Best products and techniques for removing road salts?

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fightnews

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Obviously we're in the season of brutal road salts on the highway and our cars get absolutely hammered. I saw 1 yesterday that was totally caked in white. I would post the picture but Its got the persons plate in the picture. I stay on top of mine but this winter has been kicking my but despite my best efforts.

Anybody know any great products or techniques for keeping the road salts at bay and stopping them from destroying our lsp's


Its been so cold I haven't been able to do my weekly wash like last year which was mild. Some weeks the laser wash is the only option. If the car is covered in dirty road salts is it better to use the laser wash or leave the salts on there and wait until you can do a proper wash?
 
fightnews said:
Obviously we're in the season of brutal road salts on the highway and our cars get absolutely hammered. I saw 1 yesterday that was totally caked in white. I would post the picture but Its got the persons plate in the picture. I stay on top of mine but this winter has been kicking my but despite my best efforts.

Anybody know any great products or techniques for keeping the road salts at bay and stopping them from destroying our lsp's


Its been so cold I haven't been able to do my weekly wash like last year which was mild. Some weeks the laser wash is the only option. If the car is covered in dirty road salts is it better to use the laser wash or leave the salts on there and wait until you can do a proper wash?
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Here in Colorado they use magnesium chloride on the roads. This stuff wreaks havoc on cvehicles paint and chassis. I found Valugard.com and they have a line of products that deal with road salts. So far the trailer truck wash has been great.
I did just yesterday have to use a touch less wash. After reading the menu, I’m pretty confident if you don’t get the top of the line wash, your LSP’s should be ok and the car clean enough till you can get to it properly. Hope that helps.....
 
Washmitt said:
Here in Colorado they use magnesium chloride on the roads. This stuff wreaks havoc on cvehicles paint and chassis. I found Valugard.com and they have a line of products that deal with road salts. So far the trailer truck wash has been great.
I did just yesterday have to use a touch less wash. After reading the menu, I’m pretty confident if you don’t get the top of the line wash, your LSP’s should be ok and the car clean enough till you can get to it properly. Hope that helps.....
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Why does the top of the line washes have worse chemicals then the low end wash? I know the low end wash where I am doesn't include the drying or the spot free rinse
 
I only use the basic touchless wash when I need to. Which is usually a foam bath, high pressure soap, high pressure rinse, low pressure rinse, then pass through the air blower. I don't want any of the spray LSP that they use on the higher choices. Just want the road salt cleaned off as best as it can like you said. Then do a proper wash when the conditions a re right.
 
I simply run my vehicle through a touchless wash whenever the weather gets above freezing. There are a few places around me with the underbody spray rigs which is nice in getting the salt off the underbody and out of the wheel wells. It isn't perfect, but it removes the majority of the salt and keeps the car clean enough to get me through until Spring when I can do a proper hand wash. The whole reason I use a highly durable LSP or coating is to stand up to this type of environment.
 
Look into the hydroshot. Depending on how often you go to spray washes this will pay for itself in no time. I got a refurbished unit with a battery and all the tools for 80 dollars. I spend 3-5 at a spray wash per visit. In one winter I will break even. I have used the soap dispenser and even ran rinseless solution through the product, with great results.


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DBAILEY said:
I only use the basic touchless wash when I need to. Which is usually a foam bath, high pressure soap, high pressure rinse, low pressure rinse, then pass through the air blower. I don't want any of the spray LSP that they use on the higher choices. Just want the road salt cleaned off as best as it can like you said. Then do a proper wash when the conditions a re right.
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The one I go to has a "pre-soak" not a foam bath. The pre soak is the acid, that's what strips the lsp then they do a 2nd spray to neutralize the acid. Then the high pressure wash. I've never seen one that had an actual foam bath that would be nice though. Maybe I'll have to start checking the other towns to see if they have a better 1 like that.
 
Desertnate said:
I simply run my vehicle through a touchless wash whenever the weather gets above freezing. There are a few places around me with the underbody spray rigs which is nice in getting the salt off the underbody and out of the wheel wells. It isn't perfect, but it removes the majority of the salt and keeps the car clean enough to get me through until Spring when I can do a proper hand wash. The whole reason I use a highly durable LSP or coating is to stand up to this type of environment.
Click to expand...

If the temperature is above freezing even by 1 degree I do a normal 2 bucket wash with the pressure washer. The exact same thing I do in summer. I do it every weekend. Last year I only missed 1 weekend the whole winter. Last year was more mild though this is shaping up to be the coldest winter in a while.
 
Dmb5450 said:
Look into the hydroshot. Depending on how often you go to spray washes this will pay for itself in no time. I got a refurbished unit with a battery and all the tools for 80 dollars. I spend 3-5 at a spray wash per visit. In one winter I will break even. I have used the soap dispenser and even ran rinseless solution through the product, with great results.


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Click to expand...

It has to be above freezing to use that but it is nice. What do you do about foam with that thing? I might buy one to add to the arsenal. It's not much money at least but if its warm enough for that It's warm enough for a pressure washer.
 
fightnews said:
If the temperature is above freezing even by 1 degree I do a normal 2 bucket wash with the pressure washer. The exact same thing I do in summer. I do it every weekend. Last year I only missed 1 weekend the whole winter. Last year was more mild though this is shaping up to be the coldest winter in a while.
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You're a braver man than I. I find washing even in the upper 40's to be rather miserable. My hands just get too cold when wet and I lose feeling in several fingers.

A pressure washer would be a big help I'm sure and would probably lower my threshold of temperatures. Going at it with the hose is a not starter in the cooler/cold temps.
 
Desertnate said:
You're a braver man than I. I find washing even in the upper 40's to be rather miserable. My hands just get too cold when wet and I lose feeling in several fingers.

A pressure washer would be a big help I'm sure and would probably lower my threshold of temperatures. Going at it with the hose is a not starter in the cooler/cold temps.
Click to expand...

Have you tried using hot water for your wash and rinse buckets? This is the only way I can stand to do a wash in the 30’s and low 40’s. If you buy two Gamma seals for your buckets, you can even travel to your local coin-op and do a proper 2BM wash
 
I live in northeast Ohio, and would like to hand wash my car more as well. I could equip and dress myself to deal with the cold (neoprene gloves, warm water, etc.), but water on the driveway would freeze too quickly to allow it to be safe, either while I am washing the car, or afterwards.

I too take my car through a touchless car wash, about once a week or a bit more often. When I get home, there are a few frozen water droplets on the horizontal services. I let them warm in the garage (usually while I'm eating dinner), then go out with a warm, wet microfiber and waterless wash solution and wipe down and then dry.

I don't like how well the wheel wells get done (hardly at all), but I find this process at least lets me keep from losing my mind at how dirty my car is. This weekend, I'll probably do it again but reapply wax as well. Current wax coat has gone through 4 or 5 of these cycles, and is starting to fade.

I do have a question for all you northerners, though. This is the first winter I've gone through since I became serious about correcting and maintaining my paint. It petrifies me to brush snow off my car. I do it as gently as possible, and haven't seen any huge issue, but it can't be good. Do you guys have a tool or technique that is less dangerous than a standard snow brush?
 
LEDetailing said:
Have you tried using hot water for your wash and rinse buckets? This is the only way I can stand to do a wash in the 30’s and low 40’s. If you buy two Gamma seals for your buckets, you can even travel to your local coin-op and do a proper 2BM wash
Click to expand...

I probably could, but the effort it would take to get hot water into the buckets, dealing with stiff/cold hoses and ensuring everything is drained out, and the ice on my driveway isn't worth it to me. At this point in my life, I'm content running my cars through the touchless and then dreaming of the day when warm weather returns so I can do a proper wash.

mk9750 said:
I do have a question for all you northerners, though. This is the first winter I've gone through since I became serious about correcting and maintaining my paint. It petrifies me to brush snow off my car. I do it as gently as possible, and haven't seen any huge issue, but it can't be good. Do you guys have a tool or technique that is less dangerous than a standard snow brush?
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Lately I've noticed snow brushes on the market with the soft foam blades instead of the stiff bristles of the traditional snow brushes. I've got a couple and they seem to work pretty well, but our winters have been so mild the last couple of years I've not been able to give them a good workout. To me, they seem less harmful than the brush, but should you get a little grit between the blade and the paint, it will still probably marr up the paint. I think the key is keeping the blade clean and be very gentle if you have to brush off the sides of the car where all the grit resides.
 
The foam bath and the acid pre-soak you are talking about are probably the same thing.
 
fightnews said:
Obviously we're in the season of brutal road salts on the highway and our cars get absolutely hammered. I saw 1 yesterday that was totally caked in white. I would post the picture but Its got the persons plate in the picture. I stay on top of mine but this winter has been kicking my but despite my best efforts.

Anybody know any great products or techniques for keeping the road salts at bay and stopping them from destroying our lsp's


Its been so cold I haven't been able to do my weekly wash like last year which was mild. Some weeks the laser wash is the only option. If the car is covered in dirty road salts is it better to use the laser wash or leave the salts on there and wait until you can do a proper wash?
Click to expand...

A touchless wash is fine. Also, why worry about posting plates; there's no expectation of privacy and plates are in plane view all day. Unless it's just a "courtesy" thing which I kinda understand. Still not a big deal though.

In terms of products, I rinseless wash my vehicles all the time in winter. If they are really bad, I will touchless wash them for $10 before hand just to keep the dirt on my towels to a minimum.
 
Desertnate:

I agree on foam vs brushes for snow removal. My dad owned a car lot and I have literally removed snow off of 1,000’s of vehicles with foam snow pushers. We were using them in the 90’s and they always worked well. I never saw any ill effects, however I wasn’t inspecting the paint like I do now. I have personally owned a foam snow pusher since the 90’s. I do keep a cheap brush and scraper for brushing the windows (never touch the paint) when there is a light dusting.

Regarding not worth the effort of filling buckets, it is totally not worth the effort for the normal person. But I see it as part of the hobby/obsession and I enjoy the process. I actually plan on traveling 20 miles to the nearest coin-op car wash just to wash. The temps have to be about 25-30 degrees before I’ll make the trip.
 
I got a discounted touchless car wash card for 5 premium washes for $25 at our local Kwik Trip. I believe the pay at the wash price is either $12/13 for the premium. I don’t care for the foam wax, but I figure I’ll be polishing in the spring anyways. When the 5 premium washes are gone. I’m going to use the cheapest wash. I’m most concerned about the under bodyflush. I miss our local coin-op wash. I would spend 5 minutes spraying out the wheel wells and under carriage.

I’m convinced a carwash could charge $25-30 for a quality minimal touch hand wash. I’ve seen people wait 30 minutes in line at our touchless car wash and they pay $13 for an inferior wash. I would pay that for a good hand wash in the winter.
 
All I do is power wash the under carriage then drive to an underground heated garage and do a rinse less wash. Or if I can't I just hose off the undercarriage and let my lsp do its job to when I can wash it properly.
 
Unlimited car wash pass ! Gonna have to correct some day anyway these are obviously daily drivers if driven out in this stuff


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Temps permitting I spray off the worst at the DIY.
Otherwise a proper wash is on hold until the ground thaws.
 
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