Tips for Washing in the Winter - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

#1 11-12-2002, 10:05 PM

Any tips for washing and detailing in the winter months. I bought some worklights so I can wax in the garage but any tips would be appreciated.

placo1 · #2 11-13-2002, 01:22 PM

I used to do this alot when I lived in Upstate NY and hated it! Here are a few things I observed:

1. Use high pressure water to clean your car! It is very important to remove as much of the dirt as possible before soaping and waxing. Pay attention to areas such as door handles, molding and trim where dirt can get trapped. Dry thourougly before waxing. These areas can drip the water/dirt on to the car paint while you wax which can create the dreaded swirl marks.

2. Wax takes significantly longer to dry in colder temperatures. Allow the wax to dry completely (should be removable by swiping your finger over the paint with no effort) before removing it. You may want to consult Meguiars for suggestions on polymer waxes that dry better in colder climes.

3. Gloves are not a good idea.....if your lucky enough to have a heated garage then this is not really an issue.

You've already addressed the lighting issue so good luck and hope this helps.

royaiii · #3 11-13-2002, 09:21 PM

One or two coats of wax should last the winter. My tip for winter washing, is to not focus on the exterior as much as the undercarriage. You want to clean the snow off your car but try to clean the undercarriage very well because there are some essentially non-replaceable parts that are designed for the lifetime of the car that are degraded by rust.

Southern · #4 11-13-2002, 09:56 PM

I have done the following:

Insulated my garage including the garage door and ceiling.

Installed a natural gas heater and ceiling fan because the heat would rise to the ceiling.

Installed halogen lights in my garage. They provide excellent light and give off quite a bit of heat. The heat from the halogen lights is usually enough heat that I normally don't use my garage heater.

Rigged a hole between my attached garage and house to allow a garden hose to be hooked up to my stationary tub in my basement. This allows me to wash my car with warm water which prevents your hands from freezing.

If my car is full of road salt I use my wash mit and plain water to rinse off the dirt before washing the car with soap.

I use my hose to rinse out the salt from the wheel wells and undercarriage.

When I am finished washing and drying the car, I back it out of the garage and hose the dirt and salt residue out on the driveway and squeege the water out of the garage. Be sure to spread salt on the driveway if the temperatures are below freezing.

Open the doors and dry the door seals and jams to prevent the doors from freezing shut.

No Gas · #5 11-13-2002, 11:26 PM

I moved from Alaska to Oregon to get away from problems like this! I just wash out side drive into the Garage and finish up. No Salt used here thank goodness.

BenzOnline · #6 11-14-2002, 11:40 AM

what about the automatic car wash? This makes washing in the winter a breeze and do it most of the time and no rust has ocurred. I do yearly rustproofing also.

placo1 · #7 11-14-2002, 12:27 PM

Benzonline,

I would agree with you that for general weekly cleaning a touchlees drive through car wash is your best bet. You would definitely want to choose the undercarriage wash option. This is a great easy way to maintain the car during the winter.

The downside is that when your going to detail your car and wax it you really can't wash it at the drive through since the car will pick up dirt/dust/salt on the drive home. You'll have to wash it a second time once at home. The other drawback is that I've never seen a touchless remove all of the surface dirt from a car during the winter months, if you swipe your hand accross the surface you'll see that it's still dirty.

BenzOnline · #8 11-14-2002, 12:43 PM

no it has to be the soft cloth. I never go to the touchless because it does the same job as when it rains!

timreid · #9 11-14-2002, 08:20 PM

BenzOnline

How and what parts do you rustproofing yearly? I was thinking about having my 92 400E undercarriage resprayed. However some people indicated that would trap moisture and cause problems.

Thanks timreid

BenzOnline · #10 11-14-2002, 10:17 PM

nahh nothing will happen. I take it yearly to the rustproffing centre and they spray oil into the doors and crevices and spray the undercarriage. Did it for years and no problems

agplate · #11 11-18-2002, 11:13 AM

I ran my 300SD through a touchless once and it completely stripped the wax and finish off the car (Meguires Gold). Talk about a sick feeling!! Wouldn't do that again!!

BenzOnline · #12 11-18-2002, 11:18 AM

how did it do that?? I think it depends on the soap used.

agplate · #13 11-18-2002, 11:29 AM

I think you're right. My assumption is that because it's "touchless", they have to use some pretty harsh stuff at high pressure to "clean" the car. I think it probably works fine for these new metallic/clearcoated cars because the finish is more plasticy, but it really did strip mine down to nothin'!
FREAKED ME OUT!! Lately, I've been going to a newly opened Shell station cloth wash and it does a nice job and leaves it shiny.

BenzOnline · #14 11-18-2002, 11:34 AM

ya the soft cloth systems do a good job and never seem to strip anything. soft cloths do a good job on 126's compared to other cars!

placo1 · #15 11-18-2002, 11:45 AM

I'd have to agree that the touchless wash does strip the wax but if your waxing regularly it really shouldn't matter.

I guess the reason I stay away from car washes that touch your car is that I've seen some nasty crazing and swirls caused by these kinds of washes. Keep in mind that cloth traps dirt and this dirt is then rubbed on to your paint. For this reason my preference is still a high pressure hose with a well rinsed Mitt or sponge.