Hi everyone! Unfortunately Winter is coming and I was curious how everyone keeps their TLs clean in those nasty months? I like to hand wash and wax with Zainos but in the winter I am forced to hit the car washes and I hate it! Anyone still hand washing somehow in the Winter? Suggestions? Thanks Gregg

 

You can try a rinse less wash system where you hand wash in your garage.

 

My Acura's will never see the element in the winter but for my other car, that is what I do. I will occasionally use a car wash (pressure washer like car washes) that use fresh water only. The only areas that I will wash will be the underbody, the bottom of the doors and wheel well areas. I will let the dirt/grime build up because trying to hand wash the vehicle when its cold and baked on, you risk doing more little scratches on the clear. The baked/caked on layer will then be a barrier for the salt and grime that I will leave until the spring to be washed off. Here, they also put sand on the road so having that fine grit on the paint and then trying to wash it off without being able to do it properly (as its cold and everything freeze) may only do more harm than good.

 

ONR car wash (rinseless car wash). can be done in your garage. research ONR wash...i've been using it for a few years now. love it. no paint marring.

 

Yeah...that "baked/caked on layer" won't be a barrier to salt and grime...it is salt and grime. Relying on salt and grime to keep out salt and grime will result in rust. You're better off cleaning it regularly. If you don't have someplace to warm the car, I realize that will be difficult, but leaving anything on the car (except for wax) will harm the paint.

 

During the winter months I'm always going to the touch less car washes at least once a week to rinse off all the salt and winter crap on the car. Then on days when it is warm enough, I take my bucket and glove and give it a good rub down and rinse.

 

I have invested in a pair of waterproof gloves for the winter, Trust me they do the trick especially when it is beyond freezing out

 

I'll admit I do the same on occasion, but one has to watch the "touchless" washes as well. The detergent they use is so strong that it will dull the finish on trim. Not as much of an issue on the TL, as the trim is chrome, but on vehicles with black plastic/rubber trim, it'll grey that material out fairly quickly.

 

I see your point and its a valid one. Its hard as you know, being a Canadian, to keep our vehicles clean in this part of the world. I am so envious of our southern States friend who don't have to put up with this...even it when to +2 or +3 in the winter, I would wash it all the time....but at -25C Brrr

As I said earlier, I try to keep the door sills clean, the wheel well etc but I try and reduce washing my cars too often in the winter for not scratching it. I guess I less concerned about the rust as I never keep them long enough....maybe that is why I never had any problem thus far *lol*

 

I wash my cars at my friend body shop who has a heated garage and use warm water.

 

I guess it depends on where you live in Canada. I agree that winter is an extended stretch where you can expect to have a dirtier than normal car, but at least here in Edmonton, we've got two things "going for" us:
1. They don't put salt down on the roads;
2. We often get extended periods of blue skies and cold so wicked that the car stays clean-ish...too cold for anything to melt and spray up on the finish.

I guess we're lucky that way?

 

Buy a seasons pass at the car wash. It's $200/90 days and you can take any car through it once a day. Needless to say, my car goes through the touch less wash once a day from the end of December to the end of March on my way home from work. The only problem I find is the rear e.brake drums rust and can get stuck/frozen unless you ride the e-brake to heat them up. Acura just replaced my rear rotors under warranty for the corrosion, and squeaking issues from the winters.

If you park it in a garage after, it will add a lot of humidity to the garage. Watch for the roofing nails as they will collect the moisture and drip rusty water onto the vehicles (if your garage isn't insulated)

 

Have you ever had to wash a car with salt and sand on it from the winter? There is no way a 1-2 gallon bucket of water and a little 'special' soap will not harm the finish with the amount of grit that is on them. It needs a copious amount of rinsing to get the crap off before a cloth should be used to wipe it.

The demo video forgot to use a dirty black car to demonstrate on http://www.detailinggurus.com/ONR.html and clearly has no idea!

 

actually i have used the ONR on a lightly salty car. and it's more like 4 gallons of water. give her a good hose rinse (if possible) or presoak with ONR in a spray bottle, then hit the two bucket wash system. it's a matter of making sure you RINSE your wash mitt frequently after every pass to get the crap off the mitt.

OR take the car to one of those self wash places, pressure rinse all the crap off, then go home and do the ONR wash.