For you cold weather guys Last

Coin Op spray wash in the Winter. Looks don't matter. Sealant will protect it till Spring. It's a car.
 
DogRescuer said:
Don't those bays freeze?
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Sure but the good ones keep them salted, or you could bring your own salt to be safe. I walk flat footed when I'm in there and watch where I'm walking, I have to, was born with OI.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 
LEDetailing said:
50 hah!

I roll up the sleeves on my sweatshirt at 50 degrees:)

You get used to cold weather. When I wash in the mid-high 30’s, I wear a medium weight fleece, stocking hat, and light weight rubber/water resistant insulated boots. No gloves and the most important factor is warm/hot water in my buckets. I definitely work faster in the winter. It sucks but beats paying $10-12 for the inferior touchless wash.

BTW, I’m not a mobile detailer. Just a guy with way too many detailing products and just enough knowledge to be very dangerous:)
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HA! 50 degrees. I guess its all relative, eh? I'm in WI too so I'm in shorts in 50 degree weather. I use hot water and work fast when it's real cold. In deep winter, I will actually wait until the temps are under 30 so the roads aren't so sloppy and the car stays clean for more than 5 seconds.
 
sunday joe said:
Coin Op spray wash in the Winter. Looks don't matter. Sealant will protect it till Spring. It's a car.
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The OP was asking how mobile detailers continue their business in the cold. Coin op wont work.
 
I'm no professional detailer, but I am used to washing cars in cold weather (under 40). Honestly, I prefer washing cars in this kind of weather because soapy water doesn't seem to dry on car's surfaces as quickly as it would in warmer weather. So I tend to wash car much quicker in colder weather. I normally wash a panel or two and rinse it off, but in winter there are only 4 major "panels" to take care of.

I only wear sweat pants and sweat shirt. No gloves. Wearing any type of gloves makes my hands feel detached from the car's surface.

One major issue I've had when washing cars in winter is that water sometimes freezes on the car's surface.... Sometimes water freezes at temp above 35 while other times water doesn't freeze at temp under 30.
 
Got me a set of these to use when it's cold. And will use a thin cotton gloves in them.

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For how I dress when it's cold I use a synthetic underbody pants. Found in the sports stores running departement and there you find a synthetic t-shirt or longsleeve shirt. Have this closest to your body to leading the moisture from it and keep you dry. The second layer of clothes I want something that holds the moisture and that's cotton sweatshirt and cotton sweatpants. Then I have a warm jacket that has windstopper and waterproof function. Often are this jackets since the windstopper hiding the zipper very well. If you needs warmer pants look for hunters clothes with windstopper and waterproof function. On the head there is hats with windstopper function also. The feet I use lined boots with Goretex material. And socks the first pair a thin synthetic sock and the second pair of wool socks. This holds me warm and dry and function well.

Just my 2 cents :)
 
I am not a mobile detailer or a professional but I wash cars all year round here in Massachusetts. As long as it is 30 degrees and sunny, I will do a hose and bucket wash in the driveway. I use hot wash water and Glacier Glove ice fishing gloves. I need to be able to move so I wear a sweatshirt with no jacket but my feet have to stay warm and dry so I wear hunting boots. Make sure you keep the hose reel in the garage until you are ready to use it.
I have done driveway washes in colder weather, 20 degrees to be exact. You have to keep turning the car toward the sun. The water will ice up on the shady side of the car and driveway. I slipped and fell flat on my back.
 
911: what is your emergency?
You:Help I fell washing my cars and I cant get up.
911: Sorry sir the roads are not passable until the plows clear them.
You: Please hurry I am going to get water spots.:laughing:
 
UncleDavy said:
I am not a mobile detailer or a professional but I wash cars all year round here in Massachusetts. As long as it is 30 degrees and sunny, I will do a hose and bucket wash in the driveway. I use hot wash water and Glacier Glove ice fishing gloves. I need to be able to move so I wear a sweatshirt with no jacket but my feet have to stay warm and dry so I wear hunting boots. Make sure you keep the hose reel in the garage until you are ready to use it.
I have done driveway washes in colder weather, 20 degrees to be exact. You have to keep turning the car toward the sun. The water will ice up on the shady side of the car and driveway. I slipped and fell flat on my back.
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Man be careful, but aren't you risking cracking the glass with hot water or am I totally wrong?
 
DogRescuer said:
Man be careful, but aren't you risking cracking the glass with hot water or am I totally wrong?
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The water is not that hot so there is not that much of a temperature differential. I start with hot water from the faucet which is about 110 degrees then dilute it with hose water to stir up the bubbles.
 
UncleDavy said:
The water is not that hot so there is not that much of a temperature differential. I start with hot water from the faucet which is about 110 degrees then dilute it with hose water to stir up the bubbles.
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Thanks, just concerned.
 
I have a bathroom in my garage so I connect my hose to that and use warm water most of the time. If the water is nice and warm you can tolerate the cold weather much easier. I do lack water pressure doing this so I plan to install a 3/4" mixing valve in my garage for washing cars. I was wondering if I should also install some type of filtration. Is this something people do? What type of filter would you use?


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Kind of off topic but got used to the cold while detailing cars outside. Been shoveling snow for 7 hours since we have 4 houses in the neighborhood that needs to be shoveled. Drinking heinkein as well while shoveling lol!
 
Maestro Sam said:
Kind of off topic but got used to the cold while detailing cars outside. Been shoveling snow for 7 hours since we have 4 houses in the neighborhood that needs to be shoveled. Drinking heinkein as well while shoveling lol!
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Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit drinking.
 
We live/work in the high desert of SoCal. It can dip down into the high 20s/low 30s here in the morning and stay in the high 30s/low 40s until about 10am. We typically try to schedule jobs after 9am at least. On those day we can't, and even those days where we're starting at 7am, we prefill all our buckets with super hot tap water. We carry spot free water for our rinses but it's nice to not have to dunk your hand in a bucket of freezing cold water at 7am. That being said, even when we show up to detail at 7am and it's 31* outside, I'm still in shorts. I own two pairs of long pants, both golf slacks.
 
Here in Richmond VA we have to work through the winter also. I always use hot water in my buckets and cotton gloves under my nitrile gloves. Its not fun but its manageable.
I have a video on just a few tips on winter detailing. YouTube
 
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