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

[jimim]

I can wash in my garage so I’m a bad person to ask.

but with that salt brine mix they use in our area anymore and op area I rinse my trucks after each time it does out of the roads are wet. Just a quick 5 min hose off to all surfaces to get that salt off. I have seen what that stuff does to metal over the winter. Literally eats through rotors.

I wash weekly cause I can. That way I know I always have a layer of topper sealer on my trucks so I have less of a chance of road rash getting on the clear coat and the need to reseal.

I am sealed with a silicone base sealer not ceramic so as long as I seal before the snow falls it gets my through the winter with what I do now and in spring I can strip and reseal.

it’s a lot easier than it prob sounds. Rinsing after active road spraying is what saves you. If you let it dry on the paint that’s when you get issues. The longer it’s on the clear coat the easier it can eat through. Evwn power washing it on the way home so it’s cleaner than if you didn’t helps. I have piles and piles of quarters in both trucks.
This weekend after going to look for boats all day on way home I stopped and power washed it off to get that salt off and then just let it dry in my garage. Next day I washed it.

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[Melny67]

I usually hose the JL down a couple of times or use two water bucket to rinse it. The final wash is usually at a touchless auto wash never one of those brush auto wash a very easy way to get swirl marks. I dont wash under it because i have a thick coating of fluid film. I live in nyc as well. Also a thick coat of wax before the winter season helps a ton.

 

[mwilk012]

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

congratulations, your paint looks great and your frame rusted in half.

 

[Mikester86]

Living in Michigan where they salt the roads, I hit the car wash up when there is a break in the weather and a break from the Jeep getting another salt bath. The car wash does an undercarriage spray as well.

 

[Punk'n Willy]

Living in Michigan where they salt the roads, I hit the car wash up when there is a break in the weather and a break from the Jeep getting another salt bath. The car wash does an undercarriage spray as well.

As a native Michigander I agree with this, the second there is a break in the weather I will at least take it to a do-it-yourself wash to at least get the salt off the vehicle. If there is a nice break then I will take it to a full-on car wash and make it look good for a day or so lol.

 

[JROOO]

Depends on how frequent it’s snowing. Might go a month or more. If there is a good blue bird day I’ll wash it. Does not make sense to get it detailed either since it will be dirty by the end of the day.

 

[rubiRI77]

Touchless only with the undercarriage sprayers and only during the winter, but only on the warmer days, and only if the roads are pretty dry otherwise there is no point.
Here in RI they love to use the salt and sand! Because if they don't use it up then they won't have the same ridiculously inflated budget next year.
In the spring/summer/fall it is by hand only.
Been going to the touchless about every other day lately though because my Rubi is brand new and I can't take seeing it covered in salt!! haha

 

[PiroJeep96]

Touchless only with the undercarriage sprayers and only during the winter, but only on the warmer days, and only if the roads are pretty dry otherwise there is no point.
Here in RI they love to use the salt and sand! Because if they don't use it up then they won't have the same ridiculously inflated budget next year.
In the spring/summer/fall it is by hand only.
Been going to the touchless about every other day lately though because my Rubi is brand new and I can't take seeing it covered in salt!! haha

My counties in NW Ohio do the same thing! Gotta keep that quota for salt and brine up so they can get it again next year.. If the weather men even think about saying “freezing” the brine trucks are out! I have a old car i can daily when the roads are semi clear. But still do weekly washes on the JLU if it gets out into the salt and slush. Growing up here its just a fact that at some point in time they are gonna rust..

 

[EJH220]

I agree with those that have to deal with road salt / chemicals. DOT uses A LOT of salt here. So I have a monthly membership to the carwash and generally wash mine whenever the roads clear up.

 

[PiroJeep96]

I agree with those that have to deal with road salt / chemicals. DOT uses A LOT of salt here. So I have a monthly membership to the carwash and generally wash mine whenever the roads clear up.

Same, the monthly plans are nice!

 

[variableknife]

Got our first significant snow here on Long Island this week (4 to 8 inches depending on where you live here). They absolutely love using snow salt in NYC and Long Island!

Needless to say, the Jeep is dirty due to all that salt. I was going to take it in to the car wash and get some cleaning done. Was especially going to get the underbody sprayed with water as I am a stickler when it comes to under carriage rust (I spray the underbody with cans of Fluid Film twice a year). Depending on how much snow we get this season, the Car Wash may become a monthly ritual for me and those folks might as well know me by name this winter.

For our other snow birds out there, how often do you take your Jeep to the Car Wash every Winter? Am I over doing it by making this a monthly thing? In the Summer, I take her to the car wash after every trip where she goes wheeling on the beach just to wash off the sand. That is usually once or twice the whole summer.

Northern Wisconsin here; I take mine in every 1-2 weeks as long as it's above 5-10 degrees; any colder than that, and I wait until its warmer. That said, I also had it rust proofed before I bought it, because road salt is the opposite season to road construction here (we have only 2 seasons here).

 

[Paluss]

in my area they use the brine solution, that doesn't last as long as salt does on the roads. Also, my last 4 vehicles I purchased including the JLURD part of the deal was free lifetime car washes from their detail department. I always spring that at the very end once we agree on price. The sales person could care less since most of them move on after a year or so. I get in writing and make a copy that I keep in the glove box. I don't abuse it, but nice to have them hand wash inside and I still give them $10 tip....

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