Winter wash or lack there of ....

J

JSFM35X

Active member
My Daily driver was coated with Kenzo 6/2019 and was looking amazing.

Due to time and weather I last washed it thanksgiving weekend. The rain has been doing an ok job of cleaning it up. Boy do I need a good rain tonight. It’s just filthy.

I’d rather have a dirty car than swirl it up with a less than Autopian wash. What are your thoughts.
 
I RW as carefully as supplies and time will allow throughout winter. This includes heavy pre-treat and lots of MFs for the RW wipes. I will also typically re-apply some waterless wash or drying aid after the RW wipe and before final dry. It sounds like a lot of time, but I cleaned my filthy X5 last night in a little over an hour, taking my time.

Im sure I’m adding some swirls every time I touch, but I look forward to the once a year polish sessions. It’s give and take: clean car that turns heads in the dead of winter, in return for adding (hopefully very small) swirling, one week at a time.
 
I do not have a garage slot of my DD. I’ve done this every year. A second with iron x and a good wash seem to do the trick. Last step with me a premier wipe down. Hoping to get through the 3 year lease without re polishing the car and re Coating it. Time will tell.

Keep you posted.

TheMeanGreen said:
Contaminants can still bond to a coating, and water spots can still etch through the coating. Do you at least have a garage?
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I "swirl" mine something fierce in winter washes running through the touchless tunnel wash and wiping it off to dry it somewhat when the car wash blowers do not remove all the rinse water. That and the fact that the car wash does not remove the traffic road film (TRF) from the salt de-icing binder (beet juice), so when I wipe the water off, I am also "cleaning" the TRF grime off at the same time. No, not Autopian standard, but it at least it looks "cleaner" than most vehicles that are "wearing" their winter ermine-white salt coat. Cleaner cars REALLY stand out when driven in the winter here in Northeast Wisconsin. But they do not stay "clean" driven for any length of time. Even on "dry", cold days salt dust kicked up from moving traffic can really dirty up a clean vehicle. So I deal with the swirls in the spring, which is like mid-May in Northeast Wisconsin. And by then the bugs come out in full force... and when the bugs are gone, it starts to snow (almost)....never-ending cleaning for any vehicle driven year-round in Wisconsin.
 
I "swirl" mine something fierce in winter washes running through the touchless tunnel wash and wiping it off to dry it somewhat when the car wash blowers do not remove all the rinse water. That and the fact that the car wash does not remove the traffic road film (TRF) from the salt de-icing binder (beet juice), so when I wipe the water off, I am also "cleaning" the TRF grime off at the same time. No, not Autopian standard, but it at least it looks "cleaner" than most vehicles that are "wearing" their winter ermine-white salt coat. Cleaner cars REALLY stand out when driven in the winter here in Northeast Wisconsin. But they do not stay "clean" driven for any length of time. Even on "dry", cold days salt dust kicked up from moving traffic can really dirty up a clean vehicle. So I deal with the swirls in the spring, which is like mid-May in Northeast Wisconsin. And by then the bugs come out in full force... and when the bugs are gone, it starts to snow (almost)....never-ending cleaning for any vehicle driven year-round in Wisconsin.

I say wash it, make it look clean and deal with the swirls later.Kinda being a hypocritical Obsessed-Compulsive Detailer (OCD), but in the winter, sometimes you have to give up something (swirls) to get something (a clean-looking vehicle).
(So Captain Obvious, are you saying your OCD goes into hibernation in the winter??)
 
Lonnie,

Do you just wipe down out of the touchless or do you use a waterless?

If no garage i would run through touchless and then Ammo frothe afterwards. I feel the foam does a good job of not marring the paint better than other rinseless waterless.

Touchless.
Pre treat N-914
Let sit 5 min
Frothe
Wipe with EE
Wipe with Hydrate and Everest.
Works great here in the NW.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Generally just let it go thru winter, maybe a soap/rinse touchless tunnel just for grins but for the most part, its kinda a nice break from Spring/Summer routine.

Just clean off the `winter` come Spring...
 
I should note that this winter so far, I’ve been able to do normal washes every week or two since December. Plenty of above-freezing days in SW PA thus far. I’m honestly quite disappointed with the lack of snow we received as I was hoping to torture test my LSPs.
 
Lonnie said:
I "swirl" mine something fierce in winter washes running through the touchless tunnel wash and wiping it off to dry it somewhat when the car wash blowers do not remove all the rinse water. That and the fact that the car wash does not remove the traffic road film (TRF) from the salt de-icing binder (beet juice), so when I wipe the water off, I am also "cleaning" the TRF grime off at the same time. No, not Autopian standard, but it at least it looks "cleaner" than most vehicles that are "wearing" their winter ermine-white salt coat. Cleaner cars REALLY stand out when driven in the winter here in Northeast Wisconsin. But they do not stay "clean" driven for any length of time. Even on "dry", cold days salt dust kicked up from moving traffic can really dirty up a clean vehicle. So I deal with the swirls in the spring, which is like mid-May in Northeast Wisconsin. And by then the bugs come out in full force... and when the bugs are gone, it starts to snow (almost)....never-ending cleaning for any vehicle driven year-round in Wisconsin.

I say wash it, make it look clean and deal with the swirls later.Kinda being a hypocritical Obsessed-Compulsive Detailer (OCD), but in the winter, sometimes you have to give up something (swirls) to get something (a clean-looking vehicle).
(So Captain Obvious, are you saying your OCD goes into hibernation in the winter??)
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Though I haven’t experienced the salt dust, I would equate the dirt dust to being similar as my car only stays dust free for a couple of hours after a wash...... What used to take days of dust accumulation in Dallas happens in hours here in Lubbock. There have even been times where the car has gotten so dusty on the one mile drive home from the coin-op that I need to do a rinseless wash just get rid of the water that has come out of the cracks and crevices. Hopefully I’ll be able to start saving for the Krause & Becker when semester ends.
 
Eh, we`ve had a really mild winter here.

I basically don`t touch a vehicle unless I can give it (my version of) a proper wash. But on the vehicles wearing FK1000P, I`m doing incredibly well with my "Home Touchless" using the pressure washer, the Lonn Cleaning Gun (at about 120psi), and the Tornador Black (just blow it dry after deionized/distilled rinse). No, they don`t turn out Autopian that way, but are easily still "best in parking lot". I credit the FK1000P as the OCW`ed A8 really needs a proper wash every time.

But if something gets winter/salty-nasty, I clean it properly, including every inch of the undercarriage.
 
Bill D said:
And I bet, Accumulator, you always get them to turn out marring free.
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Close enough for me, and I *am* awfully particular ;) I can honestly say that my friends` Concours champs aren`t as good as my beaters, not even close. Ditto for the cars I`ve seen at shows.

But that`s just *my* experience...I gather there really are people who own, or see cars at shows/concourses, that don`t need significant correction, but that`s simply not *my* experience. It`s as if some Autopians live in a parallel universe or something..I simply *NEVER* see cars with flawless paint. Never. That`s one reason I quit going to car shows, the condition of the entries just depressed me (I wanted to carnap the cool ones and detail `em right).
 
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 ;) )
 
Accumulator said:
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 ;) )
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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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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