Looking at my truck for the past week or so, staring at all the road grime/grit/crap all over her... got me wondering just how am I going to get all this crap off without scratching the paint.

I hate the idea of taking a pressure washer to her.

I hate taking her to touchless car washes (which I've done once, never again), cause they work for sheet.

And the thought of using even Meg's w/the lambs wool scares me.

So, I thought of you guys. What do ya'll do? Particularly the Northern/Northeastern guys.

I know, I should've avoided this from the start, but when the temps hit below freezing, it's hard to get the nerve up to wash. Besides, frozen windows/doors suck.

TIA!

 

Grit your teeth and take it to the self serve. Go ahead and use the pressure wand set to "rinse" to blast off all you can. Then take it home and bucket wash it and throw a quick coat of wax back on it.

 

I agree, touchless washes are crap, and I've tried every one of them. They just put a new super duper latest tech wash up here in town so I tried it. 12 bux later I asked for my money back.

I'll stick with the couple of soft cloth washes I use. They do a very good job, and even detail the tires. People are surprised when I tell them an automatic wash did all that.

When spring hits I'll give her a shot of Opti Seal. It's been a couple of years now and I'm over due.

 

A couple of years? I think you're going to need more than Opti-Seal. Just a hunch.

Anyway, I agree with glc. Take it to the self serve and blast off all the crap you can using just the rinse and then go home and wash it the right way. I don't know that I'd wax it though without claying it. This time of year you can get a ton of crap kicked up on your paint. I'd clay it and throw a synthetic wax on it. I'd be afraid of dragging contaminants around on the paint. Just my .02.

 

Yup, not last spring, but the spring before is almost a couple of years. It will be 2 years before I get to it again. I have a couple of stone dings on the roof I need to address when the weather warms up as well.

Nope, one shot with Opti and I'll be satisfied. I'm not OCD with this stuff, but rest assured the truck will still look very good once I've given it an application of Opti-Seal.

 

I'd chance using some UQD on it after a wash. That will get some polymers back on it.

If you don't feel like hooking up a hose and washing it, maybe hit it with some ONR after the trip to the self-serve.

No matter what you do, scratches are part of the game in your area of the country in the winter if you drive your vehicle. The only way to prevent them is don't wash it all winter - which has its own downside - corrosion. A spring corrective detail is mandatory no matter what.

 

Oh yeah, I get the top of the line soft cloth wash which includes hot wax with teflon coating as well as rust inhibitors, underneath and on top. It sure beads up nicely for quite a while after doing these auto washes.

Gotta do what ya gotta do in these winter climates and this works for me.

glc, the opti-seal does a pretty good job IMO, and I apply it by hand.

 

Well, I am up here in NH and I know what you are talking about. We do not have a garage and the Wife drives the truck to work whenever the weather gets bad, which starts about November and continues through March, or later.

I have found that preparation is the key. As late as possible in the fall I give the truck a really good clean/clay and top coat with at least 2 coats of good wax. I think the synthetics last a little longer, but anything is better than nothing.

I also try to rinse off the truck as often as possible during the winter weather. I installed a spigot at the back side of the house that I can switch to hot water. I have one of those roll up hoses that I keep in the basement. I also have a nice long (24") hose nozzle, so I can get the undercarriage rinsed as well. Many, many gallons of water will remove a good percentage of the salt and sand that builds up.

One other piece of equipment I use is an extendable car wash pole with a foam sponge covered with a MF cover at the end. I use this to wash the painted surfaces when I get the time. The trick here is to use a lot of car wash soap and a very light touch with the sponge to try to avoid any scratches from the sand on the surface.

 

I thought this was going to be a topic about the Patriot's coach...my bad.

 

That's really the most important thing. As long as you're happy with the results that's all that matters. Around here though we try to give the best advice we can and leave it to the person to choose what works for them. That said, everyone's input and opinions are welcome.

 

Well, except Lumadar.

 

Just to clarify, when mixing your wash solution, try to mix it as close to what the manufacturer states on the bottle. Mixing it too strong can risk stripping the wax off. Light touch is key though. Even if you have to do multiple passes to get it clean. Rubbing harder can damage the paint.

I didn't even see Lumadars post. That's funny.

 

Amen,

The problem with going to a coin-op wash is that the truck freezes with the water you just sprayed all over it using the pressure washer. Been there done that. The doors, windows and locks freeze up, plus you're now carrying a nice sheet of ice all over the truck. I suppose if you get the odd day where the temperature is above freezing, then you can get in and out and let the driving dry it off.

 

Speaking of that - if the temperature is below freezing, it's best to leave it alone and not wash it at all. What we have been discussing here applies only if it's above freezing and you can get it washed and dried before it goes below freezing again. When it's below freezing, the crud is dry and is not eating anything up.

 

Salt lowers water's freezing point, causing any ice already formed to melt even though the air temperature remains well below freezing.

I believe once it dips below -10C they stop putting salt on the road here, because it stops working.

Here are some tips:

http://www.dmv.org/how-to-guides/road-salt.php