I hate what winter driving does to our cars

well in the last week the car has only been used a couple of times but yesterday we headed for birmingham for the wife and daughter to do some christmas shopping and a wander around the birmingham christmas markets

after the two hundred plus mile round trip i awoke to the car looking like this



and even though the outside temperatures are just above freezing i couldn't leave it looking like that so out came the pressure washer and the snow foam



and thirty minutes with the snow foam and a rinse off got it back to this





no contact wash as it was far to cold to be doing that but it looks a lot better than it did, the neighbour came home and said " i cant think of anything worse to be doing today than washing a car"

half an hour braving the cold and i feel a lot happier that the car i looking a lot better than it did and i wont cringe every time i walk past it

 

I have been known to go and wash the car when it's raining ( no drying involved but the car is clean at least).
the neighbours think i'm cuckoo - but then he goes cycling in snow and gale force winds

 

You are not alone, I often wash my car off when it's wet. Easy, quick and it is clean for future use.

Peter

 

This time of the year is awful up here. Last Tuesday went down to the dealer (90 miles) with a clean car, the car was virtually white when I arrived. Left the garage with a clean car and got home with a filthy wet car. Had three washes in just over 24 hours. I've used 3-litres of screen wash in a about a week and 400 miles driving.

Peter

 

The snow foam will only work like that on a well protected car.

 

you hear many complaints that snow foam does little to help getting the dirt off but it works a treat on a well protected car, had it been worse i would have gone with a citrus prewash left to dwell before the snow foam but as it was so cold i wanted to keep the steps to a minimum and get back into the warm as soon as possible

 

My traits are very similar and only this past month moved to seasonal snow foam
My neighbours are trained and often come over with a cup of coffee and natter whilst the snow foam does its wonders though a quick wash, dry and hoover out always follows!
Thing to watch is the ambient temperature freezing the foam quicker and landing oneself on bottom,

 

if there was any evidence of ice around i would be staying indoors, I have got myself a nice pair of black marigolds so you dont look such a spam as i did when i was wearing yellow rubber gloves to wash the car, i didn't dry it off with towels as i hadn't really washed it properly and didnt want to risk marring, today would have been the perfect day to use a blower to dry the car but the neighbors would really think i was weird out in the cold blow drying my car

 

Sadly I don't have a good protective coating on mine. Just a standard wax and I think the efficacy of it has reduced over the last couple of washes.

The car's covered in salt at the back but not had much time this weekend due to other things.

 

Am i odd that i wanted to wash the X3 BEFORE she goes to the dealership tommorow for her first service?
Plan is to wake up early and give her a quick wash, so she is presentable


Sent from my iPhone using The Force

 

Not at all, I do that in the hope that they don't wash it ;)

 

Not odd at all.

I've always gone off to the garage with a clean car. But with 90 miles to go, most times (particularly this time of the year) it is filthy when I get there. Last time was virtually white from front to rear with salt, so much for washing. The rear all streaked with filth and screen wash dribbles.

Peter

 

Saves spraying it on to get the 'country' look. ;)

Peter

 

I do the same for MOT

 

I do this too. Rain doesn't clean cars it just wets them, so why not add some suds?

 

I have a sign I leave in the car telling them not to 'valet' it, it used to be available from Detailing World.

If you want a copy to print out and laminate let me know.

 

Please John, that'd be great, I'll PM you my email address

 

snowed mine on Saturday. and again on Sunday after doing the Mini - there was a little left in the bottle.
Heard the woman next door asking her husband what was i doing to the car. (he knew too)

John, I changed to using a snow foam lance away from the hand pump, found it to be a bit better when the car is so dirty.

I am going to get another jet washer and lance and have set up at work so can do every other day if needed through the winter.

i did some pics, and one with just the door jetted off, you can see at the bottom the foam couldnt quite make it clean so had to wash it properly after on Saturday.
The mini though, which was dirty, was clean enough ( i did a pat test with a tissue) to detail spray after.