Quick winter wash/ wax recommendations

[bmiley]

Hi Guys
I just finally signed up for the forum, but have been using it as a resource for a while now. Lots of good info, but there is something that I am not quite finding.
I’m looking for a new (quick/ easy) wash procedure to keep our two cars looking decent over the winter here in Boston.

A little quick background:
Cars are a 17 GMC Canyon (black) and 14 Jetta Sportwagen (white). During the summer I do ok with keeping up with things, of course they could be cleaner, but they get a good wash every week or two and a more complete detail at the beginning and end of summer. In the winter here it’s much harder to keep up. We both commute to work and regularly drive up to the mountains to go skiing, so the cars get pretty dirty pretty quick. Combine that with a busy schedule and only a few days where the weather is ok enough to wash the cars and they end up looking pretty bad most of the time.



So ideally I would like to be able to do a quick and touchless wash every week or so with the occasional full wash when I get a nice warm day. In the past I have gone to the booth type carwash, cover with soap and try to rinse off as much as possible. This does an ok job, but I know there are better products out there. I am thinking a good product in a foam gun/ cannon followed by a rinse with a pressure washer would do pretty well. I have a couple products in mind but would be interested in hearing your recommendations.


As a follow up to the wash I would like to use some sort of quick/ spray on wax/ wax-like product to give a little protection to help things rinse off easily. Something like they use at the car wash that makes the water bead off and helps dry the car. I don’t want anything that needs to be wiped off, just a spray on, rinse, and then blow off or drive on the highway. Im not expecting this to look great, just clean enough so I dont cringe every time I walk up to the car.


Wow, that got long fast, so any recommendations for products or procedure for my quick/ touchless wash/wax?

 

[Hammer77]

I mainly use touchless in the Michigan winter, if I get a chance to do something proper it would be a touchless followed by a rinseless wash. A foam cannon followed by a rinse will help, but it will not remove the bonded contaminants so I would highly recommend that you do not touch the paint afterwards with drying towels or quick/spray wax wipe downs. Or take some mitts and buckets to the coin op.

 

[Thomkirby]

Hi Guys
So ideally I would like to be able to do a quick and touchless wash every week or so with the occasional full wash when I get a nice warm day. In the past I have gone to the booth type carwash, cover with soap and try to rinse off as much as possible. This does an ok job, but I know there are better products out there. I am thinking a good product in a foam gun/ cannon followed by a rinse with a pressure washer would do pretty well. I have a couple products in mind but would be interested in hearing your recommendations.


As a follow up to the wash I would like to use some sort of quick/ spray on wax/ wax-like product to give a little protection to help things rinse off easily. Something like they use at the car wash that makes the water bead off and helps dry the car. I don’t want anything that needs to be wiped off, just a spray on, rinse, and then blow off or drive on the highway. Im not expecting this to look great, just clean enough so I dont cringe every time I walk up to the car.

Wow, that got long fast, so any recommendations for products or procedure for my quick/ touchless wash/wax?

Pick up any of the Rinseless methods for doing this job in your garage (assume you do with those nice cars). Try to use it after the trip to the mountains and flush off that road grime. Going to the hand wash booths is great too and allows you to better flush out the wheel wells and lower body sections.

Look at the AG offerings for the newest Turtle Wax series. These are going to be a price effective method to help you keep the surfaces clean and provide a bit of gloss between ski trips. At a minimum use the Spray Coating after a good wash while surface is clean. Then each wash following that apply the 3-n-1 Detail spray for a drying aid. The results will satisfy the basics and you should see a difference and take some pride in protecting those cars from the elements.

Hope this helps and of course you will get other suggestions to help in your choice of products from the AG store!

 

[bmiley]

Are you doing the touchless wash at the carwash? Or something at home? If so what are your product(s) of choice.

I know I will never get the car clean enough with just a soap and rinse to feel comfortable wiping it down. Most of the quick/ spray wax products say they should be wiped/ dried with a MF, its hard to find something that says it can just be rinsed and left to dry.

 

[bmiley]

Pick up any of the Rinseless methods for doing this job in your garage (assume you do with those nice cars). Try to use it after the trip to the mountains and flush off that road grime. Going to the hand wash booths is great too and allows you to better flush out the wheel wells and lower body sections.

Look at the AG offerings for the newest Turtle Wax series. These are going to be a price effective method to help you keep the surfaces clean and provide a bit of gloss between ski trips. At a minimum use the Spray Coating after a good wash while surface is clean. Then each wash following that apply the 3-n-1 Detail spray for a drying aid. The results will satisfy the basics and you should see a difference and take some pride in protecting those cars from the elements.

Hope this helps and of course you will get other suggestions to help in your choice of products from the AG store!

Unfortunately I do not have a garage, cars are outside all the time which is part of the reason I want to use some sort of quick/ spray wax as often as possible. My typical wax application only holds up part way through the winter and then all the road grime/ salt just stick like glue. With how dirty the cars get I really dont like the idea of a water or rinse-less wash.

It was a record setting 70 degrees here over the weekend and I did manage to get both cars looking pretty good (which is why I started this thread) but typically we dont see many days much above freezing until late march. There may be a few nice days in there where I could get in a good wash but for the most part its too cold to spend the hour or so it takes to wash my truck by hand.

Ill take another look at the turtle wax stuff, but I think for the most part everything I had seen from them required some agitation or wiping.

 

[Thomkirby]

Okay, we need to address the first problem, Road Grime.
I am not aware of any product that will give satisfactory results spayed over the grime even if you did the pressure washer wand and rinse. You will need to come up with a method to either run through the working car wash facilities or else take your bucket kit over to the DIY-facility.

Go to HomeDepot and buy yourself a long cuff chemical glove (look in the lawn chemicals section perhaps). Wear these to keep your hands dry and use a mitt at the DIY car wash. Apply the soap, wipe down, rinse mitt off or dip in bucket of rinse water. Repeat the process until you have car ready for final rinse. Then rinse and follow up with the spray and wipe down with MF towel. Once you get this done you are going to reap the rewards over time on the next wash. I can do my F150 in just one hour (soap-two bucket method) and the car is about 35-minutes (using rinseless)

I will put down a plug for McKee's Hydro Blue and AG has something similar in it's house brands now. Look for a SiO2 spray and rinse product, even the Mcguires Hybrid Ceramic spray can be used (recommend after the initial application). You could then soap down rinse and the spray and then rinse it off in each panel. I used Hydro Blue for this just a few months ago on daughter's truck. I did not have time to apply the protection by hand.

BlackFire Spray and Rinse BLACKFIRE HydroSeal, paint coating, spray-on coating, sio2 spray

I remember your dilemma well, had the same problem during my year in Casper, Wyoming and then several years in Denver. Or help your local detailers in the area and let them do the really first clean wash and wax/sealant. Then they can help you through the process for the rest of the winter. Spring and summer are much more pleasant.

Glove Link: Access Denied

Just PM me if you need more and of course more comments to follow with the forum members too!

 

[Coatingsarecrack]

Foam cannon with a good soap (Griots surface wash is a good one). Maybe add a little apc. Pressure wash off and then look into a waterless wash. Griots spry on car wash or even something with wax in it like ONR wash and wax or wolfgang uber.

Your gonna wanna use a waterless or rinseless if your gonna sry it. Im not a big spray wax guy but griots best of show is a winner.


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[bmiley]

Okay, we need to address the first problem, Road Grime.
I am not aware of any product that will give satisfactory results spayed over the grime even if you did the pressure washer wand and rinse. You will need to come up with a method to either run through the working car wash facilities or else take your bucket kit over to the DIY-facility.

Go to HomeDepot and buy yourself a long cuff chemical glove (look in the lawn chemicals section perhaps). Wear these to keep your hands dry and use a mitt at the DIY car wash. Apply the soap, wipe down, rinse mitt off or dip in bucket of rinse water. Repeat the process until you have car ready for final rinse. Then rinse and follow up with the spray and wipe down with MF towel. Once you get this done you are going to reap the rewards over time on the next wash. I can do my F150 in just one hour (soap-two bucket method) and the car is about 35-minutes (using rinseless)

I will put down a plug for McKee's Hydro Blue and AG has something similar in it's house brands now. Look for a SiO2 spray and rinse product, even the Mcguires Hybrid Ceramic spray can be used (recommend after the initial application). You could then soap down rinse and the spray and then rinse it off in each panel. I used Hydro Blue for this just a few months ago on daughter's truck. I did not have time to apply the protection by hand.

BlackFire Spray and Rinse BLACKFIRE HydroSeal, paint coating, spray-on coating, sio2 spray

I remember your dilemma well, had the same problem during my year in Casper, Wyoming and then several years in Denver. Or help your local detailers in the area and let them do the really first clean wash and wax/sealant. Then they can help you through the process for the rest of the winter. Spring and summer are much more pleasant.

Glove Link: Access Denied

Just PM me if you need more and of course more comments to follow with the forum members too!

Yeah, I dont expect to be able to get all the road grime and stuff off with just spray, but thats ok. Somewhat clean is still way better than disgusting.

The Mckees hydro blue and blackfire hydroseal look interesting, but they still recommend wiping/ drying after application which isn't really what im looking for. I have found a few products that seem like they would work for my purposes (spray on, rinse, and drive away) but they are made for car washes and only come in pretty large quantities...

Thanks for the info

 

[bmiley]

Foam cannon with a good soap (Griots surface wash is a good one). Maybe add a little apc. Pressure wash off and then look into a waterless wash. Griots spry on car wash or even something with wax in it like ONR wash and wax or wolfgang uber.

Your gonna wanna use a waterless or rinseless if your gonna sry it. Im not a big spray wax guy but griots best of show is a winner.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yeah I have heard good things about the griots stuff, pretty pricy though. Ill take another look at those products. Thanks

 

[yellosuzku]

IMO the easiest solutions for protection are the McKee's Hydro Blue and CarPro Hydro2. They are a spray on rinse and blow dry/towel dry product. The drying could be you driving down the street? I have used both products and they work well. A little goes a long way. Only need a couple sprays per panel. In the future your best bet may to put on a durable wax or ceramic before winter. There are a ton of products out there now with easy applications that should get you through the winter. Autogeek has lots of sales so keep your eyes peeled so you can try something new!

 

[acuRAS82]

Yeah, The Mckees hydro blue and blackfire hydroseal look interesting, but they still recommend wiping/ drying after application which isn't really what im looking for.

Hydroseal and Hydro Blue don’t require drying afterwards, it’s only recommended for the same reason anyone would want to dry after any wash: prevent water spots/marks. If you are OK rinsing the car and not drying normally, there’s no difference in not drying after using these products.

I don’t think water marks are much of an issue in the winter because the evaporation process is slow, even in sun.

 

[bmiley]

IMO the easiest solutions for protection are the McKee's Hydro Blue and CarPro Hydro2. They are a spray on rinse and blow dry/towel dry product. The drying could be you driving down the street? I have used both products and they work well. A little goes a long way. Only need a couple sprays per panel. In the future your best bet may to put on a durable wax or ceramic before winter. There are a ton of products out there now with easy applications that should get you through the winter. Autogeek has lots of sales so keep your eyes peeled so you can try something new!

Those both look like potential options, the instructions do say just spray on and rinse off, but then follow up with something about drying with a microfiber. Have you used either of those and just let it dry? I worry that I might end up with some weird looking residual marks that could be difficult to get off.

 

[bmiley]

Hydroseal and Hydro Blue don’t require drying afterwards, it’s only recommended for the same reason anyone would want to dry after any wash: prevent water spots/marks. If you are OK rinsing the car and not drying normally, there’s no difference in not drying after using these products.

I don’t think water marks are much of an issue in the winter because the evaporation process is slow, even in sun.

So if there are water spots would they be trapped under the coating? Thats my concern with a product like that, if it leaves any marks it might be hard to get off.

 

[Coatingsarecrack]

Yeah I have heard good things about the griots stuff, pretty pricy though. Ill take another look at those products. Thanks

You can get on Autogeek. Wait till 25% off. I’d definitely recommend the surface wash as I feel its most effective i’ve used from the states. Heard good things about gtechniq citrus foam but more expensive.

Also if your going spray wax definitely try the Uber. Looks good and plays with the wax. As for best of show Im sure some wax guys will come in with a less Expensive spray wax that works just as well.

Youll spend about $50 for a gallon of GSW and a 16oz bottle of wolf gang UBer.


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[PaulMys]

DG Aquawax or Optimum spray wax are winners in my book.

Awesome toppers, and dirt cheap.

 

[57Rambler]

The drying could be you driving down the street?

Don't laugh, but if it's cold yet the highways are dry, I have sometimes just done a quick wash & rinse at the coin-op (use spot-free rinse) and then "blown dry" the vehicle on the highway for a few miles. Street driving doesn't generate enough airflow to do much good.

 

[acuRAS82]

So if there are water spots would they be trapped under the coating? Thats my concern with a product like that, if it leaves any marks it might be hard to get off.

At the point you’ve used Hydro Blue or Hydroseal, the product has mixed with the water you rinsed with and it essentially becomes the coating. You won’t get water spots under the coating, the coating is then using the water to travel and attach to the surface. The water spots would be on top after the coating has already adhered, IMO.

I just realized that some people complained about streaking with Hydro Blue and I’m sure the drying helps prevent that. I’ve never experienced streaking myself, but my new recommendation is to dry after the final rinse with a blower or even by driving the car. This should hopefully prevent water spots or streaks. I’m assuming you don’t care if there is a small streak for a day or two because the car isn’t clean enough to touch-dry, so I don’t think perfection cleaning is what you’re after. You want the winter protection (my assumption again).

 

[PaulMys]

At the point you’ve used Hydro Blue or Hydroseal, the product has mixed with the water you rinsed with and it essentially becomes the coating. You won’t get water spots under the coating, the coating is then using the water to travel and attach to the surface. The water spots would be on top after the coating has already adhered, IMO.

I just realized that some people complained about streaking with Hydro Blue and I’m sure the drying helps prevent that. I’ve never experienced streaking myself, but my new recommendation is to dry after the final rinse with a blower or even by driving the car. This should hopefully prevent water spots or streaks. I’m assuming you don’t care if there is a small streak for a day or two because the car isn’t clean enough to dry, so I don’t think perfection cleaning is what you’re after. You want the winter protection (my assumption again).

Excellent point.

But to the OP: Easy, no-worry, no-touch, miracle bead products do not exist for the harsh winters.

Wax, sealant, hybrid or coating, you will have to touch the paint to remove the nasty winter grime.

 

[JDGolden]

On warm days I blast off heavy deposits, do a rinseless wash and then go over the paint with a spray (currently TW Seal and Shine).

 

[jdgamble]

I’m doing a little test on Sonax PNS. The dirt repellency is pretty amazing. I would give that a try. You’ll need a clean surface to start, but based on a couple weeks of testing that includes multiple days of rain, it repels dirt and water spots better than anything I’ve ever put on my cars.


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