With winter fast approaching - how do you remove snow?

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Darth Muffin

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Hi all, new to the forums and detailing in general. Been ravenously devouring as much information as I can over the last 10 days and I want to thank you all for sharing your knowledge.

Now, with that out of the way, something just occurred to me. I've read a bunch of threads about how to detail in the winter but what do you guys do about snow when parked outside? The obvious answer is to not park outside but that's not possible while I'm at work or otherwise out. I have a garage at home but no covered parking at work.

I just moved to [very] northern Wisconsin and leased a silver 2014 Acura RDX at the beginning of the month. Added remote start which will help to melt ice off the glass but not much otherwise.

I placed an order with AG for some Meguiar's #21 as well as a small bottle of Hydro2 and plan to clean my car and apply it before winter really hits (and occasionally upkeep with some ONR and spray wax) but won't brushing snow off the roof of the car cause some scratching?

I'm just going to do some casual detailing; nothing hardcore with machines, polish, etc. Just want my car to be clean and have some protection and it is a lease after all, but at the same time, I don't want to mar the paint too much.

So, any advice?

Thanks in advance!
 
Is your garage insulated? If so, then just let it melt off each night in the garage. You only need the windows clean to drive right? That's all I do. I don't mess with the snow on the paint. Alternatively, you could take it to the self serve and use the high pressure hot water RINSE and get rid of it that way.
 
Thanks for the reply.

I'm renting a condo. Don't think it's insulated but I know when I lived in NJ (didn't care about my old car then) that it's illegal to drive without removing the snow from your car cause they don't want it to fly off and obstruct/distract drivers behind you. Figured it's the same thing here.

My search finally turned up some old threads that I've been reading through. Initially I kept getting threads about snow foam. Seems like some people have had luck with the snow mover sold on AG as well as something called the Snow Brum. Seems that the best bet is to remove most of the top layer of snow with something like that but not get quite all of it so that only a thin layer is on the vehicle.

That should be good enough for me. The rest should melt off when I'm home or I can occasionally clean it off via the self serve wash like you suggested.
 
Very carefully.

I have the Hoppy Snow Removal thingee. Its like the Sno Brum, but without the crazy spelling. I cringe every time I have to use it, because I know snow (which probably isn't 100% clean) is dragging across my paint (which probably isn't 100% clean).
 
jpegs13 said:
I go to Florida and wait for it to melt off :D
Click to expand...

Well I am going there next month to visit my sister but somehow I don't think that will help my Acura. :p

Dogfather said:
I love my sno brum. I've had mine 12 yrs.
Click to expand...

swanicyouth said:
Very carefully.

I have the Hoppy Snow Removal thingee. Its like the Sno Brum, but without the crazy spelling. I cringe every time I have to use it, because I know snow (which probably isn't 100% clean) is dragging across my paint (which probably isn't 100% clean).
Click to expand...

I'm thinking that something like this sounds like the best option.

Thanks.
 
As others have stated...I worry more about the windows than the painted surfaces. IF (that's a big 'if') I must remove snow from the body, I try to only get the top most of it. In other words, leave some of the horrid stuff on the car and just let it melt when ya get home.

Along with the windows, do be sure to remove snow from any fresh air inlets. That is one time ALL the snow MUST be removed.

At least once a week, try and get you car hosed off. The coin-op spray wash works well for that, just NO BRUSH. I worry more about the salt (which I think Minnesota and Morton's have a huge love affair) doing damage than anything else actually.

Bill
 
Go buy a old beater truck for the winter months. Let that take the harsh Wisconson winters.
 
I never touch the paint.
Start the car about 10-15 minutes before you have to leave and turn the defrosters all the way up. You'll come out to beads of water we all like.
 
It's better not to touch the paint so that being out of risk with scratching. If you have a covered garage at home, why not to let the snow melt out when you are at home in garage? I have garage heated, so I usually leave my car in it and all troubles with snow are ment out during night.
 
jpegs13 said:
I go to Florida and wait for it to melt off :D
Click to expand...

:iagree: Winter is the dry season in Florida. I can usually keep my car clean and shiny for months with just UQD and UQW.

Lot to be said about this plan. No Snow, No salt, No slippery roads, No rust, No state income tax.

T-shirt and shorts weather all winter. And did I fail to mention the outstanding fishing?

OTOH, Florida's spring brings Love bug season along with pollen and summer brings nearly daily rain, and extreme humidity so it's back north for the summer. :cruisin:

In answer to the snow removal question, I lived in WI for 60 years. I'd frequently buy a beater for the winters and save my better car for better weather. I cleaned my beater off with a brush and didn't worry about it. When I stopped buying beaters, I negotiated with the local Laser Touchless for a bulk buy of wash codes. I'd buy 16 codes for the Deluxe wash for around $70 and run the car through at least weekly. I'd then take it home where I'd UQD and UQW it. This minimized most marring.

With a fresh coat of UQD, the snow slides off pretty easily and with a weekly re-application, it stays pretty slick as well. If I needed to spend my winters in WI again, I'd go with a coating and frequent Touchless washes.
 
Jmarra said:
I never touch the paint.
Start the car about 10-15 minutes before you have to leave and turn the defrosters all the way up. You'll come out to beads of water we all like.
Click to expand...

I can only see that working if there was like an inch of snowfall MAX. What about all those days when you get several inches of snowfall? Your method will not work for that.
 
Thank you all for your continued suggestions.

BillE said:
As others have stated...I worry more about the windows than the painted surfaces. IF (that's a big 'if') I must remove snow from the body, I try to only get the top most of it. In other words, leave some of the horrid stuff on the car and just let it melt when ya get home.

Along with the windows, do be sure to remove snow from any fresh air inlets. That is one time ALL the snow MUST be removed.

At least once a week, try and get you car hosed off. The coin-op spray wash works well for that, just NO BRUSH. I worry more about the salt (which I think Minnesota and Morton's have a huge love affair) doing damage than anything else actually.

Bill
Click to expand...

Yeah, I'm trying to find a coin op as I've read about before to do a rinse but doesn't look like there's one nearby. A couple full serves and a touchless.

ClayR said:
Go buy a old beater truck for the winter months. Let that take the harsh Wisconson winters.
Click to expand...

I have my beater civic but while it may seem like blasphemy to many here, I leased my car to drive it rather than have it parked up to protect it.

Jmarra said:
I never touch the paint.
Start the car about 10-15 minutes before you have to leave and turn the defrosters all the way up. You'll come out to beads of water we all like.
Click to expand...

I think it seems that the best bet is to do as others have suggested and brush the majority of the snow off while trying not to touch the car and then use this method. My remote start will come in handy.

Ganiy said:
It's better not to touch the paint so that being out of risk with scratching. If you have a covered garage at home, why not to let the snow melt out when you are at home in garage? I have garage heated, so I usually leave my car in it and all troubles with snow are ment out during night.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestion but my question is mostly concerned with how to deal with snow accumulation while parked at work. I potentially work an 11-hour day. Well, that's what they pay me for but it's usually less. If it's snowing for most of that day, that can be quite a build-up of snow on the car while I'm inside.


mikesal57 said:
Sno Brum or Arctic Plow?????
Better and safer?
Click to expand...

Gonna look into one of these but I think I'll wait to see how I fare in the winter first.

jfelbab said:
In answer to the snow removal question, I lived in WI for 60 years. I'd frequently buy a beater for the winters and save my better car for better weather. I cleaned my beater off with a brush and didn't worry about it. When I stopped buying beaters, I negotiated with the local Laser Touchless for a bulk buy of wash codes. I'd buy 16 codes for the Deluxe wash for around $70 and run the car through at least weekly. I'd then take it home where I'd UQD and UQW it. This minimized most marring.

With a fresh coat of UQD, the snow slides off pretty easily and with a weekly re-application, it stays pretty slick as well. If I needed to spend my winters in WI again, I'd go with a coating and frequent Touchless washes.
Click to expand...

That sounds like a great idea. I'll see if the local touchless wash would be willing to make a similar deal. They're about 10 minutes from my place according to Google maps. Will go check them out if I can't manage to locate a coin op.
 
Just a correction. In the last paragraph where I said, "With a fresh coat of UQD, the snow slides off pretty easily..." I meant to say "With a fresh coat of UQW, the snow slides off pretty easily..."

It is the UQW that adds the slickness and replenishes any LSP the touchless wash chemicals might have diminished.

Living in WI in the winter also means that for several months the undercarriage of your car is getting coated with brine and some even more corrosive chemicals. The weekly touchless does an undercarriage flush, a really good thing, IMO.

This winter Milwaukee is going to use cheese brine to melt the snow. Really, who wants their shiny new car coated with cheese brine and smelling like old cheese?

Just one more reason to head to Florida in the winter, LOL.
 
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