Washing your car with hot water

Garducio

Garducio

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Quick question guys. Seems it's pretty cold out there, when I wash my car I fill the buckets up with hot water. Now I don't think it should be bad for the car or anything having hot water on it for a few seconds but just wanted to make sure . Do you all do that also or no??
Thanks,
Grady.
 
Be careful using hot water on cold glass? The paint will be fine but it you have cold glass with a chip or hairline crack, putting hot water on it will cause more damage to the glass!
 
I use what I would call warm water in my buckets on occasion. Sure makes dipping your hands in there more bearable.
 
ok didn't really think about that. but when I say hot water it's not boiling water. Just worm enough for where I can easily put my hands in the water. But will keep that in mind.
Thanks man.
 
Warm water should work just fine.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using AG Online
 
If anything, I think warm water actually helps in the process of breaking down/loosening dirt and grime.
 
I have a tank less hot water heater use it all winter to wash no problems.
 
I use hot water all the time as long as the temp isn't bellow freezing then I use warm water.
 
Yes, hot water can help as others mentioned. Most water heaters are set around 140F, and by the time it gets atomized out your hose nozzle and reaches the paint it probably drops quite a bit.

I recently figured out (don't know why it took me so long to think of this) that since the washing machine is right off the garage, and the hot water valve has hose threads, that I could just hook a hose to the hot water supply for the washer and stretch it out to the driveway. If your water heater is in the garage I guess you could also add a spigot to the main line there.
 
SR99 said:
Yes, hot water can help as others mentioned. Most water heaters are set around 140F, and by the time it gets atomized out your hose nozzle and reaches the paint it probably drops quite a bit.
Click to expand...

Or if you use a rinseless wash.
 
Be careful hooking directly up to a hot water tank, that water is hot and you need a hose rated for high heat. If that things bursts you could have some issues....
 
I use hot water all the time in winter and have not had any problems. Like mentioned it sure does feel good to put your hands in warm water when it's cold outside.
 
Yea today I detailed the interior of my car and man my finger were frozen. I couldn't feel them at all. and when I washed my car I had to have worm to hot water. I can say I was happy to wash my car. wormed up my hands real well lol But yea I'm not using hot boiling water just worm enough not to freeze my hands.
 
Being from WNY I've done warm water washes for years when the temp is at or slightly above freezing, warm water in the soapy water bucket and cold water to rinse from a hose or from another bucket. It'll be easier this year with DG rinseless after a trip to the touchless wand wash to get rid of the majority of the salt, grime, and chunks.

I keep the cold hands problem manageable by wearing those yellow gloves sold in the dish soap section, pretty durable & your hands almost never get wet but you still have all the dexterity you need.

My hands might get cold but they never get wet, stinging, what-the-hell-was-I-thinking cold.
 
Garducio said:
Quick question guys. Seems it's pretty cold out there, when I wash my car I fill the buckets up with hot water. Now I don't think it should be bad for the car or anything having hot water on it for a few seconds but just wanted to make sure . Do you all do that also or no??
Thanks,
Grady.
Click to expand...
Are you concerned about the vehicle's clear-coat paint having to experience some unwanted: Thermal stressing?

That phenomenon can actually damage clear-coat paint...over time, and if it occurs often enough.

Your above outlined car-washing process seems far from going to those extremes.

:)

Bob
 
I have a tankless water heater and an outdoor faucet that supplies hot water. Ours is set to 120. They told us no matter what you have it set to it is only designed to raise temp of water 50 degrees above ground water temp. I am thoroughly impressed with it thus far. No issues with using hot water. Even though it may be 40 degrees the sun hitting the car panels warms it. So it isn't that shocking to it. I won't wash under 40, the suds freeze.
 
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