How do you wash your Jeep in the winter

[Hpc3]

Winter is tough. I have seen videos of that Worx sprayer and it looks like a good product. You may want to check out some youtube videos on what you are trying to get done. I know there are several soap products designed for a more spray on, wipe off type lifting. Griots makes one and and there are a few others I just can’t remember the manufacture right now

Griots does have some good foaming detergents that I use to get rid of dirt, stains, etc here. You spray them on with a pressure washer/foam gun and mostly just rinse off after they do their work. May need to hand wash a little if the grime is really thick or has been on there a while but they have quality stuff. Look up their 3-part foam wash kit for example.

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[viper88]

Generally speaking, normal car washes have been known to create more marring on your clear coat (surface scratches).

Touch less car washes may use chemicals that more quickly remove protection such as wax or sealants.

A lot of folks will only hand wash their Jeeps to prevent scratches, but when it's freezing outside that may not be possible. So I'm in that camp and trying to see if others have different methods in maintaining their Jeeps in the winter.

Any hand car washes in your area?

I usually go to a self-service car wash with the high pressure wands in winter. I only use the high pressure rinse. Mostly to get salt off. I will sometimes go to a hand car wash too. Only in the morning when I am one of the first in line. Those wash buckets can get pretty nasty if they don't rinse and refill them often.

 

[tavani21]

It depends on the width of your tires.

I take mine to the DIY carwash and spray it down. Whatever is left on the Jeep is rinsed off with hot water and then wipe down with a chamois.

I washed my Jeep on Saturday when the temp was 27 degrees. The hot water was dripping from my Jeep and freezing on the ground.

Ha! If I see the water freezing on the ground I'm done.. I got the xr package so probably 12+ inches wide...good pt about tire width

 

[Carolina Jeeper]

Not an issue here in North Carolina. But I know what I would do if I were located where it's too cold for typical car washing. Call a mobile car wash guy. They have heated pressure washers and get that crude off. That's how they maintain truck fleets in some colder locations. Don't know what they charge per vehicle, but if a group of friends pools together it might be worth it.

 

[Blanco802]

Any hand car washes in your area?

I usually go to a self-service car wash with the high pressure wands in winter. I only use the high pressure rinse. Mostly to get salt off. I will sometimes go to a hand car wash too. Only in the morning when I am one of the first in line. Those wash buckets can get pretty nasty if they don't rinse and refill them often.

There are a couple, but I can probably do a hand wash as well with the Worx cordless too. Not to mention the hand wash places charge about $35 as a starter package

 

[Dyolfknip74]

Up here with the White Walkers, I wait until it's at least -15°C or "warmer"(you'll need to google Freedom Unit equivalent) and just take it to a wash bay and rinse the salt and shit off.
Doesn't cause any issues other than my door handle might freeze open a couple times. Just have to push it back in.
Any colder than that and I don't bother.

For the guys saying they use warm water, ya, not so much here unless you hate your vehicles glass.

 

[TheBirdie72]

January car wash in New England be like:

January car wash in Arizona be like:

I need to move!

 

[OBD]

Arkansas........Single digit chill factor one day,60 degree highs the next. Washing by hand is no problem.I spray it dry with a leaf blower.

 

[WilhelmSR]

The same way I wash my back, with a rag on a stick

On a serious note, I use a wash rag on a pole as the water is too damn cold to do it by hand.

 

[Vinman]

If I’m not lazy I’ll pull the jeep into my heated garage for a hand wash and let the water run down the floor drain. If I’m lazy I’lo go through the self serve wand wash..
Even if I didn’t have luxury of a heated garage and had to park outside, (which I do with my truck) it gets washed at least weekly with no issues. If it’s well below freezing out, I try to wash it then drive a bit so the doorjambs dry out before they freeze, if I can’t drive it for a bit I’ll wipe down all the jambs and door seals to prevent them from freezing closed.
Been doing it that way for decades without issue.

 

[Erievon]

I use a touchless auto spray wash (they call them Lazerwash by me). It's a bit harsh on the wax, but I usually hit it with a coat just before winter, and a new coat in the spring. If I get a semi mild day (in the 40s) I'll try to refresh the wax a little with a spray wax/detail half way through winter just to (attempt to) give it a little more protection from the chemicals.

 

[WannFly]

I normally ask the car dealership not wash before delivery, this time i forgot and they send it through a car wash... so I already have the swirl marks... one less thing to worry about :d :d

 

[jimim]

in my heated garage. hose bid inside so it never freezes. sink. trench drain straight across my bays. music. best money I spent when I built. I'm vey glad I listened to my dad's buddies when they laid out my garage.

 

[BRuby]

I like to try and keep the exterior of my Jeep clean when I can and being in new England with temperatures firmly below freezing, it can be tough to wash the Jeep (to get all that salt and grime off).

I've tried using touch less car washes, but they tend to use some harsh chemicals to strip the dirt off the car (my sealant that I apply before the winter doesn't even make it sometimes more than 3 months even though it's rated to 12 months).

I opted to give a cordless washer a shot and have generally been happy with being able to load a 5 gallon bucket with warm water and just rinsing the Jeep (dirt comes off easier due to the protection of the sealant applied before winter). I'm not affiliated with Worx but this is the product I purchased (https://www.worx.com/20v-hydroshot-portable-power-cleaner-wg620.html)

So outside of moving to the south or not washing the Jeep when it's too cold, curious what others are doing?

We wait until temps get over freezing before washing.

Then PW undercarriage with a wheeled 3 nozzle sprayer - then PW wheels and tires. Next PW foam cannon to a shaving cream consistency for excellent lube - then a 3 or 4 bucket MF gentle hand wash. Personally have never gone to a car wash after seeing how many scratches can be created. Is very hard to maintain top notch QC when someone else does the work. Same with anything else - as always.

We use a Honda 3000psi PW - Ryobi underbody sprayer - Chemical Guys foam cannon. Pay for the real CG foam cannon to get top notch super thick shaving cream. Also make sure to CRC your underbody beforehand to stop rust from forming. System together works a charm for minimal scratches while removing a ton of crap year round. Salt sand mud all just drop to the ground. Vehicle stays properly protected.

Just did 4 of our vehicles today. Water still beads right up after washing. So all looks good again.

Edit - This was the foam after dwelling for 10 minutes. Goes on nice. Def good shit.

 

[Kraty1]

Chicago suburbs here, I don’t wash weekly or after each snow, but I’ll hit up one of the local washes on occasion, either the self serve if I’m in a hurry or the drive through if I need the undercarriage spray. Once I get back to my garage either I do the Wash Wax all spray or the Optimum Rinceless with a sealer.

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