Dirty car has been sitting in cold for a month...best way to wash?

**Junkyarddogg** · 03-06-2015, 10:10 AM

Hey guys,

The weather this winter in the northeast has been horrible to say the least. About a month ago, I took a road trip on wet, dirty slush (post snow storm) roads. When I came home my car was very dirty with road grime, snow, dirt, salt, etc. It has been so cold out and continuously snowy, that I haven't had a chance to wash it so it's all dried up. Now that it's supposed to hit 40 this weekend, I am planning to finally wash it. Any tips?

I am taking it to a self service station.

My original plan:

1. Soak entire car by spraying UWW to loosen up the grime.
2. Wash off with high pressure water hose.
3. Hand wash car with Optimum Car Wash and rinse off.
4. Towel Dry.
5. Drive home
6. Use UWW on entire car as I normally do and wife off.
7. Finish with Chemical guys V7

Am I at risk for creating swirls when towel drying?

I'm just paranoid I won't get all the dirt and salt off.

**wdmaccord** · 03-06-2015, 10:26 AM

Should be fine if you are hand washing first. My suggestion would be to find a touchless wash and run it through that to get the benefit of undercarriage wash also. Then just take it home and do a UWW.

A touchless will remove most large chunks and dirt but usually leaves behind the road film. That's what you will be cleaning off when you get home.

A rinseless wash might be better if you can use UWW or Optimum CW as a rinseless?

It's been so cold here that all I have been doing lately is touchless. This weekend, I'll probably do touchless and RW since it supposed to be almost 50 here also.

**Junkyarddogg** · 03-06-2015, 10:32 AM

Originally Posted by wdmaccord

Should be fine if you are hand washing first. My suggestion would be to find a touchless wash and run it through that to get the benefit of undercarriage wash also. Then just take it home and do a UWW.

A touchless will remove most large chunks and dirt but usually leaves behind the road film. That's what you will be cleaning off when you get home.

A rinseless wash might be better if you can use UWW or Optimum CW as a rinseless?

It's been so cold here that all I have been doing lately is touchless. This weekend, I'll probably do touchless and RW since it supposed to be almost 50 here also.

The only problem with touchless is i'm afraid the guys will scratch my car using dirty towels while drying, also not sure what cleaning solutions they use.

Yeah, I could do ONR rinseless instead of UWW. Good idea.

**Desertnate** · 03-06-2015, 10:59 AM

Originally Posted by Junkyarddogg

The only problem with touchless is i'm afraid the guys will scratch my car using dirty towels while drying, also not sure what cleaning solutions they use.

Yeah, I could do ONR rinseless instead of UWW. Good idea.

You don't have an automated touchless car wash in your area? I think that is what he was talking about; not a full service place. In my area, there is no human intervention at all. I simply pay the machine, pull into the bay, and then drive off once it's done.

I'm in a similar situation right now. My cars are covered in dried salt. I'm going to take them to a coin-op place and blast off the crust with the high-pressure wand and then go home and two-bucket hand wash them.

Might be a good time to look at buying my own pressure washer. Hmmmmm....

**Junkyarddogg** · 03-06-2015, 12:12 PM

Originally Posted by Desertnate

You don't have an automated touchless car wash in your area? I think that is what he was talking about; not a full service place. In my area, there is no human intervention at all. I simply pay the machine, pull into the bay, and then drive off once it's done.

I'm in a similar situation right now. My cars are covered in dried salt. I'm going to take them to a coin-op place and blast off the crust with the high-pressure wand and then go home and two-bucket hand wash them.

Might be a good time to look at buying my own pressure washer. Hmmmmm....

I actually found a touchless not too far away. Im gonna use a high pressure hose at the coin-op first before going through touchless. I just hope the streets arent too bad for the drive home.

**Jersey John** · 03-06-2015, 12:39 PM

If there's anything that still looks bad after the touchless then just use a dilution of something like ONR and pre-treat the panel beforehand.

**Desertnate** · 03-06-2015, 01:31 PM

Originally Posted by Junkyarddogg

I actually found a touchless not too far away. Im gonna use a high pressure hose at the coin-op first before going through touchless. I just hope the streets arent too bad for the drive home.

That actually works quite well.

A new touchless place I discovered on my way home for work has a couple high school kids that pressure wash your car while you wait in the queue. You get a cleaner car, and the kids earn money from tips. Everyone wins.

**07gtcs** · 03-06-2015, 02:14 PM

Originally Posted by Junkyarddogg

Hey guys,

The weather this winter in the northeast has been horrible to say the least. About a month ago, I took a road trip on wet, dirty slush (post snow storm) roads. When I came home my car was very dirty with road grime, snow, dirt, salt, etc. It has been so cold out and continuously snowy, that I haven't had a chance to wash it so it's all dried up. Now that it's supposed to hit 40 this weekend, I am planning to finally wash it. Any tips?

I am taking it to a self service station.

My original plan:

1. Soak entire car by spraying UWW to loosen up the grime.
2. Wash off with high pressure water hose.
3. Hand wash car with Optimum Car Wash and rinse off.
4. Towel Dry.
5. Drive home
6. Use UWW on entire car as I normally do and wife off.
7. Finish with Chemical guys V7

Am I at risk for creating swirls when towel drying?

I'm just paranoid I won't get all the dirt and salt off.

I use either the local coin op spray it off yourself or the sit through touchless lazer wash, the dry it off by driving home as fast as I can then do my rinseless wash in the garage. Easy peasy lemon squizy.

**Junkyarddogg** · 03-06-2015, 03:39 PM

Thanks guys, hopefully all goes well. I'll try to get some pics up

**oldmodman** · 03-08-2015, 05:54 AM

I have never had to drive in a state that salts the roads, but I have had a LOT of experience removing salt from under a car.

I used to go to Bonneville every year and help out with friend's LSR efforts.
When I got back home to Los Angeles there were areas under my station wagon that had salt crusted on four inches thick.
To remove it I would park at the curb in front of my house. And put an oscillating sprinkler under the car. I would take an entire day to move it from the front to the back. And when I was done there wouldn't be a single particle of salt left. And no corrosion either. Before I would go to the Salt Flats I would spray the entire underside of the wagon with three coats of WD-40. It would prevent the salt from actually reaching the metal.

I know it's too late to use the WD-40 before the salt got onto the car but it's not too late to use it immediately after washing the salt off. That will go a long way to preventing rust and corrosion.

After getting all the salt off the under side then just give you car a good hand wash. No high pressure needed. just give the exterior a good, long pre soak with just plain water. Or if you have one, a foam gun. Two pre soaks would be a bad idea either. Then just use the two bucket method of washing. That should be enough to prevent any of the salt crystals from marring your finish.