Winter & Salt

[5IVE]

I am sweating at my desk wondering how NOT to add more swirls to my car this winter.

I plan on using ONR in the garage but have some questions...



1) How do you avoid scraping salt against the paint?

2) How do you ensure that there is no more salt/dirt on the paint when you dry?

3) Will ice cause any damage to the paint?

[Shane Camp]

I`d be sure to "winter proof" the car well before winter gets here. That way once your car does begin to get winter scum all over it you have a good layer of defense. Once it comes to washing time use a solid pre-rinsing procedure then perhaps ONR.



I`m not sure I have the best answers for the rest of your questions but I`d just use your best judgment, feel out the paint with the back of your hand in an inconspicuous area.



Ice, yeah ice could damage paint, if a car is completely Iced up, breaking the ice and sliding it off the car could do some pretty nasty damage. I`ve been fortunate because I had a beater car to ride to work in, when I lived in VA, but now I`m in San Diego so no worries for me.

[imported_themightytimmah]

1. I use very little pressure and a lot of water with ONR (I let my mitts get *soaked*).

2. I like to QD before drying, it minimizes marring. Also, going over very lightly with one WW and then drying completely with another helps.

3. Nothing you can really do... try to keep it covered. Ice damage has never been too bad for me.





It really helps if you can accept that you`re going to get chewed up during the winter and look forward to your spring polish - back when I lived in Maine, looking forward to that first buffout kept me going through the hard days. Plus, it was always an excuse to buy whatever new miracle polish came out during the winter (P085RD was my personal favorite, but I think this winter`s winner might be the new 1Z pro line).

[mikebai1990]

1. It`s a good idea to mix a QD strength (6 oz per gallon) in a sprayer and use it to prespray the paint. This helps keep things lubricated with the mitt touches the paint. For your solution where you use your mitt, use a higher concentration of ONR.



2. Make sure you wash carefully. If in doubt wash multiple times (multiple passes). This will get the dirt/salt off.



3. Yes, ice/snow definitely damages the paint when it`s sliding around. Nothing much you can do... Maybe try parking in the garage whenever you can.

[Patman]

In the wintertime here I get my car washed once a week at a local detail shop for $15. They first blast off all the salt with a high pressure sprayer, then wash the car with soft mitts and towel dry it off. By the time winter is finished, my car looks no worse for wear than it did at the beginning of the winter, so the way they do it is working. And my Corvette is black, so you`d definitely see scratches if they were doing it wrong (yes, I drive my Corvette in winter, it`s not that bad really)

[mikebai1990]

Really? I`m surprised that a local detail shop would do a good job without instilling any marring.

[Patman]

Really? I`m surprised that a local detail shop would do a good job without instilling any marring.



They have a lot of clients with mega dollar cars, so their staff is super careful. They throw their wash mitts in the washing machine after each car and grab a brand new one, same with the towels they use to dry. They are probably more careful with my car than I am!!

[frostydog]

You`ve received some really good advise thus far and certainly try your best to minimize the damage....but the words below are quite insightful.






It really helps if you can accept that you`re going to get chewed up during the winter and look forward to your spring polish - back when I lived in Maine, looking forward to that first buffout kept me going through the hard days. Plus, it was always an excuse to buy whatever new miracle polish came out during the winter (P085RD was my personal favorite, but I think this winter`s winner might be the new 1Z pro line).

[Super_Herb]

I find that when my car gets really dirty with salt/road crud, going through the touchless car wash before an ONR wash is the only way to go. Yes, maybe the harsh soap in the touchless wash is tough on my LSP, but it beats the alternative of swirling it up with an ONR wash on a completely beyond filthy car. Besides, no matter how harsh the winter here in Minnesota, I always find at least one time to refresh my winter coat of Collinite 476, so I`m not worried about it`s ultimate durability.



I know many love to bash the touchless car washes, but for those of us in the winter wonderland where salt gets dumped on the road like candy at a parade, it`s the only way many of us get to remove the corrosive stuff from the underside of our car for 3+ months a year.

[bwlucas]

How good of a job does a touchless wash do with the salt? Are there traces of it left over or is it able to cut through all of that junk?

[Dailyshine]

Another tip that was given to me, is if you don`t have a garage, or are parked outside and the car is covered in snow or ice, is to cover the end of the snow brush/scraper with a MF towel. That way, you minimize the chances of scratching up the paint.



Instead of using the toutchless car wash, if you have the time, I would use the DIY bay at the car wash and just hose off the caked on stuff, then give it a rinsless wash when you get home. Since the soap at the toutchless might be tough on your LSP (and IME never truly cleans the car) it might help to avoid it if you can. Of course, the rinse water might be recycled as well, so...



Living in places where winter actually looks and feels like winter will beat up you car no matter what, so to paraphrase what themightytimmah said, there`s only so much you can do or control, and just spend some quality time with it in the spring :buffing:



This will be my first winter myself since I`ve become serious about detailing, so it should be interesting to say the least. ONR will be my best friend. :heelclick

[chris dee]

prior to the winter and salt months id make sure that you got many coats of wax on the car.

[JustA5.0]

For cars that drive on salted roadways I would get them rustproof sprayed in the spring. No matter how often you wash your car in the winter, as soon as salt hit`s unprotected metal the corrosion can start. It also keeps your floorpan and rockers nice and solid. The only negative with rustproofing is it starts to eat away at rubber bushings.



Ice can definately damage paint. I remember a buddy of mine a few years ago busted a chunk of ice off his truck`s hood. A large layer of paint came right off with it. Now it wasn`t the best of paintjobs, but nonetheless could have been avoided with care.