Removing Snow

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DSimmon

New member
I know this isn't really a detailing question, but I think it kinda may be.



I was curious if anyone knew what I could use to clean the snow off of my car. At home, I have a garage, so that is not a problem, but when my car sites in the parking lot at work, it catches any snow fall from that day.



I would like to be able to clean the snow off of my car (roof, trunk, hood, etc) so that it doesn't fly off and cause problems for other drivers (although no1 else does this), but don't want to scratch up my car.



If I use a window scrapper with a brush, will this cause problems (instinct says yes)?



Any comments?



Thanks,

David
 
Yes, a window scrapper with a brush will cause problems.



In a light snow, I just use the brush to do my windows and let the rest melt off. I do not touch the paint. I don't worry about the people behind me. If they catch the flurry of snow then they're too close to me! It's my defense mechanism :lol



If there is an accumulation, I use this: http://www.herringtoncatalog.com/m280.html



I let it glide just above the paint so it does not touch the surface. It easily pushes the snow right off. It works like a charm. I have been doing this for a few years with zero issues of scratching the paint because I leave a thin film of snow on there which melts off.



When there is deep snow, you can push off like 8 - 10 inches in seconds.
 
If there's less than a couple inches, I brush off the windows and leave the rest. Eventually it will melt off or slide off as the panels get warm. If there's more than a couple inches, I push the majority of it off with my hand/arm, and leave a little bit on the car.
 
White95Max said:
I push the majority of it off with my hand/arm, and leave a little bit on the car.
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Hence, the tool I posted a link to. When you're in a suit, an overcoat or a leather jacket, it's not advisable to use your arm! Plus who wants to get an arm full of snow on yourself before you get into a car?!



Now is a good time to pick up some all weather rubber floor mats too for the winter. It's a total life saver and keeps your carpets perfectly clean.
 
I use my arm (inside my coat) to brush of MOST of it. My coat never touches the paint. And when I'm done, I slap my arm a few times, and all the snow falls off. No big deal.
 
Someone suggested last winter to use the One Step Broom. They have a new purple Civic and said it got the snow off without scratching up the car. Anyone ever try this? I was gonna order it and give it a shot.
 
SK2003TypeS said:
I do what Paul does.
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I guess if you wear a ski jacket or something to work. I used to go to work in a sport coat, leather jacket or camel hair long coat. Not very conducive to getting covered in snow in the morning!



That push broom works wonders and keeps you free of snow. But, whatever works!
 
edonthenet said:
Someone suggested last winter to use the One Step Broom. They have a new purple Civic and said it got the snow off without scratching up the car. Anyone ever try this? I was gonna order it and give it a shot.
Click to expand...



Looks like it's more for floors. Plus it's not high enough to push off much snow.



again, this sucker work great! http://www.herringtoncatalog.com/m280.html



If your car has a good coat of wax or sealant, all the snow comes off even when you don't touch the paint with it. Just push a bit above the paint.
 
That push broom thing may be non-abrasive, but it's the same principle as a Cali Water Blade. The edge itself won't scratch, but unless your car is perfectly clean under that snow, it can scratch. I don't know any cars around here that are spotless during any given winter day, and that includes mine. There's always salt dust getting thrown around by tires.



Same with that SUV wash mop. The fibers may not scratch, but the guy claims to have washed his filthy Yukon in 7 minutes with it. That means he just wiped everything down as fast as possible, and surely DID scratch his paint to hell. Of course he won't admit to that. And somehow I think his "wash in 7 minutes" was just the WASHING step, not a complete wash (rinse/wash/dry)
 
White95Max said:
The edge itself won't scratch, but unless your car is perfectly clean under that snow, it can scratch.
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Agreed, that's the real problem....and then you get these massive, thick blankets of snow laying atop any icy layer that's melted (engine heat) and re-frozen....then slide that mini-iceberg off the hood and you've got damage. I don't know any way around it except for keeping the car parked in the garage during inclement weather





BTW, somebody told me that MA has a law against driving away when the car is covered in snow. I guess you're required to clean it off prior to driving....oh, well. That's a tough habit to break. :grinno:
 
tom p. said:
BTW, somebody told me that MA has a law against driving away when the car is covered in snow. I guess you're required to clean it off prior to driving....oh, well. That's a tough habit to break. :grinno:
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I saw some moron driving out of the school parking lot last week, and it looked as though the blanket of snow on their roof had slid over the windshield when they hit the brakes. There was still about an 18"x18" spot cleared on the driver's side of the glass, so of course the driver just kept her head right there, looking out the small opening in the snow blanket. :idea It's sad to see how stupid people can be. With any luck, she ran into a mailbox or something...
 
I brought a sno-broom and got to try it out today. I really like it as it doesn't seem to go all the way down to the panel leaving just a light coat of snow left and the foam doesn't scratch.



I only do the hood,roof, and top of the trunk lid and windows. I leave the side panels but clear the head/tail lights, front grill and the wiper areas by gloved hand.
 
tom p. said:
BTW, somebody told me that MA has a law against driving away when the car is covered in snow. I guess you're required to clean it off prior to driving....oh, well. That's a tough habit to break. :grinno:
Click to expand...

Tom, if that's true then I've seen a lot of cars on the road where the driver should have been cited. :grinno: My favorite is the guy who doesn't brush off his car at all. Just makes a small hole through the snow in the front and the back to "see" through. Frankly, I don't know how anyone can drive like that.



Personally, I just bite the bullet and brush the car off with one of those scraper/brush combos. I figure there's no way around scratching the paint when removing snow except leaving it on there. However, leaving it is not something I'm not willing to do because I believe that flying snow is a safety hazard to other drivers. I've seen it cause an accident. Basically, like others have said there's no way to avoid scratching the paint because the snow you're pushing off is pushing the dirt on your car along the paint. I do try to use the side of the brush though instead of the tips of the bristles. This seems to help a bit.
 
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