Winter Detailing Tips

S

samiam513

New member
Okay, it's mid-winter and those of us who bare the cold to keep a clean car have our little secret ways to keep warm and water unfrozen. Post those secrets here for all to benefit!



I'll Start.



To wash, I wear sweat shirt and sweat pants. If they get wet, they hang loosely away from my skin. Jeans cling when wet.



For my hands, I wear gloves. 93 cent cotton gloves from wal-mart, with dish washing gloves over them. I tuck the sleves of my sweatshirt into the dishwashing gloves, and put a rubber band on each dishwashing glove. Keeps all the water out, while keeping my hands warm.



Now let's hear yours!
 
My garage is inside the house. It's always warm er in there than it is outside. The hose is in there too. I keep the garage door open and let the water go into the drain outside.

I washed my car today while it was 27 outside.
 
I don't hand-wash if it's below 40 degrees........I guess I'm just a wuss!!!!!!



If it is below 40, I usually use the car-wash, then come home and dry it and QD in the garage........



Then wait til spring and do it right!:cool:
 
Here's what I do:



1. Get a bunch of tools (socket wrenches, phillps, screw drivers, etc.)



2. Start by removing the hood of the car, bring it inside, wash it and detail it to your likeing.



3. Replace hood, move onto other sections of the car removing the panels as needed.



4. Piece the car back together and VOILA, take it outside and get salt all over it!



LOL, seriously, I just try to keep it as clean as possible.



-Brian
 
I fill a bucket with hot water and carwash solution then drive to the closest spray bay. I rinse the car really well, then I foam up the carwash solution which should be lukewarm at this point. I grab my mit and wash as fast as I can. I try not to worry about washing every nook and cranny.(thats what spring weather is for;) ) I then rinse, dump the bucket and get the hell outta there before the dude that works there throws a fit over my bucket use.



Not exactly the perfect technique, but its a technique.
 
Throw on 3 shirts and a hat. Use a washmitt with a liner (lifesaver). Run in an out of the garage a few times. Do jumping jacks, cartwheels and backflips.

Was able to bang it out in an hour and 1/2 on Superbowl Sunday (25 to 30, not to bad). Pretty much been in the garage since then (NY). Dressed the tires a week later. Defrosting the hose was the hardest part.

I may have to take up ScrampaTeg03's idea though. :D
 
Right now I take my car to the car wash bay place, spend $1.75 to wash the undercarriage and wheel wells, and then rinse the entire car to get the big grit off. Then take it back to the apt complex car wash bay and get 2 buckets (one with clean warm water and the other with QEW/warm water) and wash my car 1 section at a time, drying with waffle weave MF towel. Takes longer but is cleaner than taking it through the "brushless"washes here. I ran my car thru those 3 or 4 times this winter and that was enough for me to see that they were putting scratches and swirl marks in my black paint! So never again!



I have decided to get a house built, rather than buy the one I had been eyeing. My new house will have an attached garage with laundry sinks, hot/cold water and a drain in the floor! So next winter will be much easier. Will get a water hose hookup for the inside of garage too. :cool:
 
My problem is not keeping myself that warm but I feel like I am doing damage when the water freezes while I am drying it. I do my best to go as fast as possible but it has been soooo cold here in NY I can't keep up. I need to buy a winter car that I can try not to care about so much.
 
Cabela's fleece-lined neoprene decoy gloves (used by duck hunters) are an excellent choice to keep your hands warm and dry during cold weather washing. I can't remember for sure, but I may have gotten this idea from this forum.
 
Shiny Lil Detlr: Whenever you wanna come visit here in So. Cal, give us a call and we can detail in some perrrrrrrfect weather!



:cool:
 
Intel486 said:
Wait, winter isn't over yet? Been getting in the 70s here :D
Click to expand...



heh, us too... until today. We had all last week with highs in the mid 70's. I thought we were finally done with freezing temps. I woke up to 31 this morning. :eek: :rolleyes:
 
I never wash below 20F...the damn ice forms too quickly on the car making it tough to get clean.



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My best winter time tip: Get a "winter car" and leave the good car in the garage 'til the roads clear!
 
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