This may seem like a goofy question, but I'm wondering what other people's wash routines are during cold weather. Also wondering what you wear when when washing in the cold.
It's a major hassle in the cold to drag the hose out, not to mention getting cold hands and wet clothes. Because of this, in the past few years I've tended to take my car to the hand car wash and just "blow the dirt off" but not really wash it. We all know how worthless that is!!! So my cars have been neglected during the cold months.
I'm getting back into the car care mode, and want to do better this winter. I'm thinking if Optimum No Rinse is as good as everybody says, that maybe I'll try that this winter so I don't have to mess with a hose. Plus it seems like I could use it with warm water so I don't freeze my hands as bad.
As far as garb, I was hinking about getting some kind of rain/wet weather gear for washing. One of my vehicles is a Toyota Sequoia, and I can't hardly wash it without getting my clothes pretty wet. I have to stand on the running boards and rear tires to reach the roof, so I'm right up against the vehicle and get pretty wet. Obviously I want to try to get something that's not going to scratch if I get against the car.
This may seem like a goofy question, but I'm wondering what other people's wash routines are during cold weather. Also wondering what you wear when when washing in the cold.
It's a major hassle in the cold to drag the hose out, not to mention getting cold hands and wet clothes. Because of this, in the past few years I've tended to take my car to the hand car wash and just "blow the dirt off" but not really wash it. We all know how worthless that is!!! So my cars have been neglected during the cold months.
I'm getting back into the car care mode, and want to do better this winter. I'm thinking if Optimum No Rinse is as good as everybody says, that maybe I'll try that this winter so I don't have to mess with a hose. Plus it seems like I could use it with warm water so I don't freeze my hands as bad.
As far as garb, I was hinking about getting some kind of rain/wet weather gear for washing. One of my vehicles is a Toyota Sequoia, and I can't hardly wash it without getting my clothes pretty wet. I have to stand on the running boards and rear tires to reach the roof, so I'm right up against the vehicle and get pretty wet. Obviously I want to try to get something that's not going to scratch if I get against the car.
What does anybody else do when it's cold?
I don't live in a very cold climate now, but when I lived in NY I used very warm water in my wash bucket and rubber gloves (the thick ones, not the disposables). Other than that, I pretty much used the same techniques, except I would stand back more and be more careful about not getting water on me. Snow boots are not a bad idea.
I'm not sure about foul weather gear and all...most have snaps, zippers or buttons that might get you into trouble. But you might get by with just the bottoms and at least keep your legs from getting wet.
If your build permits it, maybe you could put the foul weather gear on backwards and keep all the snaps, buttons and zippers in the back? LOL
I remember one time I was drying my `78 Mustang off and the water was freezing on the top of the fenders...not fun!
I'll be honest and admit that I break down and use a brush in the winter. Not the coin-op car wash brush or anything, but I've got extremely cold sensitive hands and I can't do a norma bucket wash when it is too cold outside. I fill the bucket and use a soft brush to get the salt and grime off. Then I run a slow stream of water over it to rinse it off and then pull it back into the garage. Generally I don't even bother drying it off unless it is 50 degrees out. If it is below 50 then I don't even worry about washing it. This is why I go through such lengths in the fall to prep my vehicles for winter. I know they are going to go long periods between washes and I want the paint protected. Four or five coats of Klasse Sealant Glaze has always done the trick for me.
So basically the advice I give people is to prepare your vehicles for the neglect that they are certian to receive during a long winter. Wash when the weather is warm enough, but if it is below 40 then save it for another day unless you are prepared for some frustrating washing. Use a brush if necessary, but be prepared to polish out some minor scratches and swirls in the spring. And I do like the advice given above about the zippers and snaps. Be sure that you aren't whacking these things against the paint. Wear a few sweatshirts instead of a coat. If it is too cold to be out there without your ski jacket on, then it is probably too cold to be washing the car anyway.
Prepping the car with some sort of protective coat/wax is a great idea but if you can't take it I do the following:
I wear warm old clothing,ie thermals,sweat suit, under a rain suit, with some water-proof winter boots and neoprene gloves. I also try not to wash in windy weather because if it's cold enough it just freezes the water.
FYI- I only wash my car in the cold winter months about 2-3times.
i try to get a full detail before winter. During winter months when the car is dirty as hell i just go to the coin car wash and just spray it down... AND i spend sometime spraying the undercarriage of the car too (salt =) When Winter is almost over and going towards srping. (Less snow but still cold) Ill usually wash it out side with warm water (dont forget to put salt on your drive way unless you like it being a ice rink) and i just drive hte car inside and dry it and what not.
Washing in the winter requires some balls. I washed vehicles last year in freezing temperatures. My neighbors think I'm crazy. I am.
I use a wash mitt that is lined with a rubber glove inside. Otherwise my washing technique stays the same all year. Proper washing technique is critical to keeping your paint as swirl-free as possible, even if it is cold outside.
Some people will wash their cars inside their garage. To cut down on making a watery mess you can do the two bucket method and plenty of soap. It really only takes a few gallons of water to do a good car wash.
after days and days (maybe even weeks) of rain and cool temps (~50F), we finally get a sunny day and temps to the upper 60s/low 70s!!
Took full advantage of it. Washed the car AND the underbody/wheel wells (which were choked full of sand and leaves) and other summery stuff like mowing the lawn lol. Now I'm happy that the car's cleaned haha.
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2010 Prius Technology Package (Cdn)
OEM Cargo Mat, OEM All-Weather Mat, LED ext/int lights, 5000K HID, OEM Fogs, Euro Mudguards
Was at Target yesterday and saw that they have a special Vroom MF mitt, one of the dreadlocks looking kind, mounted on a telescopic pole.
Don't have a link to throw up cause I can't find them online anywhere. It's kind of like this, only with a dreadlocks mf head rather than a chenille head.
I know everybody prefers sheepskin mits to MF in general, but was wondering what anybody thought about this as a cold weather option. Or for that matter as an option for washing big SUVs or vans. I haven't been able to find anything like this in a sheepskin "mitt", though I could probably engineer something. Depending on the head size, you might be able to just slip a regular wool mit over that chenille bonnet....
Saw this brush on autogeek, but it's WAAAAYYYY more expensive, though I'm sure it would last WAYYYYY longer.
When I had my camry I neverrrrrr washed it in the winter... I left it as is... lol. I know im horrible, I took it for granted. that poor car at one point went a whole year without being washed...
I eventually took care of it though and got it back in top shape.
Definitely going to use some of these tips to keep my car clean this winter!
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94' Camry V6 - Sold
96' Lexus SC400 - Crashed by brother
93' Lexus SC300 Turbo - Jackass ran a light and slammed into me
99' GS300 - Sold
02' Subaru WRX Turbo
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LOL
) When Winter is almost over and going towards srping. (Less snow but still cold) Ill usually wash it out side with warm water (dont forget to put salt on your drive way unless you like it being a ice rink) and i just drive hte car inside and dry it and what not.
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