Winter wash or lack there of ....

[Accumulator]

acuRAS82- With the age of our vehicles, and the way they get used, that`s mandatory lest the either rust away or have mechanical issues that could get out of hand (I`ve found countless little things that could`ve become catastrophic if ignored; my Techs never have to tell *me* what a car needs, I tell them).

Once you`ve spraywaxed the undercarriages a few times while drying them (only takes an extra moment), they clean up a *LOT* easier and quicker. And if you do that every wash it becomes the norm after a while. (That`s on the ones that don`t get a proper LSP under there )

[acuRAS82]

acuRAS82- With the age of our vehicles, and the way they get used, that`s mandatory lest the either rust away or have mechanical issues that could get out of hand (I`ve found countless little things that could`ve become catastrophic if ignored; my Techs never have to tell *me* what a car needs, I tell them).

Once you`ve spraywaxed the undercarriages a few times while drying them (only takes an extra moment), they clean up a *LOT* easier and quicker. And if you do that every wash it becomes the norm after a while. (That`s on the ones that don`t get a proper LSP under there )

Even after cleaning, isn’t their areas of grime and crud that Ed up on the final drying towel? Sooo many nooks and crannies... getting caked every drive.

[Nizmo]

Touchless car washes are my go to during the winter. I do not bode well with cold weather so for the most part I`m not doing it by hand even above freezing. Not exactly the Autopian style, but it is what it is. For the most part they do well, but you know there`s a layer of film left. That said with the Tacoma I have to once a month put on a pair of coveralls, spray down the underneath with a degreaser, and pressure wash the frame/underside either it be the coin op or the occasional 50° day done in my driveway. My generation of truck is notorious for frame rot and I need to try and keep the salt to a minimum. The spray gets everywhere, even under the hood. There is surface rust on most of the pulleys and clamps under there from the previous owners lack of knowing it does that. I can however keep any further corrosion down with due diligence. It`s a never ending battle because of my location they salt the mountain frequently, to the point of you feel like driving on a gravel road. Next door in Maryland they use the liquid brine pre-treat. Even with careful washing I`m doubting the truck has another 5 years without failing frame inspection. Not gonna stop me from trying though.

[Surly]

How badly a vehicle needs a wash depends on the amount of salt etc... that gets on it. In my area it`s pretty extreme and I only have the one car.

Touchless washes are my go-to, with a driveway wash when weather, sunlight and time align (which isn`t all that often - only once or twice this entire winter). In a mini-revelation I`ve concluded that I should go to the touchless wash more often than I had been for the undercarriage wash, even if the top side isn`t going to stay pretty for long enough to bother. Basically I noticed a friend`s vehicle being better than I ever expected underneath based on the miles and history of care, with a much worse area where the spare tire blocks the spray from the car wash. This led me to conclude that the undercarriage spray from the car wash actually does something useful, and I`ve decided to use it more myself. Unfortunately my vehicle has a plethora of undercarriage covers so the wash isn`t as effective as it could be.

With FK1000p as my LSP now (yes, it is Accumulator`s fault) I have to say it comes out much cleaner than it used to, even the back. I find that on inspection the front 2/3 of the vehicle is ACTUALLY clean as opposed to having that "not quite clean" appearance. I`d still never do anything like apply LSP after this kind of wash but, as I said, with FK1000p it comes out significantly more clean than my previous LSP(s).

Personally, I select the "second from the top" wash. This is one that does include undercarriage, but does not include a sealant (that I know of). I really don`t need car wash LSP on top of half clean paint and messing up the detailing routine.

[DetailZeus]

I leave `em be, even the leases. Truthfully ever since I got my cheapo pressure washer, every vehicle with a decent LSP has cleaned up in the spring without much hassle. I think picking the right LSP is key though, you need something that sheds grime easily.

[Accumulator]

Even after cleaning, isn’t their areas of grime and crud that Ed up on the final drying towel? Sooo many nooks and crannies... getting caked every drive.

Things don`t really get all that "caked", especially if you clean it whenever it gets dirty. The first step (undercar wand) does a lot all by itself so it`s usually not that awful by the time I get underneath and start doing the real work.

I have dedicated "undercarriage and drivetrain" towels for areas that might not get perfectly clean, but it`s not like I miss much by the time I use all the brushes/mitts/swabs that it takes to do the job right. I think of it as "the first and last hours of the wash", and can usually get it nice in that amount of time if I work really fast (I have the system pretty well sorted after decades of doing it).

Note that we don`t need to drive most of the vehicles in lousy weather, what with only two retired people in the household. While my wife drives the A8 all the time for her tutoring, I usually either schedule things so I can borrow it (since it`ll need cleaned anyhow) or just stay home. So it`s not like I have to deal with two/more vehicles all the time. Basically, her A8 and the Tahoe are the only ones that need to go out in the wintery stuff, although I do have winter wheels/tires for the other Audis (the Jag and Crown Vic don`t go out in salt these days).

[Accumulator]

DetailZeus- You`e lucky you don`t have (keeper) vehicles that rust out in areas that collect salt, like around the fuel filler cove or the rocker panels. Some will rust out in no time if you don`t keep those areas clean, I was shocked how fast my neighbor`s F150 rusted out in all the obvious (well, to me..) places. Ten minutes with a hose every now and then would`ve prevented his needing a new truck so soon.

On a lease I can see it...just lease/neglect/replace and never have to care. If I ever get *totally* tired of doing this stuff I could go that Disposable Car route myself like all our friends do. NOBODY else I know cares whether their Dailies last more than a couple years, nobody. And yeah, I still find that weird...

Surly- I`m sure glad the FK1000P is working out for you! After the way I praise the stuff, I`d hate for somebody to get it based on my recommendation and then be disappointed.

[WaxAddict]

I have had my Mustang for a 1.5 years and I’ve washed it with water and buckets just once. It looks amazing and I dare you to find a swirl. Have a nice day.

[Coatings=crack]

I have had my Mustang for a 1.5 years and I’ve washed it with water and buckets just once. It looks amazing and I dare you to find a swirl. Have a nice day.

What’s your routine?


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[PA DETAILER]

Nothing like a proper hose & bucket wash. Nothing against WW, but no way they get out all the dirt and grime hiding. In the winter months, I will wait for a day like today. 50 degrees out. And do that wash. We have been lucky in PA so far. A really mild winter.

[Accumulator]

Nothing like a proper hose & bucket wash. Nothing against WW, but no way they get out all the dirt and grime hiding.,.

And it`s gonna be one of those variable things that just depends on what the vehicle goes through...when my wife takes a multi-week trip (especially during the winter, though a few weeks of bug impacts during the summer comes to mind too), by the time she gets home the car is far too filthy for a RW/WW no matter who`s doing it.

OTOH, somebody (else ) could probably keep my Crown Vic OK with a RW/WW since it doesn`t go out in the salt. They`d just have to do it a lot more frequently that I want to. It would also require figuring out how to flush out areas related to the drains (dirt harbors moisture leading to rust), and full disassembly of the cowl at the base of the windshield (areas you simply cannot get to on my S8, period, so they`d never get cleaned with a RW/WW) every now and then , which`d be a *much* bigger job than just flushing those areas out.

I dunno...there are just so many areas that`re most feasibly cleaned by flushing..how do you RW/WW the insides of the sideview mirror housings (I can`t do it with just swabs and I`ve sure tried)? The recesses on the back sides of the bumpercovers? Can you *really* get to every inch of a car to RR/WW it? Guess it depends on the vehicle, but I don`t see how it could be done on ours. But hey, if those areas don`t get dirty in the first place then they don`t need to be cleaned so I guess *that* depends on how the car is used.

[tom p.]

Yeah, minimal need for washing this winter. Very little snow/salt to deal with and the temps always seem to be cooperative in terms of getting the hose out, etc.

[Lonnie]

....

Once you`ve spraywaxed the undercarriages a few times while drying them (only takes an extra moment), they clean up a *LOT* easier and quicker. And if you do that every wash it becomes the norm after a while. (That`s on the ones that don`t get a proper LSP under there )

Accumulator:
What are you spray-waxing the undercarriages with (IE, specific car-care manufacturer and product name?? When you say drying, are you drying with the Black Tornado (AKA, compressed air) or physically wiping the undercarriage down with a type of drying microfiber??

I ask, because this process MIGHT apply to off-road ATV`s and UTV Side-by-Sides that many of my wife`s side of the family are getting into for trail riding in Wisconsin. They get REALLY muddy everywhere and if something can be done to make the mandatory washing/clean-up easier, I can suggest it to them. I know there is a company called Slick Products that make an aerosol silicone-based spray called Shine and Protect for ATV carriages, but if I can find a suitable car-care-based product, I am open to it.

[Accumulator]

Accumulator:
What are you spray-waxing the undercarriages with (IE, specific car-care manufacturer and product name??

When I`m "doing it right" I`ll use UQW (which I get for Xmas from the in-laws). Otherwise, as I did on the `93 yesterday, I just use up old QDs (this time it was the old EFCP..anybody remember that one?!?) which plays nice with the 845 I use on its underneath.

When you say drying, are you drying with the Black Tornado (AKA, compressed air) or physically wiping the undercarriage down with a type of drying microfiber??

The Tornador isn`t all that great for drying other than some kinda-oddball situations. If I want to blow things off I`m much better off using a regular blowgun on the airhose instead.

But I almost always just wipe it off with my Undercarriage Towels. Yeah, I undoubtedly miss some stuff, but hey, these are Drivers.


I will *sometimes* use my old WWMFs for this, but only if I`m confident they won`t get too contaminated. Otherwise I do *NOT* use MFs but rather cotton (especially this time of year with all the grit I`m dealing with). I envision nightmares trying to get plush MFs clean again if/when I hit something nasty, which is always a possibility. Cotton works fine and in this case I`m (sure) not worried about micromarring/etc. No matter what gets on `em, I`m confident it`ll come out OK with regular laundering, which is more than I can say about my Plush MF Drying Towels. I don`t use the WWMFs all that much because they simply don`t perform as well for me as plush towels (either MF or cotton).

I ask, because this process MIGHT apply to off-road ATV`s and UTV Side-by-Sides that many of my wife`s side of the family are getting into for trail riding in Wisconsin. They get REALLY muddy everywhere and if something can be done to make the mandatory washing/clean-up easier, I can suggest it to them. I know there is a company called Slick Products that make an aerosol silicone-based spray called Shine and Protect for ATV carriages, but if I can find a suitable car-care-based product, I am open to it.

I looked up the Shine & Protect. For your application I think it`d work better than what I do. *I* might not use it due to its being all Silicone-based, which I generally consider too messy...but that`s just me and I`m not dealing with the stuff offroading brings into play. People who like silicone-based stuff will probably be very happy with it, maybe you`ll be among them!

[WaxAddict]

What’s your routine?

Three years ago I posted a decent how-to. I just looked it up, and the pictures (or the links to them) have since been deleted or broken.

In summary, my process will of course depend on how dirty the car is.

Not too dirty:
I use a combination of pre-soaking with ONR and then spraying and wiping with a second WW with Eagle Edgeless towels or similar. The first wipe is always with NO PRESSURE. Another spray then *some* pressure. And the final spray and wipe with whatever pressure I feel necessary.

Road-film, rain spots, drool marks:
I do the dirty bottom panels first with lots of ONR and a microfiber soaked in WW (Gary Dean style). I`ll spot clean bad areas such as mirror weeping with a strong WW like ProLong WW & Shine. Then I do the rest of the car.

Dirty, visible dirt, mud, sand, poop, sap:
I pressure rinse the car first at the U-Squirt-It. I just pay the minimum amount and rinse the panels and flood (Accumulator) the door jams and mirrors, etc. Then race home and do the procedure above.

So, dear reader, if you want to be a champion of waterless/rinseless washes, take your towel budget and double it, then add 50%. I go through 20 towels easy, sometimes 30 if I follow up with a QD or spray wax.

My favorite and timeless WW products are ONR, Wolfgang Uber, and Ultima WW+. For spot cleaning once the car is clean, PB Spray & Wipe or ProLong WW & Shine.