face your car towards the sun as the shady side will ice first.
You get pretty good at it once you know how your car ices. I can do mine in about 20 minutes.
Where are you in Boston? I could show you next time I wash my car.
Ahhhh- the hose...forgot that detail...I use this-
http://www.shipstore.com/ss/html/ASM/ASMMRT50.html
It is a flat hose with a reel that squeezes out the water once you are done- Make sure you wind it up within a few minutes of finishing or the water will start to freeze in the hose. If this starts to happen and slush starts to come out while winding...you have to flush water through fast with the noozle off- and then wind it up right away.
The key to not having the hose freeze is to keep the water moving through it the whole time. Never let it sit without water flowing for more than 5 minutes.
I have one of those "Keys" that lets you turn on faucets that take that special key to open. There is always a university nearby with those faucets- which are there for watering the lawn. I have found lots of them that are not turned off for the winter.
I also have filled old laundy giant size jugs with water and used this. I use rechargeable d-batteries.
http://www.safetycentral.com/baoppososh.html
this one- is a little more crazy
http://www.zodi.com/
they have 12 volt versions as well as the battery version. There are also adapters for garden hoses.
These are the over the top ones.
http://www.hazmatshower.com/haz_hottap.html
, and I think if you can fill a bunch of old laundry jugs you are better off with that. Keep the jugs inside the car- they will radiate heat as well. Don't use Gerry jugs as they get to be too squishy to manage when filled with hot water. You don't need hot water for anything but the final rinse anyhow- this heats up the panels so they can be dried- much of the warmer water instantly steams off anyhow.
The key is to do the roof first spraying from the middle line down one side of the car- and try to do that side next immediately before that side ices. You have to have a good noozle like the ace hardware one with lots of spray selection. I use "Jet " setting to de-ice and get off the mud, then "Center" to do the rims and undercarriage, then "Shower" to do the sides of the car.
Since sun is limited- try to face your car towards the sun as the shady side will ice first.
You get pretty good at it once you know how your car ices. I can do mine in about 20 minutes.
Where are you in Boston? I could show you next time I wash my car.