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(for those living in snow only): how often do you take your rig to the car wash in the winter?

Marlon_JB2

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I too have a car wash subscription that allows for 2 washes a day. So I wait until the road dries and go get it washed.
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631_Islander

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I too have a car wash subscription that allows for 2 washes a day. So I wait until the road dries and go get it washed.
Just got mine washed as the next two weeks are forecasted to be in the 40s with some rain here on Long Island. Probably won't be driving around as much the next two or three weeks any ways in the Jeep now that snow has melted significantly. Just dug my beat up old 2009 Civic Sedan out of the snow. If anything that eats Road Salt, it can be the Civic as wife and I want to get rid of it any ways in order to buy a brand new two door Base Sport JL.
 

D-rail

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I have black paint so... NEVER!

1. Use an insulated garage
2. Soak microfiber mit in hot water
3. Spray quick detailer as lubricant
4. Ring out mit as good as possible
5. Wipe down panel with damp mit
6. Use clean microfiber towel to dry
7. Rinse microfiber mit in bucket 2 (cold water)
8. Wet/ring from bucket 1 (hot water)
9. Goto step 3

Use LED bar to examine paint for any swirls or holograms.

In case of swirl, touch up with polish using DA tool
 

LTLWLLY

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I've made the hubby take mine over to the touchless car wash every weekend so far this winter, especially to do the undercarriage (as long as the weather is decent). He doesn't mind, it's his chance to get out of his Mitsubishi and drive the Jeep. :LOL:
 

MaineBumpkin

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This is a pretty subjective question with a lot of opinions based on particular environments / experiences. A couple of inches of wet snow 2 times per year in the Pacific NW is not going to yield the same general approach as a place where snow / freezing rain / sleet fall frequently. Here in Maine cars are pretty much white all winter and it isn't from the snow, it's from the salt and chemicals they put down on the road almost daily. We run our vehicles through the touchless carwash (with bottom blast) pretty much every time it looks like the roads will be dry for 2-3 days in a row. I don't care if it's 30 degrees or -5 because we park in a heated garage. Once it's 40+ we wash in the driveway which includes an undercarriage blast from the power washer.

I was just behind an older black JK at lunch and it was covered with salt and rust. Pretty apparent he was in the 'don't wash camp' but to each their own.
 

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MichaelAnthony

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Not often enough, because when I go into a car wash my tires stick out way past my fenders, my light bar is above me roof line, my spare tire sticks so far out but yet I continue to go through them. I have been fortunate enough to work in the south during the last 2 winters I have had my Jeep.
 

geem03

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2-3 times a month I spray her down... as long as it's not gonna freeze that night...
 

hutchman

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I have black paint so... NEVER!
Mine is black too. Here it is the day after I bought it:

imagejpeg_0-XL.jpg


And here it is shortly after going through a car wash:

20201129_161213-X2.jpg


It goes through the car wash every month or so whether it needs it or not. One reason I like black is that you can really see where the dirt is!
 

pnut

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I pressure wash with water a few times during the messy months in Michigan. I am particular about the appearance of the paint and don't like scratches, so I never use a "car wash" with anything that touches the paint. Those things are murder on the finish (for those who look closely and who it matters to. I realize most people don't much care about scratches, as long as the dirt is off).
 
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631_Islander

631_Islander

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I pressure wash with water a few times during the messy months in Michigan. I am particular about the appearance of the paint and don't like scratches, so I never use a "car wash" with anything that touches the paint. Those things are murder on the finish (for those who look closely and who it matters to. I realize most people don't much care about scratches, as long as the dirt is off).
Tally me for the "dont care much about scratches" statistic. I usually goto the Car wash once every two months or so in the winter as Long Island does not get as much Snow as Michigan.
 

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VNT

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Our 2 wranglers are in hiberantion ;)

I do wash our winter cars whenever it gets above freezing on a weekend. Have a pressure washer and a Ryobi under car sprayer. Plus have hot water plumbed into the garage so can give them a quick clean off periodically. Reality is that a few days after a wash they may be soaked back in salt.

I park them outside during the winter, worst is parking in an attached garage where it is warmer and the stuff melts which makes it rust quicker.
 

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Not often, but did recently because I was starting to not be able to see out the windows due to the salt spray. I donā€™t care about the body of the Jeep, she looks better dirty, but when I canā€™t see out...
 

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Back when I lived in the midwest where roads were salted and either frozen or sloppy 6 months a year - as often as possible - which was futile as nothing prevented the undercarriages from rusting out after a few years. Here in CO - after a snow when the roads dry, along with everyone else.
 

H to O

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Iā€™ll take mine to a car wash about every two weeks.

During the recent deep freeze we were in, the salt ā€œcoatingā€ was driving me crazy, and washing it would have been a bad idea. One sunny warm afternoon I took it to the car wash at lunch and let it dry in the sun. Since we stayed in the deep freeze with snow every other day for two weeks after I washed it, I just parked it and drove my truck until the polar vortex was over. Plus, the truck has remote start and the Jeep doesnā€™t. Nice when itā€™s 1 degree at 5am...

I Hate Salt!!!

32F7622C-8011-4860-91A5-F86C0ABDF074.jpeg
 

RoadiJeff

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Ours has an annual unlimited wash plan, so we can take it to the touchless car (Jeep) wash every day if we want at no extra charge. So far, it goes about once every 10 days during the winter. The service includes undercarriage spray to rinse off salt and Simonize wax.
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