A Way to Properly Wash Your Vehicle in Cold Climates

[ewiesner]

My process is very similar, except I carry my water in old milk jugs as my buckets don't have lids. My local DIY car wash has sign posted "No bucket washing if customers are waiting". I go early or late and usually don't have a problem.

[RaskyR1]

car washes by me actually have signs up saying no bucket washing

So do mine actually. At the end of the day the owner still knows that making $4-6 dollars off of you is better than not making any money at all. As long as you aren't keeping other people from using the bay there should be no issues. However, if there is someone waiting behind you, then the owner is loosing money as a result of you being there. The place I got to actually has 6 bays, and its rare that I ever see another car there after 10:00pm.


I actually had the owner talk to me for a while once as he was cleaning bays late at night. He mentioned the "no hand washing policy" but I was very polite and told him I only come late at night and that I would never hold up another car. He then proceeded to ask me why I chose to bucket wash vs. using all the pre-rinse and soap settings, so I explained it to him. After talking for a while he asked for my card as he thought he could get me some work. ;)

Just respect them and be polite and I find it hard to believe they will care

Just my $.02

[ThirdgenTa]

in winter/cold weather i use the coin washes just to knock of the snow ice and heavy stuff. then bring car back home to garage to finish
Hey any decent diy car washes you can recommend in Aurora. Im on the far east side.

[slickooz]

Try googling touchless car washes in your town, you should be able to find a few.

[jlb85]

Always Great work! The video can be very helpful for many new comers and the regulars.
Going be working on 2 cars this Saturday and its going be in 21 degrees, can't wait till it gets warm again.


Nice video Jacob, thanks for sharing!


You COLD weather guys are just hardcore.

Here in GA it just get's cold.

For me, it's the garage with ONR, 2 buckets of warm water, and a forced air propane heater.

DLB<----Pansy. :o


Luckily, we pushed our annual snowmobile trip back one week this year. Where we are going next week is going to be -36* tonight. 36 degrees below zero with windchills in the -50 to -60 degrees.

Forecast Conditions
High °F -4
Low °F -36

That is hardcore and my vehicles will stay dirty until it warms up.

Randy


Thanks, guys! Sounds like you all are dealing with the cold as well, even Dalton! Didn't it snow there a few days ago!? Bet no one washed their car :buffing:



Awesome and very helpful video Jacob!


I was actually checking out Steven's youtube channel last night....that guy has mad skillz! :dblthumb2:

Thanks, Chad! I was reading your post in another thread about your cold weather process and how similar it is.

Steven always blows my mind with his pictures. I never expect it! I'll be shooting alongside him with my cheap-o A200, thinking I'm getting more or less the idea of the composition and stuff, just to compare and learn. But when the pictures are done they are so far from what I envisioned, so dramatically impressive, it is just remarkable. His pictures of the Detroit skyline are outstanding!

[jlb85]

Nice how to video. :xyxthumbs:

I would not usually be able to that around here because there is usually another vehicle in line behind me waiting to use the wash bay and the car washes all have signs stating no bucket washing while other customers are waiting.

That would be a nice way to properly wash your vehicle in the winter if you can do it, though. :)


I'll bet the person behind you in line is having a cow while he's waiting


Great video! I like how he explained all of the products in the beginning of the video. Most of these DIY car wash places have signs posted (No Bucket Washing).


car washes by me actually have signs up saying no bucket washing


It's 25 degrees out. lol I'm sure there is nobody waiting :buffing:

Exactly! At least not lining up for it ;)



That's why you go late at night or very early in the morning. The washes by me are actually open 24/7 and I've never had a car come up behind me. :props:


My process is very similar, except I carry my water in old milk jugs as my buckets don't have lids. My local DIY car wash has sign posted "No bucket washing if customers are waiting". I go early or late and usually don't have a problem.


So do mine actually. At the end of the day the owner still knows that making $4-6 dollars off of you is better than not making any money at all. As long as you aren't keeping other people from using the bay there should be no issues. However, if there is someone waiting behind you, then the owner is loosing money as a result of you being there. The place I got to actually has 6 bays, and its rare that I ever see another car there after 10:00pm.


I actually had the owner talk to me for a while once as he was cleaning bays late at night. He mentioned the "no hand washing policy" but I was very polite and told him I only come late at night and that I would never hold up another car. He then proceeded to ask me why I chose to bucket wash vs. using all the pre-rinse and soap settings, so I explained it to him. After talking for a while he asked for my card as he thought he could get me some work. ;)

Just respect them and be polite and I find it hard to believe they will care

Just my $.02

Exactly, also! The trick is not to keep anyone waiting. If while I'm working on the truck, for instance, I get someone behind waiting, I'll finish up promptly and/or move over to the next bay, or make the line again. Kinda etiquette I guess. But going at odd times always works for me. Sunday mornings is perfect.

[jlb85]

Would you consider a rinseless product like ONR for washing, and just use booths spray to remove gunk and salt from undercarriage ???


in winter/cold weather i use the coin washes just to knock of the snow ice and heavy stuff. then bring car back home to garage to finish


Absolutely. If the temp is below 25, even with HOT water used to wash, freezing before it dries is a problem. These bays get quite a breeze going through them. In such cases I would spray down the "grueso" with just the rinse water, then ONR back inside somewhere. But if you don't have a garage to use even ONR becomes difficult to work with. But I would rather have frozen ONR than frozen salty, dirty ice on my paint for sure!



Great concept...I'd use a rinseless wash product instead which eliminates the need for detail spray to dry down with.

We use it more as a protection product, a layer of sealant that goes on quick and easy at these temps. The Red Mist Tropical is probably the shiniest, silkiest of spray products. Its high solvent content make it easy to use at low temps. But it definitely takes care of any drying streaks. Other than RMT I would probably use Opti-Seal or a spray wax per se, again, with protection in mind more than perfection applying it.

[MI Mike]

I can feel your pain. Those plastic (nitrile) gloves are cold. I found that if I must wash in that temp. I will use a pair of dishwashing gloves with a pair of canvas gloves inside for warmth, you buy the next larger size. The long yellow ones. So your girlfriend is a UM student/grad ??? FYI when talking about washbays there is a self carwash up north (Petoskey), that has garage doors on their bays that you can close. They also installed heaters that you can use. Keep filling the slots with quarters while washing and keep warm. Nice idea that others could follow, etc. Question? What day did you finally thaw out.

[Mister B]

there is a self carwash up north (Petoskey), that has garage doors on their bays that you can close. They also installed heaters that you can use. Keep filling the slots with quarters while washing and keep warm.

Now that would be nice. None of those type car washes around here.

[ZimRandy]

Exactly, also! The trick is not to keep anyone waiting. If while I'm working on the truck, for instance, I get someone behind waiting, I'll finish up promptly and/or move over to the next bay, or make the line again. Kinda etiquette I guess. But going at odd times always works for me. Sunday mornings is perfect.

Yep.

As long as there are quarters in and the meter is running, the owner doesn't care. If you are just taking your time and your money has run out, then he is losing money if someone is waiting.

I can usually wash the car with two buckets faster than the person next to me banging the wall mounted brush off of their car can.

Oh yeah, -27 degrees this morning! :eek:

Randy

[PAR Detailing]

Great video, that will really help out alot of people. And it shows the proper 2bm.

I should have videoed the guy I was behind the other day, he didnt wet the vehicle down at all. He grabbed the brush there started scrubbing left and right and then rinsed it off.

[Kaban]

I just don't even bother to touch my cars in the winter....too much of a hassle even though I have a garage.

I usually just clay my cars and put some Collinite 476 before the cold weather and that easily gets me through these crazy Chicago winters. I have to say.... this winter has been the worst by far, we got over 2 feet of snow last night!

[StephenK]

I just don't even bother to touch my cars in the winter....too much of a hassle even though I have a garage.

I usually just clay my cars and put some Collinite 476 before the cold weather and that easily gets me through these crazy Chicago winters. I have to say.... this winter has been the worst by far, we got over 2 feet of snow last night!



collinite is a life saver for us that live in this type of nasty weather.

[JohnnyC]

Great video! I like how he explained all of the products in the beginning of the video. Most of these DIY car wash places have signs posted (No Bucket Washing).
:iagree:Tried it once and they through me out. Great idea if they let you.:xyxthumbs:

[Wendell Jarvis]

I do this from time to time in the Winter....I even take my 2-.... 5 gallon bukets with me, and Megs Gold Class Shampoo....just becareful that the owner is not around.....thanks to me there are now Signs Posted " No Hand Washing" left my mark on this town !!