Weather misery

[3Fitty]

Having moved from the NYC area back north to Canada, I am very dismayed at the weather situation here. Both my rides are filthy (too embarrassed to provide the pictoral evidence) and it is either just too cold or snowing to wash.

Anyone with thoughts? I was back in NJ this weekend and it was 66F (17c) and although I didn't have all my stuff I still was able to wash wifey's car. However, on the ride through the blizzard north, the car got covered with salt, sand, slush, slime and sludge. Current temperature in Toronto is -10c or 14F + it is snowing. There is snow expected until Saturday, when it "warms" up to -7c.

I've done my best to have two swirl free cars and DO NOT want to run it through a wash, so what are my options? Even ONR is not a good option because it is just so cold the water will probably freeze on contact (I do not have a garage I can work inside).

Should I just accept my misery until the end of March?

[MrWaxer]

Re: Weather misery

If you run It thru a wash just make sure they use SOFT cloth!! Thats what I do and Iv'e never had any problems!!

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Weather misery

Should I just accept my misery until the end of March?

When I lived in Oregon, most car enthusiast would prep their car for the winter and then just suffer until about May or June when the rain [mostly] leaves and the nice weather returns.

We just accepted the misery, (the rain), as a part of living in Oregon. People with "toys" leave them in their garage until the rainy season passes. A good year is a year with 3 summer months of mostly no rain but it even rains in the summer, we call it liquid sunshine.

Lots of car enthusiasts find the abundant rain in both Oregon and Washington to be kind of depressing but it sure makes for a beautiful State.

[AeroCleanse]

Re: Weather misery

Must make for some nice water beading photos.

[3Fitty]

Re: Weather misery

If you run It thru a wash just make sure they use SOFT cloth!! Thats what I do and Iv'e never had any problems

You don't get swirls from the soft wash?

[Carfire]

Re: Weather misery

For me it is all about timing. I suffer until there is a warm up and take advantage of it, and wash my car.

[sudsbyhubbs]

Re: Weather misery

I've been taking my cars to the DIY wash, but bringing my own buckets full of hot water with my wash already mixed in. I just use their sprayer, which has heated water. Some people have expressed concerns about their water, but the one I use seems to be fine. It ususally takes about 10 minutes to do the wash, including the wheels, so it costs maybe $5, then I dry it their in the stall. It's definitely not a full detail or anything close to it, but it gets the dirt and grime off and I feel confident that I'm not swirling up my car.

[RaskyR1]

Re: Weather misery

3Fitty, where you been man?

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Weather misery

For me it is all about timing. I suffer until there is a warm up and take advantage of it, and wash my car.

Ah timing....

In Oregon, you wait till it's not so cold when it's raining and then wash your car in the less cold rain.

[3Fitty]

Re: Weather misery

3Fitty, where you been man?

I've been moving (across borders). Not very fun, or easy.

I've really been out of the loop and I'm still not fully back "in" the loop.

[3Fitty]

Re: Weather misery

I've been taking my cars to the DIY wash, but bringing my own buckets full of hot water with my wash already mixed in. I just use their sprayer, which has heated water. Some people have expressed concerns about their water, but the one I use seems to be fine. It ususally takes about 10 minutes to do the wash, including the wheels, so it costs maybe $5, then I dry it their in the stall. It's definitely not a full detail or anything close to it, but it gets the dirt and grime off and I feel confident that I'm not swirling up my car.

This is a decent option, but I would still need a significant warm up to pull it off. Washing in -10C will freeze pretty quickly (even with a warm water rinse). I've been to the DIY a couple of times just to rinse the car off, but I certainly won't use their brush or their soap.

[MrWaxer]

Re: Weather misery

3Fitty, Iv'e never noticed any swirls when I use drive thru's with soft cloth, But I have when I use DIY's and would use there brush. So I stopped using there brush!!

[RaskyR1]

Re: Weather misery

I've been moving (across borders). Not very fun, or easy.

I've really been out of the loop and I'm still not fully back "in" the loop.

Well it's nice to have you back!

[wyseilmykkar]

Re: Weather misery

I just bought a bottle of ONR, but I have a warehouse at work where I can pull inside.

If I didn't have that, I'd just go to a coin-op and use their shelter and suffer with the cold for the time it takes. I used to wash in the driveway as long as the hose wasn't frozen but that was when I was young and bulletproof (I've grown wiser with age :-)) As long as you're out of the wind, even in a partially open coin-op bay the reward of a clean car should be worth the mild discomfort.

[allnitro]

Re: Weather misery

Welcome to Canada. There's nothing to do but **** it up and wait for spring, your car will get swirls in a Canadian winter. Snow brushes, ice, salt covered roads, nothing you can do.

My vehicles were near perfect in autumn. Because of my circumstances, I must use touchless washes, they're not bad actually. It's that damn snow brush that's the problem. It was -20 today but the sun was out, the swirls made me cringe.

**** it up and wait until spring. You obviously enjoy detailing, if you're like me you've already mapped out the process you will use the first chance you get in the spring. Think of it this way, these California guys will never know the anticipation and joy of that first week of spring when we can do the first detail of the year.