Autopia Winter Care Guide 3 of 3

Todd@RUPES

Todd@RUPES

Just a regular guy
Autopia Winter Care Newsletter 3 of 3



Maintain the Exterior and Interior of Your Automobile

Let's face it, winter isn't fair! Cold conditions and miserable weather can make it difficult to maintain the protection of your vehicle's finish during the time it needs it the most! Snow, sleet, road salt, and deicing chemicals all take a toll on your exterior. The inside isn't much better as you constantly track mud and melting snow inside. In the first Winter Care Newsletter, we looked at preparing and protecting the exterior of your vehicle. In the second, we examined ways to protect your interior against the ravages of winter. In this third and final newsletter, we will look at ways to maintain your vehicle's cosmetics through the coldest months.


Wash Inside!

The amount grime and filth that accumulates on your vehicle's finish during winter can be disheartening. Even worse, it can cause rust, stains, and faded paint. One of the best, yet most challenging, steps you can do to keep your vehicle's finish looking great is clean it often.

To gain extra shelter and protection from the cold, many have been forced to rely on using automated car washes that scratch paint or touchless car washes that use harsh chemicals that strip waxes and sealants when they are needed the most! A better solution is to wash your own car in the shelter of your own garage. Taking a hose into your garage and soaking your belongings is out of the question. Worse, the water can freeze turning your garage into a slippery hazard. The best option is to use one of ecologically friendly Rinseless Wash products from Autopia-CarCare.com.

BLACKFIRE Car Care, Detailer’s Car Care and Optimum Polymer Technologies all offer excellent Rinseless Wash products. Each has a unique formulation with a particular twist on this rapidly growing segment of car washing.

Rinseless Washes offer a paint-safe and effective solution to the concerns of water shortages, environmental issues, and car washing location restrictions. They also allow you to wash the car in the shelter of your own garage without concern for soaking valuable items. Rinseless Wash Products are designed to encapsulate the dirt and grime on your vehicle so it can be wiped away without the fear of scratching while adding valuable protection!

A look at some of our popular Rinseless Wash Products:

BLACKFIRE Wet Diamond Rinseless Wash is a high lubricity Rinseless Wash that uses BLACKFIRE’s proprietary Wet Diamond Polymers to encapsulate dirt and grime so they can be wiped away without scratching. The Wet Diamond Polymers, the same that are in BLACKFIRE’s famous paint sealants, adhere to both the dirt and the paint finish. As they bond to the paint finish you are adding valuable protection, similar to that of a paint sealant to help protect against winter’s ravaging weather.

Detailer’s Rinseless Wash & Gloss is packed with lubricants that wrap around dirt and grit to elevate it just above the paint surface. Specialized polymers grab dirt and trap it within the slippery solution of lubricants and water. As you wipe the wet surface with a microfiber towel, the dirt will stick to the towel, not the paint. Upon drying the surface, it will feel super slick and have an incredible gloss.

Optimum Polymer Technologies No Rinse & Shine only requires 1-2 gallons of water to wash your entire vehicle. No Rinse & Shine is completely free of soapy surfactants so it does not require rinsing. This unique product contains substantive polymers which bond to the paint and protect it during the rinseless wash.


Proper Supplies

In order to use your Rinseless Wash Products properly you should use the following tools:

Proper Technique

  1. Start by pulling your automobile into your garage and allowing it to cool until the surface is no longer hot to the touch.
  2. Fill the first bucket approximately 80% full of water then add the recommended amount of Rinseless Wash solution. We recommend using warm water to keep you from freezing.
  3. Fill the second bucket full of regular wash water. This will be your “Rinse Bucket” that you will use to clean your wash towel.
  4. Place two high quality wash towels in the wash solution bucket and allow them to soften for 5 minutes. We recommend using plush microfiber towels such as the Super Deluxe Plush 600 Microfiber Towel.
  5. Wash top to bottom, one section at a time.
  6. Squeeze out and ample amount of Rinseless Wash Solution from the towel over the section to be cleaned and wipe gently over the surface until clean.
  7. Rinse your wash towel mitt in the “rinse bucket” before loading more solution.
  8. After washing a section, immediately dry to a streak-free shine with the Cobra Guzzler Microfiber Drying Towel.
  9. Continue washing and drying a section at a time, including the glass, trim, and mirrors. Do not clean wheels with the same towels you will use on your paint.
  10. When the body is complete, use a wheel towel and the remaining solution to clean your wheels, tires, and wheel wells.


Quick Sealants

With the exterior clean, you may choose to add a little additional protection and shine to the finish. While the Rinseless Wash Technique above will add some protection, a little more is beneficial. BLACKFIRE Car Care, Optimum Polymer Technologies, and Ultima offer advanced wipe-on and walk away paint sealants that can be applied in as little as 15 minutes to most cars. These advanced paint protectants are based on self-leveling polymer technology that does half the work for you! This means less time spent freezing and more sipping hot cocoa!

A look at some of our popular Wipe On and Walk Away Sealants:

BLACKFIRE Crystal Seal creates an advanced polymer film that outlasts other spray sealants with half the effort. BLACKFIRE Crystal Seal is a paint sealant that offers incredible protection and longevity for all paint finishes, glass, plastics, and metals. Just drops of this clear liquid produce a tough barrier that resists contamination, moisture, and UV rays. Hyper-concentrated BLACKFIRE Crystal Seal packs the power of cross-linking Wet Diamond polymers in every drop.

Optimum Opti-Seal features incredible science! The hyper concentrated polymer sealant begins cross-linking as soon as it hits the paint. Opti-Seal flashes almost immediately to leave a polymer film on the paint. Opti-Seal is not a short-cut product. It is a state-of-the-art, stand-alone spray sealant that provides real, durable protection for paint, plastic trim, and wheels. This is a last step product, not a maintenance product. After polishing, apply Opti-Seal and walk away. Opti-Seal is the only paint protection your vehicle needs.

Ultima Paint Guard Plus, containing Polycharger Wax Booster technology, is the longest lasting, clearest and easiest paint protection you can apply to your car. This product takes about ten minutes to apply to a clean, dry vehicle. Simply wipe on and walk away. No buffing required.


Bonus:
Use these easy-to-apply paint sealants to protect the finish of your wheels after cleaning them!

Note:
Ocassionally, after washing, make sure to reapply your favorite exterior protectants, discussed in Autopia's first Winter Care Newsletter.


Keep Your Interior Clean

In the second Autopia News Care Letter we carefully detailed ways to keep your interior protected. Now it is just a matter of keeping it pristine. To ward off winter's chill, run your engine and allow the car heater to make the interior more comfortable. If you are working in your garage, make sure to open the garage door half-away to avoid an accumulation of toxic exhaust fumes.

Vacuum any loose soil away frequently. The Metro 12 Volt Stainless Steel Hand Vac works with your cigarette lighter to provide portable, high powered suction. Keep one in your vehicle and use frequently to keep your grime and grit from grinding into your surfaces.

If you protected your interior's surfaces with Ultima Trim Guard Plus, as suggested previously, then keeping your interior looking great is easy. Use Ultima Detail Spray Plus and soft Gold Plush Microfiber Towel to clean all surfaces and fortify protection.

Don't forget about your interior windows which are subject to fogging and freezing, particularly when you first start your vehicle. Pinnacle's excellent new Crystal Clear Glass Cleaner with Water Repellent makes it easy to clean your interior glass. The addition of water repellent will keep fog from forming, maintaining your clear vision as you navigate winter's toughest road conditions.


Conclusion

Winter is a tough time for you and your automobile. By spending a little time to keep your vehicle clean and protected you can ensure your investment will endure the toughest months. Not only does a clean care look great, but it improves your visibility to others. Drive safe, stay warm, and keep shining.


BLACKFIRE Wet Diamond Rinseless Wash
Detailer’s Rinseless Wash & Gloss
Optimum Polymer Technologies No Rinse & Shine
Two Buckets with Grit Guard Inserts
Several High Quality Wash Microfiber Towels
Cobra Guzzler Microfiber Drying Towel
Secondary microfiber towel for tires, wheels, and wheel wells
BLACKFIRE Crystal Seal
Optimum Opti-Seal
Ultima Paint Guard Plus
Metro 12 Volt Stainless Steel Hand Vac
Ultima Trim Guard Plus
Crystal Clear Glass Cleaner with Water Repellent
 
Todd - Thanks for taking the time to complete all three Winter write ups. All three contain great information.

What is your recommendation for a safe temperature to properly apply a wax or sealant without paint correction? Process being wash, clay, wax/sealant paint cleanse, then applying either a wax or sealant? I know it will vary on product.
 
Very nice write up. Keeping the interior clean during winter is a daily task. Might have to look into getting more mf towels for winter.
 
Start by pulling your automobile into your garage and allowing it to cool until the surface is no longer hot to the touch.




I know you live in Florida but I seen a little humor in this living in northern Minnesota. Here we have to pull the car into the garage and let it warm up, provided you have the heat on. :lol2:




I really like this car care guide.



My plan was to take it to the car wash and pressure wash the road grime and salt off on the warmer days (above 0) about once every 2 weeks give or take. I like this idea of a rinse-less wash that I could do in my garage since I can heat it up. So I have a question. Is there a point at which the car can be too dirty for this process? Of course we use salt up here and when it snow and is in the 20 degree range it usually makes a mess on the road and with the car. I am concerned that by using this method I might actually put micro marring or swirls into the clear coat when the car gets a coat of road salt and grime on it.



Dean. :inspector:
 
Nice article Todd. I think the 2nd one was my favorite. I really don't have any reason behind it though.
 
For those without a heated garage I guess we're stuck rinsing our car at the coin wash :(

I haven't prep my car for the winter yet but I hear the next week it's going to be pretty nice. 9-11 degrees Celsius so I'm going to iron x, clay, and use UPGP and top of with Collinite 846. Just wondering how long I should wait before applying the Collinite 846.
 
Bump, Todd -

What is your recommendation for a safe temperature to properly apply a wax or sealant without paint correction? Process being wash, clay, wax/sealant paint cleanse, then applying either a wax or sealant? I know it will vary on product.
 
BobbyG said:
Todd, a great ending to a terrific series of How To's for us Northerners....:bigups
Click to expand...

I grew up in Chicago. I remember heating my parents garage with a turbine heater and hooking the hose up to the utility room with hot water.
 
Wors said:
Bump, Todd -

What is your recommendation for a safe temperature to properly apply a wax or sealant without paint correction? Process being wash, clay, wax/sealant paint cleanse, then applying either a wax or sealant? I know it will vary on product.
Click to expand...

It really depends on the actual product, although between 50-90 seems to work best (rule of thumb). You can apply most products below 50, but make sure to allow extra time for the product to cure properly.

One of the reasons I like using WOWA sealants once the cold weather starts is because you can spread it thing and easily wipe away any high spots later.
 
Question on rinseless wash. I like the idea of the rinseless wash but is there a point at which the car is too dirty for this procedure? When it snows here in Mn out come the plow trucks loaded with salt and on a mild day it gets messy. I am wondering if there is a point to which a car has to thick of a layer of grime for this method.

Dean. :wall
 
skibik said:
Question on rinseless wash. I like the idea of the rinseless wash but is there a point at which the car is too dirty for this procedure? When it snows here in Mn out come the plow trucks loaded with salt and on a mild day it gets messy. I am wondering if there is a point to which a car has to thick of a layer of grime for this method.

Dean. :wall
Click to expand...

As long as it is not below freezing, you can do a quick hose down to knock the majority then do the rinseless.
 
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