1st Winter Wash of the Season - How is your Winter Wash this year

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chefwong

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I k sorta...hate winter washing. There is soooooo much salt and sand and grit and whatever on the roads anyway.
I sorta:kinda feel it's pointless yet I know I am at least rinsing off the salt *until it hits the blacktop* after the wash

Clean the paint, take it for a drive or just park it outside the garage. It just get's dirty with airborne salt grit in the air by just sitting.
I wash outside the garage and pull it back in.
The minute it goes outside....it's just like pollen except it's white grit
To me, it's almost as bad like the initial months in spring where is is Pollen everywhere.

So winter washing is underway.
This year, I'm skipping the strong -touchless wash-.
BH Touchless just killed my LSP. Partially IME, LSP doesn't really ***last*** as long on PPF as such .

Keeping a keen eye on the forecasting but I'll be doing it's 2nd winter wash this weekend.
Warm enough where it won't be a skating rink outside the garage and enough time to dry.
I have never done the homework to look it up, but IME , shampoo foam or shampoo in itself has some sort of -antifreez'ish- component to it.
For years now, I am always amazed to see (foam) somewhere outside the garage a whole 24 hours later +.......it doesn't freeze, it doesn't dissipate that quick, but it just sits there on the ground

Ahem, last week, a put the 12qt, 10qt and 6qt pot on the stove and filled with water and brung it to a boil
Filled all 3 buckets with hot water from the tap 1/3 way, added the boiling water and then topped it off with more hot water from the tap.
NOTE to self.....use less boiling water next time or top it off with warm water from the tap. Ahem, it was *that hot* when I went to grab the mitts out of the bucket. Even with glove on, I got a bit scald'ish when I dipped my hand to grab the mitt of the bucket . Ended up using the shaft of a wheel brush to fish the mitt out of the bucket
 
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chefwong said:
I kinda sorta...hate winter washing. There is soooooo much salt and sand and grit and whatever on the roads anyway.
Clean the paint, take it for a drive or just park it outside the garage. It just get's dirty with airborne salt grit in the air by just sitting.
I wash outside the garage and pull it back in.
The minute it goes outside....it's just like pollen except it's white grit
To me, it's almost as bad like the initial months in spring where is is Pollen everywhere.

So winter washing is underway.
This year, I'm skipping the strong -touchless wash-.
BH Touchless just killed my LSP. Partially IME, LSP doesn't really ***last*** as long on PPF as such .

Keeping a keen eye on the forecasting but I'll be doing it's 2nd winter wash this weekend.
Warm enough where it won't be a skating rink outside the garage and enough time to dry.

Ahem, last week, a put the 12qt, 10qt and 6qt pot on the stove and filled with water and brung it to a boil
Filled all 3 buckets with hot water from the tap 1/3 way, added the boiling water and then topped it off with more hot water from the tap.
NOTE to self.....use less boiling water next time or top it off with warm water from the tap. Ahem, I wasn't it to be *that hot* when I went to grab the mitts out of the bucket.
Click to expand...
Which LSP did you have

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chefwong said:
This year, I'm skipping the strong -touchless wash-.
BH Touchless just killed my LSP. Partially IME, LSP doesn't really ***last*** as long on PPF as such .
Click to expand...

Just a suggestion. Try Road Warrior from Superior Products. It's PH neutral.
Also $14.99 a gallon and is available locally if you have an O'Reilly auto parts near you. So no shipping.
 
I just use the touchless wash, I’m done obsessing over daily drivers. I wish my local touchless did a monthly plan.

Probably won’t believe this, but I paid attention and compared my old Jeep to my Father in Laws Jeep…

Similar mileages, both daily drivers, but his he ran through the subscription tunnel wash (not a touchless) almost every time he drove it. Sometimes twice in the same day as they have 4 locations and counting, and the subscription covers all of them. For my Jeep, I hand washed it, applied either Collinite or Finishkare yearly, topped that off with products after most hand washes. His Jeep had a better looking undercarriage, and without hitting the paint with bright lights, looked similar to mine.

Kind of a pick your battle thing. While I scrubbed the differentials, suspension, frame rails etc yearly, I think his was in better shape. Same road conditions also as they live down the road from me. I think I’m done stressing over keeping a clean ride over winter.


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JDGolden said:
I just use the touchless wash, I’m done obsessing over daily drivers. I wish my local touchless did a monthly plan.

Probably won’t believe this, but I paid attention and compared my old Jeep to my Father in Laws Jeep…

Similar mileages, both daily drivers, but his he ran through the subscription tunnel wash (not a touchless) almost every time he drove it. Sometimes twice in the same day as they have 4 locations and counting, and the subscription covers all of them. For my Jeep, I hand washed it, applied either Collinite or Finishkare yearly, topped that off with products after most hand washes. His Jeep had a better looking undercarriage, and without hitting the paint with bright lights, looked similar to mine.

Kind of a pick your battle thing. While I scrubbed the differentials, suspension, frame rails etc yearly, I think his was in better shape. Same road conditions also as they live down the road from me. I think I’m done stressing over keeping a clean ride over winter.


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Click to expand...
That underbody wash is real

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Klasse Act said:
That underbody wash is real

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Click to expand...

Yep, his was going through 5+ times per week. If I had to pick strictly between rust and swirls, I’d take the swirls. Can probably get rid of both with a subscription if the touchless wash offered it. It’s actually a decent one, just the tail end of the vehicle doesn’t come as clean.


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JDGolden said:
Yep, his was going through 5+ times per week. If I had to pick strictly between rust and swirls, I’d take the swirls. Can probably get rid of both with a subscription if the touchless wash offered it. It’s actually a decent one, just the tail end of the vehicle doesn’t come as clean.


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Click to expand...
The rear NEVER comes clean...EVER

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JDGolden said:
I just use the touchless wash, I’m done obsessing over daily drivers. I wish my local touchless did a monthly plan.

Probably won’t believe this, but I paid attention and compared my old Jeep to my Father in Laws Jeep…

Similar mileages, both daily drivers, but his he ran through the subscription tunnel wash (not a touchless) almost every time he drove it. Sometimes twice in the same day as they have 4 locations and counting, and the subscription covers all of them. For my Jeep, I hand washed it, applied either Collinite or Finishkare yearly, topped that off with products after most hand washes. His Jeep had a better looking undercarriage, and without hitting the paint with bright lights, looked similar to mine.

Kind of a pick your battle thing. While I scrubbed the differentials, suspension, frame rails etc yearly, I think his was in better shape. Same road conditions also as they live down the road from me. I think I’m done stressing over keeping a clean ride over winter.


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Click to expand...
Yeah, it's pretty much touchless wash season here for me as well. When we have the occasional warm spell I'll hit the touchless to get it clean enough to do a RW once I get it back home but otherwise it's just the touchless to rinse off all the chemicals and grime.
 
A touchless with a light rinseless followed up when I get home.

Just wish they had an option to pay for longer dry time.


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JDGolden said:
Yep, his was going through 5+ times per week. If I had to pick strictly between rust and swirls, I’d take the swirls. Can probably get rid of both with a subscription if the touchless wash offered it. It’s actually a decent one, just the tail end of the vehicle doesn’t come as clean.


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Click to expand...

Sounds like you need the product below. Problem solved. I have been using Fluid Film on my 2013 Tacoma every November since brand new. Only difference is I buy it by the gallon ( several years worth of applications in a gallon ) and I apply with a compressor and the Fluid Film dispensing gun which is similar to a paint gun.
With a Jeep I'd guesstimate one could get 4 or 5 years worth of applications from a gallon. Rust is definitely one of the most depressing issues for a detailer/car guy.

 
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BLM said:
Sounds like you need the product below. Problem solved. I have been using Fluid Film on my 2013 Tacoma every November since brand new. Only difference is I buy it by the gallon ( several years worth of applications in a gallon ) and I apply with a compressor and the Fluid Film dispensing gun which is similar to a paint gun.
With a Jeep I'd guesstimate one could get 4 or 5 years worth of applications from a gallon. Rust is definitely one of the most depressing issues for a detailer/car guy.

Click to expand...

I’ve used Amsoil Metal Protect HD and then switched over to Blaster Surface Shield, but I think Fluid Film is going to be what I try next.


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I’ll pull out the foam cannon and use my soap of choice, Reser or Touch-Less if there is salt, and then pull into the garage and finish with a RW. If temps are 40 or higher I’ll just do a regular soap contact wash in the driveway and keep things moving. The cold doesn’t bother me as long as it’s not windy.
 
As a pre-rinse, I don't think Reset cut's it IME.
It's my favorite shampoo........but IME, it's not strong enough to get down to -film-\

Fun Fact of the Day. One year, it was forecasted for a full day rain event.
I pulled the car out of the garage, let it sit outside - it was raining for about a day and a half.
Solid 30+ hrs....to see what the behavior would the be as a pre-rinse.
I pressure rinsed the car after the rainy day even and it did not remove the film, even after the (wet softening pre dwell) of the rain.


Fluid Film is awesome. I use it on our snowblower chutes, etc.
Don't use it on the car but I do use it on the Tie Rods to mitigate any issues of them getting seized for alignments.

I try to minimize contact even when drying and you get the reality check when it's too cold.....when you have moved back to the 1st panel you have come washed and it's now partial frozen water beads
 
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I've only washed our vehicles a couple times this winter. I use same method of winters past.
DIY wash down the road followed by rinseless in the garage. Very much shiny when done.
Christmas Eve I did the DIY wash, but skipped the rinseless. Both vehicles retain a healthy layer of road film on them, but better than the heavy layer of salt/sand, especially the rear ends.

My DIY wash consists of high pressure soap, high pressure wax, high pressure rinse. I may bring a spray bottle of wheel cleaner, but rarely.
Usually the last minute or so is going to town at the undercarriage/suspension.
I can get a pretty good wash for $3.50 and really good for less than $5.

I just started using fluid film on my 2018 Edge a couple years back.
I bought almost 3 years ago and was in really good shape (lease return). This fall was the 2nd time I "filmed" it.
I can tell what parts of the suspension I get a good coating on because they are pretty much rust free.
Next fall, I plan to do a better job of coating it and get into all the nooks and crannies.
 
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