Any advantage to using warm or hot water?

E

ExplorerXLT95

New member
I was listening to a radio commercial the other day when I heard a commercial for a local car wash. They stated that they were "the only ones in the area who use warm water".



So that got me thinking...



Is there any advantage that you can think of that would come from using warm or hot water?



Personally, I've never heard of such a thing. :nixweiss
 
Keeps your hands warmer in the winter?



With the car wash formulas, I don't know if it makes any difference. When you wash other things (i.e. dishes & clothes), hot water seems to break down the dirt quicker. But that's just my observations. I was actually thinking of washing my car this week and hooking it up to my laundry sink if they weather remains cold.
 
Don't go too hot. Warm is probably sufficient. The rapid temperature changes if it's below freezing and you hit the car with very hot water could be an issue.
 
All my life, I've only used warm water for the soapy/sudsy part of the wash. Rinse is always cold. I guess that is because that was the way my Dad did it. Now it is just automatic. Besides cold wash water would play HE@@ with my arthritus.....
 
I love using warm water ! But its not an option thats easily accessible ! To me it seems like warm water cuts a little better, just like it does in household traditions like washing walls, plates, showers etc......
 
The hotter the water is, the better it will clean. There is definitely a limit to how hot you should go. I wouldn't wash a cold car in the winter with anything warmer than lukewarm water. If the water gets too hot, it will be more likely to wash away natural waxes. Warm water rinses better also.
 
ExplorerXLT95 said:
I was listening to a radio commercial the other day when I heard a commercial for a local car wash. They stated that they were "the only ones in the area who use warm water".



So that got me thinking...



Is there any advantage that you can think of that would come from using warm or hot water?



Personally, I've never heard of such a thing. :nixweiss
Click to expand...



Heated water breaks down water-soluble soiling faster as it reduces overall chemical usage because it reduces the surface tension of the fibre. Heat acts as a catalyst promoting quicker reactions between chemicals and the soil.



~Hope this helps~



Knowledge unshared is experience wasted [each one / teach one]

justadumbarchitect / so I question everything/ JonM
 
In general, most chemical reaction rates double for every ~10 degrees the temperature is raised. I assume this holds true for the effectiveness of detergents.



-Raymond
 
Sure, I use warm water for all the reasons mentioned. Though I forget the molecular-level details from my Jr. High chemistry, it's basically what TOGWT and raymond_ho2002 said. Same reason clothes in the washer, dishes in the dishwasher come out cleaner if you don't use cold water.



And in the winter, warm water does a much better job of dissolving salt (again, for the same reasons).
 
Warm seems to work better in my experience. We (my dad and i) kind of cheat though, when were redoing the plumbing at my parents house a few years ago, to one of the garden hose nozles we but a T by it connected to the hot water heater. All we have to do is turn the valve by the T, and voila! Warm water out of the garden hose... Tell you what, it makes those winter washes MUCH easier, (i live in northern Michigan if that tells you anything)
 
I usually use warm water this time of the year through the winter. I connected the hose to the laundry tub to get warm water. I plan to use QEW more this winter and will only need the hose to knock down the heavy salt.
 
I use warm water when detailing in the fall.. even though I wear nitrile gloves during the wash and detailing process, you can still feel the cold through them, on a crisp morning..warm water is better and easier on the hands;)
 
In the winter, I always wash with WARM water (not HOT). I find that it definitely breaks down dirt better than cold water. On the rinse, I don't think it's necessary, though a warm rinse would probably make it easier to dry.



HOT water would surely be an issue for the longevity of the wax/sealant.
 
Hot water on a cold window is a definate disaster. I use warm water in the summer, lukewarm in winter, almost cold if its chilly.
 
HOT water would surely be an issue for the longevity of the wax/sealant. [/B][/QUOTE]



~One manâ€â„¢s opinion / observations~



Question: Why? Please elaborate





~Hope this helps~



Knowledge unshared is experience wasted [each one / teach one]

justadumbarchitect / so I question everything/ JonM
 
TOGWT said:
HOT water would surely be an issue for the longevity of the wax/sealant.
Click to expand...



~One manâ€â„¢s opinion / observations~



Question: Why? Please elaborate





JonM [/B][/QUOTE]



Why? I don't know. I'm not a scientist, but I know through experience that hot water can - and does for many waxes/sealants I've used - reduce their durabilty somewhat (relative to what it would be if the car was washed only with cold or warm water).
 
foxtrapper said:
Saponification takes place more rapidly in warm water.
Click to expand...





I'm pretty sure you didn't mean to say saponification..









TOGWT said:
HOT water would surely be an issue for the longevity of the wax/sealant.



Question: Why? Please elaborate
Click to expand...



Partly for the same reason why baking your car under the hot sun will reduce the longevity of your wax. It also has to do with my earlier statement that chemical reactions in general double for every 10 degrees the temperature is raised. Wax/sealants are worn down every time the car is washed, partly due to mechanical action, and partly chemical, from detergents in the soap solution. Therefore the rate of deterioration while washing would increase with the increase of temperature.
 
[~One manâ€â„¢s opinion / observations~



1: I'm pretty sure you didn't mean to say saponification..

A: Saponifiers [: to hydrolyse (a fat) with alkali to form a soap] Hopefully the soap is formed before you use it



2. Partly for the same reason why baking your car under the hot sun will reduce the longevity of your wax.[*] It also has to do with my earlier statement that chemical reactions in general double for every 10 degrees the temperature is raised. Wax/sealants are worn down every time the car is washed, partly due to mechanical action, and partly chemical, from detergents in the soap solution. Therefore the rate of deterioration while washing would increase with the increase of temperature. [/B][/QUOTE]

A: I stated â€Ëœheatedâ€â„¢ water not something you could compare to the heat of the sun



[*] Carnauba wax melts at 180oF and Beeswax melts at 130oF thatâ€â„¢s the main reason heat effects their durability



~Hope this helps~



Knowledge unshared is experience wasted [each one / teach one]

justadumbarchitect / so I question everything/ JonM
 
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