I am sure that this has been explained before but what is the coldest temperature recommendation for HYDRO' ing one's car. I started using Hydro a few months ago and plan to use it during the occasional washes I can give the car through the long hard winter ahead....but not sure how cold it can be without Hydro freezing up or getting thick/smeary on the car.

I've tried washing the car when the ambient temp is 35 degrees and the water will ice up, so I now will only wash those rare times where it is above 40 while in my driveway but also will go every so often to the DIY wash bay where I can use their warm water wash and dry the car as best I can but will still leave the wash bay area with ice crystals all over....but still not sure if HYDRO will freeze or thicken/smear before I can towel dry the car in freezing temps.

My technique for using the car wash DYI bays in sub-freezing temps is to bring a few gallon jugs of warm water and pour them into my grit guard wash bucket and add wash soap and then add my quarters.....this way I do not need have my quarters be ticking away while I am waiting for the bucket to fill.

I use the 2 bucket method while washing in my driveway but have not bothered to bring that extra bucket and water while at the DIY bay....does anyone use the 2 bucket method when at their car wash bay?

 

As long as it is sunny, I can wash down to 25 deg F in the driveway. The shady side will freeze, but I do one side then turn it around and do the other.
I have actually found that Hydro will suppress the freezing point below 32.
I did once wash the MINI in a coin-op in Vernal UT at 15 deg F, only because it was so dirty it was unsafe to drive.

 

hydro works down to the point it freezes... also it seems not to be
temp based (well, above freezing that is) rather humidity. if it's a
cold soggy day it tends to leave smears as any wax/polymer would.

if it's a 30F+ dry day with no wind, chances are it will not freeze
and work beautifully. ambient temp might be 30F, but
wind can be colder...as i found out.

 

I gave my car a hydro treatment (after drying the car) yesterday. It was 29F, and as long as I worked quickly, I had no problems.

 

I do the same thing, using warm, not hot water in the buckets. By the by, Banana Gloss works fine down to about 25F, just work in the sun.

Mark

 

I pull the 2 bucket method at the diy bay all the time. I live in an apartment so I do not have access to a hose. I put the first $2 in and spray the car down and fill the buckets, keep spraying until time runs out. Then I wash it down 2 bucket method. Another $2 and the rinse happens. Works well but cost $4 so that is lame. Then I pull out into the sun dry it, spray it, windows, tires. The water is warm in the diy bay so that helps with freezing. My hands however...

 

you think $4 is lame? wow... i pay $15 for my touchless wash in the
winter time.

 

Well yes touchless is expensive. Plus most touchless washes seem to not really make me happy they almost make it clean. The $4 is just expensive for what I could do for almost free if I had a hose.

 

Umberto, just a comment in case you hadn't thought of it before. If you want warm wash water at home, try hooking a hose up to your washer hot water spicket. I've used a hose Y, one from each the cold and hot valves, then ran a single hose outside to get the temp just right. Not that I have to wash my car in sub-40 degree temps very often but it worked great.

 

hey..that's a good idea..except that our washer is on the other sise of the house and on our first floor...wife probably would not be keen on an outside dirty garden hose snaking through her bathroom and needing to leave the window open....great idea though if the washer was in a basement near the driveway...