Salt or power wash???

[escape]

Just wondering what the consensus is; better to leave salt spray on the vehicle? Or spray it off with a power washer at the car wash? Knowing the latter will most likely cause paint defects, but the first will cause corrosion. It's getting cold and snowy here and I am no longer able to wash in my drive or garage (we aren't allowed to have drains in our garages-I tried to get one). Just wondering if it's best to have a dirty car or a clean one with some minor swirling/defects.

[Five Star]

wash it

[MB///HRV]

Wash it. It's easier to remove the swirls than fix any rust.

[gb387]

I wash it... not the best but IMO its better than the salty/sand mix.

[Jeff Smith]

Originally posted by gb387
I wash it... not the best but IMO its better than the salty/sand mix.

For me, I figure I'll not likely be able to keep up with the washes as much as I'd like to this winter. Fortunately we have one of those Touchless car washes here and it is great in a pinch.

If it was just the wet salt/sand mix they put down whenthere is ice around I think we would be fine. Whats gets me is that they put so much down that there is still residue on the roads days later.

I have a feeling this winter I'll be doing alot of the Touchless Car Washes combined with alot of Spray Wax Applications. I do plan to hand wash and wax as often as temps allow but I know I won't be able to keep it as clean as I'd like. The hard part for me will be keeping my hands off of it. I think I am going to have to start leaving the QD at home.

[tron1974]

I tried to use the QD on my new Xterra and it just made a mess with the salt. Fortunately, it was about 55 here yesterday, so at lunch I spent washing and Quick Wax.

I've used the touchless ones here and they are what I will probably use when it gets cold or I am unable to wash it.

[Black Bart]

Post like this makes my think about how fortunate I am to have a heated garage. IF it was me I would wash it at the do it yourself wash even though it won't be clean it will be better than all that salt rusting it.

[Jeff Smith]

Originally posted by Black Bart
Post like this makes my think about how fortunate I am to have a heated garage. IF it was me I would wash it at the do it yourself wash even though it won't be clean it will be better than all that salt rusting it.

Uh. We are going to need your address and phone number. Is there enough room down the street to line up say 50 cars?

[escape]

Thanks for all the replies. I usually do wash my cars at the power wash, but started reading how this could cause swirls/blemishes and started to worry I was ruining my paint. So I was just wondering what other enthusiasts in the cold climates do.
I too have a semi-heated garage (well I have two portable heaters in there) and I have a hot water hose, BUT the county won't let me put in a drain! I tried to wash in my garage last winter but created an icy mess and froze my garage door to the floor! The wife was none too happy

[Mark2]

We have a heated garage in the building, so I mostly wash it there. I sometimes use a PW in the winter and I think I would do more harm if I didn't. Removing that dirt with a regular hose doesn't work very well and I have never seen any scratches or damages from the PW, just use it carefully. I like to have quite a clean car before touching it with a mitt.

[SiriusRIMZ]

lol winter in texas is when detailing season begins! Once a week it will reach 65-75 and its clear blue sky with light north winds.

Kind of Ironic I say this though, We had our first dust-storm in over 5 years here last weekend, everyone's car is a mess... but mine of course hehe.

[Accumulator]

I dunno if I'd be as worried about the salt causing rust as I would be about a buildup of abrasive [stuff] causing a potential for serious marring.

As long as the temps stay low the salt will just sit there inactive. And as long as it's not in contact with bare metal or a really porous coating (unsealed paint/cad plating/etc.) it's not gonna corrode anything anyhow. Not that it isn't a valid concern, but in my experience it's not *that* huge of a deal if the vehicle is well protected (and well constructed/finished in the first place). You can clean the salt off when the temps rise, which is when the salt will cause rust.

But when you have crusty stuff bonded to your paint and somebody's coat brushes against it in a parking lot, you're gonna get some nasty marring. Ditto if anybody touches the paint when closing doors/hatches/trunks/etc. And all sorts of abrasive stuff gets stuck to paint/glass/everything in the winter.

So I'd wash it off at the DIY/touchless places, but I'd pick a place that has forced air drying. That way you won't be grinding any remaining dirt (and there will be some) into the paint. No touching means no marring.

[Black Bart]

Originally posted by Jeff Smith
Uh. We are going to need your address and phone number. Is there enough room down the street to line up say 50 cars?

Well their is room for several cars on the street but only room for three cars at a time in the garage. You may want to come in the summer also it is air conditioned and kept at 65 degrees

[mikkl]

IMHO I would only wash it if you KNEW the car wash did not recycle the rinse water or that they used a salt filter on any recycled water.

Many car washes collect the rinse water and use it for the wash cycle. So, you take the loose salt from the surface, condense it, and then force it into the nooks and crannies of the car at high pressure.

This is an improvement??

I'll let the car get nasty dirty first and wait for a warmish day where I can do it by hand in the driveway.

mikkl

[zsoap]

Power wash. Use only the pressure wash and stay away from the god awful soap brush!