I feel a little trivial asking this since my problem is nothing compared to those who have lost homes but...my car is covered in ashes from these fires in Southern California. I'd rather not wash the car now since the ash is still coming down - is it safe to leave them on there for the time being and can I just do a regular wash when I'm ready to clean the car?
Thanks and hope everyone is safe and sound.
Pat

 

Me... being as OCDetailer as I am, would clean them off a couple times a day.

But, assuming you're a normal human being, let's look at it from a common sense point of view.

If the ashes aren't being blown off your car by the wind, then they're obviously at least somewhat attached to the surface. Maybe the car was wet when the ash landed (?).

Anyway, having that ash sit on the clearcoat for any extended period of time would worry me. Who knows what chemical composition is in that ash ?

I say wash it off now. And then again in a day or two if there's more.

 

The extended contact was worrying me too - I haven't tried the blow them off yet (the air is still here). I do have a compressor that I can use to blow them off and I'm happy to do that a couple times a day...thanks for the suggestion!

 

Get the ash off NOW. Depending on the wood being burned and the completion of combustion, the ash could be caustic and could etch your finish. Blowing it off would be best, but if you need to wash, rinse much longer than you would otherwise anticipate.

 

Yup I'd get it off.

And maybe go find a cheapy cover to toss over it while it's sitting parked...it'll help save you some of the effort.

 

on a vert top, can you vaccuum the rest of it off after using compressed
air?

like use the blower mode on your shopvac, then vac mode afterwards.

and your intake filter could be pretty clogged too...

 

This is why it's SOOOO important to have a properly waxed finish and for vert owners a protected top to give owners a better success rate at removal of environmental contaminants. Hot ash is a VERY bad thing for paint. I've seen this kind of damage before. However with ash that is drifting through the air, what you absolutely don't want is to have an outdoor car covered in ash, then get dew all over it at night, then you've got a muddy ash concoction on your paint that will harden and damage the paint.

As others have said, I would wash it as soon as possible and cover it. Even if it's just with a tarp or drop cloth or old sheets--it's better than nothing.

Adding to what Ken said, your interior cabin filter might also need replacement.

I'm also in SoCal and along with the the normal freeway dust, my car has ash on it as well. I'm using air from my compressed air tank to blow it off as well as just giving my normal wash just more frequently. Fortunately I waxed it the day before the fires.

Richard

 

i guess i feel better that im freezing my **** in 21F mornings here
without fires...