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I have a couple of FILTHY cars sitting in my garage. Unfortunately, its about 12 degrees here at the moment. Does anyone have any tips for washing cars in the freezing cold? They are absolutely filthy. Also, they have all the road grime on the boots and sides. What can I do to be absolutely sure that I won't cause [much] damage?
I have a couple of FILTHY cars sitting in my garage. Unfortunately, its about 12 degrees here at the moment. Does anyone have any tips for washing cars in the freezing cold? They are absolutely filthy. Also, they have all the road grime on the boots and sides. What can I do to be absolutely sure that I won't cause [much] damage?
Thanks, and any tips are much appreciated.
William
You got a drain in that garage? Then buy a kerosone heater. Crank it up and get at it
i feel bad for you guys... i just washed it today... on my driveway... at -5 celius.... and yes, it froze in less than a minute... i parked my car 1/4 into the garage... the moment i got the car sprayed... i moved it inside and closed the door
I'll admit to a visit to the local coin op car wash in the bitter cold. All it does is rinse off the salt and surface dirt, but it is indoors and I can usually dry my MINI before it freezes. If we have serious snow and the related salted roads, I use the drive thru auto wash that is touchless. They key for me here is the rocker panel wash that gets under the vehicle. I try to time my winter rinses between cold blasts. Nothin better than a shiny MINI and it being too cold to dirty it up any more. The safest option is to wait it out, and properly wash you MINI, but for me, I can't stand a dirty MINI. It's just wrong!
I snuck in a wash the other day when it was 35 degrees, after 4 weeks. I never go that long...the wheels were black! My advice is to wait until you get one day above freezing. It's just to risky to mess with things in the ice IMO...
__________________ 2004 MINI Cooper S Proud Member of MayDayers 2004 | MMC#365
On Sunday it made it to 42 deg F here. Yep, two-bucket wash and Hydro. Installed some chrome bits from x-mas and some Union Jack decals. Now, back to our regularly scheduled winter - 25 deg F today, 19 tomorrow and less for the rest of the week. :impatient
I'm moving to Australia!
I take a bucket, put in the kitchen sink, fill it with as hot a watr as possible, dump a few bickets on the MINI and park it in the garage to dry off without freezing shut.
I'll probably stop at a coin wand wash in the next 12 hours to knock of the majority of the road salt, so when Pearl is at the dealer I don't look like a total fool saying do NOT wash the car b/c I don't want the automatic brushes adding more scratches.
I love clean cars...So I wash mine in a wand coin op, very early in the morning or late enought in the evening that the "world" is still frozen. That way, I bypass all the slop out there. I try not to drive mid-day and go home after the thaw. I also carry several clean old towels to the car wash and gently dry all the door jams and parts that might freeze. Living in Colorado you get creative?
I use the coin-op and yeah it freezes, but after a night in the garage it's all gone. Just spraying doesn't get all the salt and grime, but it really helps.
Remember the undercarriage! That's where the REAL salt deposits are.
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~Matt Cook | Dublin, Ohio | '92 Classic Mini Sprite: "Fiona" + Purple Haze 2005 MCS Cabrio: "Dawn". See old MODs from "Nano" HERE - post #166 - many with How-to links!
It got up to a balmy 38°F here on Saturday, so I went ahead and washed our Subaru, since my wife and I have both been driving it to work for the last 3-4 weeks (she works days, I work nights). Unfortunately the Mini has been sitting in the garage unused (along with the Miata and Mustang) most of the winter. I don't really want to get salt on the Mini any more than I have to.
For washing in cold weather I dress warmly and I have a pair of elbow-length neoprene waterproof/insulated gloves that I use to stay comfortable while washing the car. I usually don't atttempt to wash any of our cars below about 35° though.
-Keith
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2005 Mini Cooper - Black/White 5-speed
2007 Subaru Forester XT - 2008 Mustang GT - 1990 Mazda Miata
If I have to, I use a touchless wash... one where you pull in and stand in one place while the spray-arm rotates around you. It isn't perfect, but it doesn knock a 90% of the dust, dirt, salt and grime from your car.
The detergents are pretty harsh (so they can wash your car without touching it) and is more likely to strip your wax away than a handwash with a good auto shampoo, but sometimes it's better than the alternative of not washing.
The touchless I use also has a great undercarrage high-pressure spray feature when you pull in... great for cleaning salt and grime from the suspension and under-bits.
I finally got a wash over the weekend... it's barely been over 20F in the last few days. With the Cabrio, I only take it to a hand-wash place. For $12 + tip, they do a really nice job.. and I stay warm
The only thing I need to do is get the salt off the undercarriage.
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'05 MCc - BRG/G - LUCK 729 / MMC #255 - Flickr Chicago MINI Motoring Club - Club Officer / C.O.R.N.; High Plains Motoring Society; STL MINIs
I personally would wait till a day of above freezing temperature, unless you have a heated garage or some kind of facility to do it in. If you clean the car now its only gonna get dirty again after a week or so and especially if it snows again. So I would just wait it out.
I go to a coin wash this time of year. I have to get the salt off of it. I went last weekend, then again last Wens, once again this past weekend and again last night. Basically every three or four days. It's cold, and starts to freeze before I can dry it completely, but as long as it's salt free I'm happy.
I fill two 5 gal buckets up with warm water and then snap on a lid. I then put the buckets in the boot, drive to a coin-op wash and do the typical 2-bucket wash and dry. The coin-op wash near my home is enclosed and stays above freezing so I can dry without the water freezing. I also use the wand to get the undercarriage. I have to pay for a few cycles, but at only $1 per cycle, who cares.
02 CR MCS Cold/Sport
'06 MCS; HB/W; Stripes; Chrome pkg; Driving lights; HB Int.; 1; 2; 3; iPod; w/ mods
