Winter car washing

[joelfigueira]

Hi all,

has anyone been braving the cold weather to clean their car? 

Was planning to do it but its been 0 degrees most days! 

[KentColin]

I was planning to brave the elements to wash my UX but I got an e-mail from my Lexus dealer inviting me to bring my car  in for a winter health check which included a wash and valet . A nice clean car and Lexus coffee and bikkies while I waited . Result!

[Spock66]

2 hours ago, KentColin said:

I was planning to brave the elements to wash my UX but I got an e-mail from my Lexus dealer inviting me to bring my car  in for a winter health check which included a wash and valet

I got an email too from my local dealer but they wanted £40 for the winter check, did you not have to pay?

[KentColin]

No ,I didn't have to pay, maybe because my car is just over a year old? 

[KingHal]

13 hours ago, joelfigueira said:

Hi all,

has anyone been braving the cold weather to clean their car? 

Was planning to do it but its been 0 degrees most days! 

Likewise, mine needs a wash, but not in this weather. As soon as it gets a bit milder I’ll give it a quick snow foam, power wash and dry. It’s always garaged at home, which helps, and I can easily keep all the windows clean, as well as the interior. 

[Bluemarlin]

I've been waiting for it to get a bit milder too, but now that it has it's raining.

As soon as I get a window of mild and dry weather I'll give it a quick wash and rinse the underside with the lawn sprinkler.

[joelfigueira]

8 minutes ago, Bluemarlin said:

I've been waiting for it to get a bit milder too, but now that it has it's raining.

As soon as I get a window of mild and dry weather I'll give it a quick wash and rinse the underside with the lawn sprinkler.

I'm waiting too as at the moment it's still zero degrees.

Quick snow foam and a good jet wash.

That's a good idea about the underside 

[J Henderson]

Roads around here are gritted every night, so washing the car would be a waste of time.

Also don't want to risk my pressure washer getting wrecked with water freezing inside it.

[NemesisUK]

Dirt doesn't harm the car. Cleaning it can ..

[First_Lexus]

On 12/18/2022 at 8:57 PM, NemesisUK said:

Dirt doesn't harm the car. Cleaning it can ..

Totally agree with this, and it’s very sound advice. As long as the car is clean enough not to be dangerous - windows, lights, number plates - you can do far more harm washing quickly and badly than not washing at all.

Admittedly my RX has a pro applied GTechniq ceramic coating, but having washed it today for the first time in four months (due to a combination of the now lifted hosepipe ban, COVID, and grotty weather) it really wasn’t too bad. After a couple of hours with snow foam, a good mitt wash and finally some Gyeon Wet Coat it really does look as good as new.

 Gyeon Wet Coat is a Winter wash essential imho. Brilliant stuff and so quick and easy.

[NemesisUK]

Must admit to having not washed the RX for some considerable time, hosepipe ban now lifted, so quickly jet washed it just using Karcher car shampoo and very impressed!

I tend to rinse down the sides with a watering can and plain water after a drive and as long as the splashes haven't dried (certainly not in this weather!) it keeps the sides very clean looking.

The car is ceramic coated, certainly helps 👍

[Jgtcracer]

On 12/18/2022 at 8:57 PM, NemesisUK said:

Dirt doesn't harm the car. Cleaning it can ..

Also agree with this.  My car is ceramic coated too so just tend to snow foam, pressure wash to rinse and let it dry naturally.  Really quick and gets 90% of the dirt off.  Try to avoid contact washing at all this time of year.

[b4u2]

In Manchester where I live it rains all the time or at least often enought so that's a free car wash😂

[Mr Vlad]

Yes b4u2 Rochdale is the same lol.

[Guest]

I wash my cars throughout winter.  Even though the roads are salty and it shows, it's still important to wash it off weekly or bi-weekly if it is down at zero degrees. 

On my older, scratched up chipped car... the salt very much can eat away at it if not washed off.  

Plus.. that shiny, pristine car (for the first 15 minutes of the following drive) in winter stands out twice as much! 

I'd recommend that Autoglym 'Polar' stuff, if you have a well waxed or ceramic coated car which does half the work of not letting grime stick as easily, you can give this a blast over with the pre wash, leave to sit for 10 mins, rinse, blast with the wash part, rinse off, blast with the seal product and you've done a contactless wash.   

Keep the pressure washer in the kitchen /  utility room in the heat until the water dries / drains out then put outside if you're worried about freezing inside it.  Mines a £100 job and in its second year so I'm less worried if it were to blow up. I'd understand some of the big machines out there and wanting to avoid damage. 

[steve2006]

I used to take mine to the local auto car wash once a year after winter just to get the “full Monty” package which included an under body wash. This year I purchased an underbody attachment for my pressure washer so do the job myself.

Yesterday as part of the hand wash and wax I removed the wheel arch trims, washed all the crud off them and the arch lips, applied a smear of grease to the arch lips and refitted them.

 

[Guest]

On 8/6/2024 at 4:11 PM, steve2006 said:

I used to take mine to the local auto car wash once a year after winter just to get the “full Monty” package which included an under body wash. This year I purchased an underbody attachment for my pressure washer so do the job myself.

Just had a quick Google.. wow, didn't know these existed. Which one did you go for? 

On 8/6/2024 at 4:11 PM, steve2006 said:

Yesterday as part of the hand wash and wax I removed the wheel arch trims, washed all the crud off them and the arch lips, applied a smear of grease to the arch lips and refitted them.

Is that a difficult job to remove? I've imagined doing that a few times 

[steve2006]

This one.

https://tinyurl.com/bdffrzbt

If you have a Karcher you will also need this adaptor to connect the lance pipe to the washer

https://tinyurl.com/57sxe6nb

You will get very wet especially if you pull the washer out beyond the sill which results in a jet washed face 😀

It’s not the wheel arch liners just the trim around the arch lip, mine are held on with 4 screws. I could remove the screws on mine with a standard Philip’s screwdriver but if access is tight use a “chubby” Philips screwdriver or turn the tyre full lock each way to give more room.