Scratch Free Snow Removal

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BLM

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We are hitting that time of year for many. If you have to park your vehicle outside and you live where it gets cold then you probably have to deal with snow. What do you use to remove snow from your vehicle without chancing scratching the paint?

Definitely dont want to use that broom that you use to sweep out the garage. I have this item called a Snowjoe. It has a foam blade on it, its extendable and the handle can be removed and stowed for storage in your trunk or whatever. Dont know if there is something better out there.
What is your method?



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I use something very similar. Better than a brush, those brushes have harsh hairs.
 
A somewhat hated Utoober said to knock off the majority of the snow and leave about 1/2 inch on the vehicle. Let that small amount melt when the sun comes out. This guy gives a lot of dubious tips but this one seems fairly practical.
 
I think most people use the SnoBrum, but there seem to be a lot of imitators now. Whatever you use, it's fraught with danger for your finish.
 
Optimus Grime said:
A somewhat hated Utoober said to knock off the majority of the snow and leave about 1/2 inch on the vehicle. Let that small amount melt when the sun comes out. This guy gives a lot of dubious tips but this one seems fairly practical.
Click to expand...
And just how does this Utoober propose to do that? Even if one could control the amount of snow left behind that snow will rapidly turn to ice which will bond to the surface.
Quite often when it snows the temps remain below freezing for many days.
Sounds like a poorly thought out theory instead of something practical.
 
I use a tool that has a rotating head and and an extending arm. The head has a brush on one side and a foam "blade" on the other. The head pivots 180 degrees so you can use it in a sweeping motion or as a pusher.

I don't know if there is any true scratch free snow removal, you can only minimize it to the best of your ability. I've been very careful and only removed the upper layers of snow only to watch a chunk of ice slowly slide it's way up my hood as it melted leaving a very light scratch the entire way... This is one of the main reasons I'll only go 2~3 years between polishing out a car. No matter how much we try, little things in life like snow removal will add some very minor marring that adds up over the years.

I'll also say using a coating or a SIO2 based sealant has helped with snow removal as well. If the temps aren't deep-freeze cold, the snow seems to slide off easier and more cleanly than what I remember from a traditional sealant.
 
BLM said:
And just how does this Utoober propose to do that? Even if one could control the amount of snow left behind that snow will rapidly turn to ice which will bond to the surface.
Quite often when it snows the temps remain below freezing for many days.
Sounds like a poorly thought out theory instead of something practical.
Click to expand...
Yep. You'll have a glacier start to form on the top of the car. When it does get warm enough to soften that ice layer, it will fly off in slabs and potentially damage your car or others around you. Not cool.
 
Desertnate said:
Yep. You'll have a glacier start to form on the top of the car. When it does get warm enough to soften that ice layer, it will fly off in slabs and potentially damage your car or others around you. Not cool.
Click to expand...
There oughta be a law! Oh wait, there is here in NJ:

Yes, New Jersey has a strict automobile snow removal law (N.J.S.A. 39:4-77.1) requiring drivers to make "all reasonable efforts" to clear snow/ice from their entire vehicle—hood, roof, windows, etc.—before driving on public roads, facing fines of $25-$75 for failing to clear, and potentially $200-$1,000+ if dislodged snow causes damage or injury. This law applies even if snow doesn't fly off, and commercial vehicles face even higher penalties.

What the Law Requires
Clear the Whole Vehicle: You must remove snow and ice from all exposed surfaces, including the roof, hood, windshield, windows, and trunk.
Reasonable Efforts: Drivers must make a good-faith effort to clear their vehicles before operation.
Commercial Vehicles: Drivers, owners, or lessees of commercial trucks must clear the cab and the top of trailers.
 
Desertnate said:
I use a tool that has a rotating head and and an extending arm. The head has a brush on one side and a foam "blade" on the other. The head pivots 180 degrees so you can use it in a sweeping motion or as a pusher.

I don't know if there is any true scratch free snow removal, you can only minimize it to the best of your ability. I've been very careful and only removed the upper layers of snow only to watch a chunk of ice slowly slide it's way up my hood as it melted leaving a very light scratch the entire way... This is one of the main reasons I'll only go 2~3 years between polishing out a car. No matter how much we try, little things in life like snow removal will add some very minor marring that adds up over the years.

I'll also say using a coating or a SIO2 based sealant has helped with snow removal as well. If the temps aren't deep-freeze cold, the snow seems to slide off easier and more cleanly than what I remember from a traditional sealant.
Click to expand...
Yep, thats probably the same one as mine. Bought it at Canadian Tire.
 
Mine has a rubber blade. I try to keep it just above the surface if I can and slide most of the snow off in a front/back direction.

It looks like this.
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I guess I got thrown off by the "SnoBrum" in the first post, I actually have an Oxo brush with flagged tips that I use if there is a small (up to 2 or 3 inches I guess) amount of snow. The SnoBrum comes out when there is a lot of snow, but I generally don't have to do that anymore since I found a way to keep all my cars inside.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
Oh, that's interesting. Certainly different than the SnoBrum or SnowJoe.
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It works great, used it a few times today even during our snowstorm today. I've had a couple of them for a few years, never had even a mark from them. The foam edges are very giving, not stiff at all.
 
I'm thinking anything with bristles is a scratch candidate. Reason being any bristles soft enough not to scratch won't do squat to remove the snow. Anything good enough to remove the snow is abrasive enough to scratch. In addition most bristles when exposed to cold temperatures ( snow ) will become significantly more ridgid.
 
That depends a lot on the snow. Dry fluffy snow is going to be easy to remove with a brush. The Oxo Twister has soft flagged bristles like a wheel brush. Wet heavy snow is more likely to want to slide off the car in a big slice, which makes it easy to get off (sort of) and a huge danger to your paint if there is some grit on the surface. And then there is every imaginable in-between for snow/slush/ice. No tool is perfect and each one has pros and cons.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
That depends a lot on the snow. Dry fluffy snow is going to be easy to remove with a brush.
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I'm going to be honest and admitt that with dry/fluffy snow I'm not going to bother removing it. Just get in and start driving and the snow will remove itself in short order.
 
I'll use the blade side even for the fluffy stuff and use the brushes on the windows unless it's really deep and heavy, and then it's the blade everywhere. For some reason I find the brush side knocks it off the glass easier/faster. Probably more of a habit than anything more practical. I grew up on those old wooden handled snow brushes.
 
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