Cold Weather Car Washing

[Les7311]

..............bucket of hot (pipe) water, and get tha' scrubbin......

But thats for the other rides (SS is in winter mode)...

[Scalded Dog]

One problem I have here in the winter is that while I can often get the car WASHED, getting it DRIED is another story, as the water freezes onto the vehicle before I can get a towel on it. I've tried running the car, even with the interior heat on high, but the insulation prevents enough heat from getting through, even to the roof, so the only solution is time: Wait for a warmer day to get the ice off. Somebody suggested taking mighty whacks at the ice with a hatchet, but that didn't seem like the best option!

[slick rick]

Originally Posted by CamaroKid300

Here is what I do when it's cold. $15 hand wash just had it done yesterday. If its warm I do it myself.

Those rails

[vroomapunk]

Fill a bucket with hot water before washing. Itll stay pretty warm throughout. That will save your hand anyway from freezing.

I live in Louisiana, so I dont have to worry about the water freezing to the car.

Also, if you have a hot faucet in the garage or closeby that is threaded, you can attach a hose to it. Even if its on a sink lol

[Les7311]

....then get bucket of warm water...... dip drying rag then wipe....

Originally Posted by Scalded Dog

One problem I have here in the winter is that while I can often get the car WASHED, getting it DRIED is another story, as the water freezes onto the vehicle before I can get a towel on it. I've tried running the car, even with the interior heat on high, but the insulation prevents enough heat from getting through, even to the roof, so the only solution is time: Wait for a warmer day to get the ice off. Somebody suggested taking mighty whacks at the ice with a hatchet, but that didn't seem like the best option!

[Scalded Dog]

Oh, and I don't have any knowledge about paint damage resulting from using hot water to wash a car in cold weather, but, I DO know that hot water hitting cold glass can results in a shattering, in an instant and epic burst of glass. Never defrost a windshield by pouring hot water on it.

[upflying]

Wash it in your garage...done it many times.

[05stram]

Originally Posted by MLL67RSSS

Soon after the hot water hits the freezing paint as the paint warms too quickly shocking it. And it can happen on a 3 year old VERY well cared for '84 Monte SS with PLENTY of wax and polishing done to it. :( Trust me on this. Of course the paint is probably a bit different now, the thicker it is the more likely it will stress crack as the bottom layer of paint is still freezing and the hot water heats up the top of the paint too quickly.
NOT saying it will happen but you should still be cautious of it.

Bought a gorgeous blue '84 Monte SS in April '87 with 33 k on it. Had another car but was living in an apt. at the time so it sat out. I NEVER drove it in the winter unless it had rained to wash the streets and they were dry, hell I didn't even drive it if it was raining or going to. Well it'd get all snow covered and icy sitting out there and and when it got above freezing and it all started melting one time it bugged me so I decided to hurry the process along by pouring some buckets of warm water on it. Next time I went to wash and wax it there were areas (I think where it was still snow covered) on top of the car that had hundreds of little 1/8-1/4" cracks running all different directions. The bad part was I wasn't even going to drive it, just wanted to get what snow was left off of it.

I have done the hot water in bucket method for over 30 years and have never experienced a problem with paint cracking. I would think it would be worse to wash a car with a surface temperature above 70 with cold water from a hose than to do the opposite. Hot water in the winter will loose its temps very quickly once you pull the rag from the bucket. However a hot car usually will remain wash and work your tail off trying to keep it from spotting. I do not recommend the hose on the hot spigot though - I have had one freeze while washing and often wondered why the hot water will freeze faster than the cold but so be it, but the temp was in the teens.

[jd10013]

I just wait till it's warm enough. here in VA, it's just a matter of time before we get a 45-50 degree day. other than that, I always make sure I put a good coat of wax on her around October or so, and then come spring give it a real good detailing and wax.

[ChrisBlair]

I only do it is the temp is appreciably above freezing. Yesterday it was 40* (and of course it snowed and they salted the roads again last night ). Time before that was a little colder

The do-it-yerself place down the street warms the water slightly so it doesn't freeze. It's warm, not hot. I have no fear of damaging anything

I take a 5 gallon bucket, a big trash bag, my good car wash sponge, and good car wash with me.

I go when there's no lines, usually fairly early or around 3:00 pm, because I'll be in the bay about twenty minutes

5 bucks get you five minutes. I use the spray gun without pulling the trigger, and spray off the whole car. On some spots I do use the trigger but I will be as far from the car as I can get. I spray down the whole thing well. Takes about three minutes. I spend a minute spraying the underside. I wear clothes I don't mind getting ruined. The last minute is used to fill up the bucket, which has a good dollop of car wash in it. the machine starts beeping at 60 seconds

Then I hand wash the car. No circular motions, no pressure on the sponge. Wash everything well, wheels very last. I know that conventional wisdom says wheels first. Not when I can get crud on my sponge and I have to use one bucket (One bucket wash?!?!/ #ZOMG!). Yes Virginia, one bucket. Believe me, nobody gets hurt and there's no grit on the car

Another five bucks goes into the machine. I spray off the car well, and I pay close attention to the wheel wells, grille, and underside (again).

Then I pull out of the bay, hand dry with microfiber, and use spray wax

The car wash container, the drying cloths, and the sponge go in the bucket. the bucket goes in the trash bag. the whole mess goes in the trunk. I hand wash the drying towels in warm water, no soap, and I launder the sponge

But don't pull this stunt when there's a line of cars waiting for their turn. They will be pissed that you're in the bay, not paying while you wash, and management will be angry with you when the people complain

This clean can last a week, three days...or, like this weekend, it can last about 12 hours. I didn't think I'd have time to do a wash today so...I took the chance win some, lose some. last time I drove a nice car all winter, I did this every weekend it was above freezing and it worked out OK, but I was cold and miserable and wet while doing it- price of admission to the game

[ChrisBlair]

Originally Posted by Scalded Dog

Oh, and I don't have any knowledge about paint damage resulting from using hot water to wash a car in cold weather, but, I DO know that hot water hitting cold glass can results in a shattering, in an instant and epic burst of glass. Never defrost a windshield by pouring hot water on it.

It seemed like a good idea at the time though!

Did the same thing but opposite in the summer once. 100* day, Bird shit all over car. hose was on shady side of the house...cold water, hot glass...crack, top to bottom right in front of the driver's side. Old car, antenna in the glass. Oh, I had no insurance on the glass. Boy did I pay for that one! Valuable lessons in common sense only cost me about 400 dollars that day, and that was twenty years ago, when I made about 400 a week

[2Carats]

Have you tried or thought about waterless carwash products?

Mind controlled by Cerebro

[TooCool5]

40 or above, long johns and a bucket of warm water wash....good to go.

[kostnkost]

I currently use one 2 gallon bucket of ONR with 3 soft MF's, and another bucket filled with hot water and a grit guard.

So far no complaints and I can keep it clean until the warmer weather comes and I can break out the hose again