An Approach to Winter Car Washing - Guide
Hello Folks,
Introduction
Of course, the starting point for this missive is a thoroughly prepared and
protected car. Back in September I gave the paintwork a good clean with
gTechniq P1 polish, followed by 2 coats of FK #1000p, then several days later
followed that with 2 coats of CG Blacklight and finally a coating of CG V7
hybrid a day or so after that. Yes, I know I could have stopped with the FK,
but while I like its protection, I'm not that keen on its glassy bling.
Code:
Acronyms Explained
ADS : ArtDeShine
CG : Chemical Guys
FK : Finish Kare
HFE : CG Hose Free Eco (no longer sold)
MF : Microfibre
ONR : Optimum No Rinse Wash & Shine
SPSD: Serious Performance Show Detailer
Since then, other than my usual bucketless washes, the car has had a couple
of what I'd call heavy washes, using HFE as the "lubricant" to loosen and
remove fine concrete dust deposited from an electric cutting disc. The first
time this happened I blew my top because it could have been avoided. Grrrrr...
The First Process
As carrying full buckets of suds is particularly hazardous for me, with almost
inevitable spills, I just diluted 1 capful of HFE into about 4 or 5 litres of fairly
warm water and used a noodle mitt to spread it around in a contactless
fashion, squeezing out around 6 to 9 inches above the surface.
The second contactless pass several moments later usually sees movement
and concentration of the dust as it gathers into the bodywork valleys. Any
wiping was generally following a gentle squeeze of liquid on its travels,
ensuring that plenty of liquid was in pursuit of the particles.
I'm describing this in some detail because I use the very same technique when
the car is covered in salt. Although with salt, I use ONR instead of HFE and I
also pre-spray the paint with ONR at QD strength. As regular readers of my
posts on ONR will know, I use ONR in a bucketless wash fashion for most of
the year. The existing swirls are, I believe, the result from the first time I did
this as an experiment in winter with ONR and salt. It was a salutory lesson!
Beware the Salt Monster
I've learned that when washing a car covered in salt, especially when it's icy,
it's a big mistake to under apply water or washing solution to the surface.
The problem is that road salt, even when partly dissolved, can still be just as
abrasive as sharp sand. The biggest part of that problem is that the partly
dissolved salt is invisible! That's not to say that you need to use copious
amounts of water either. Basically, you need just enough to fully dissolve the
salt and to keep it dissolved whilst it is still in contact with the paint.
You'll still use a lot less than with a hose. I probably use no more than 8-10
litres over two buckets. At the point where I replenish, there'll probably still
be over a litre of solution left in the bottom, so only 6 or 7 litres will ever
reach the ground.
Final Clean and Dry Process
So, once the car has had it's bucket assisted pre-wash, rather than dry it,
I will then go on with my usual ONR bucketless wash technique. Why?
Because, until I can be sure all vestiges of salt are removed, there is no way
I would put a dry MF towel anywhere near the paint. Please remember that
use of a hose is neither practical nor available at this point.
The only real difference twixt summer and winter washing is the number of
MF cloths used. In the summer, I'm quite happy to wring out an MF cloth that
has become saturated with the ONR solution, provided that I have at least
2 clean folds left to use. With salt present, absolutely no chance!
One other benefit of using ONR is that you can watch it evaporate and know
that you will not get water spots. The existing polished surface is doing its
bit to repel the water; all you need do is ensure that your MF cloth is still
absorbing the surplus. Also, all the MF cloths are rinsed out in a bucket with
dish detergent to rid them of as much salt as possible before they go into the
washing machine.
The beauty of ONR is that it will really help with delaying the water in the salt
from evaporating. When I read of others' experiences with ONR, I get a very
distinct impression that they fall into 2 types of user. Those who treat it like
a shampoo and add work to compensate for it, and those, like me, who treat
it like a cleaner, and allow the product to do its work for them.
If you fall into the first category, all I can say to you is relax. If you apply
ONR in a fashion where you allow it get into and under the dirt, it not only
rewards you with less work, you actually reduce the risks of marring and
smearing. After using ordinary shampoos and the 2BM, I'm aware that it can
be a huge leap of faith. As long as you are using dilutions suitable for your
water hardness, then it is quite OK to trust the product. It isn't a shampoo!
Wheel Cleaning
The other bug-bear in winter is cleaning the wheels. Again, thorough prep and
protection in the autumn reaps its rewards. With the wheels wearing FK1000p
topped with SwissVax, they repel a fair bit. Problem is that even though I'm
a light brake-pedal user the pad dust is still a nightmare. Mix in the wet and
a good dose of salt and other road muck, they still present some work to
get them clean.
Once again, it's HFE, rather than ONR, that I turn to for this task. One capful
into a half-filled bucket and I'll do one wheel and the underside of the arches.
In summer that'll do for 2 wheels. Again, to the best of my ability, I try and
apply as much liquid as needed in a contactless fashion by squeezing out the
mitt, with my hand supporting me as I rest it at the top of the wheel.
That's allowing the liquid to do its work while I get myself down into a better
supported position where I can concentrate on cleaning between the spokes,
in probably quite ungainly fashion. In summer, I'll happily get into my folding
chair and enjoy the weather; in winter this has to be as quick a crouch as I
can manage. No matter when, the main advantage of using HFE is that there
is no need to rinse, or even dry...
Glass Cleaning
Next comes the glass. The windscreen and rear window have coatings of
ADS ArtDeSpiros 5 used as a glass treatment, so when doing the full wash I
try to get as much liquid to go rearward as I can. Because of its rake and
the way the wipers lie in protection, only the base of the screen will gather
muck to any extent.
Areas outside the wiper reach are easily cleaned with plain water. So, I simply
use one dampened MF cloth, no chemicals, and immediately follow this with
another to dry.
Around the wiper arms and below will be dealt with depending upon what has
gathered there. If it's bad, then some warm water and a separate clean
noodle mitt will be used. At this point we have a clean car on the outside,
so next comes the decision of what, if anything, to do next.
A Last Tickle?
If it's a fine day and it isn't too damp or too chilly, then following up with a
QD is fine. Probably my favourite all-year-round product is SPSD, even if
it is the most garish pink liquid to be found :) Using a plush MF cloth, folded
into two, and using just one quarter for the initial wipe after every spray, you
can and should be quite parsimonious with the application.
Generally speaking, by the time you have applied to and wiped-off from the
horizontal surfaces, you'll have enough product on that quarter of the cloth
to do the verticals, without applying more product. Be careful about over
applying and watch out for the dew point. Do be aware that the product is
meant to flash dry. In other words, it must happen! Otherwise, you'll work
against yourself and not only get streaking, you run the risk of the product
combining with the dew/water and possibly weakening your existing wax
protection because it hasn't dried!
Can any waxes be used in winter? Well, certainly no paste wax, that I know
of, unless you can create the ideal application environment indoors. Of the
liquid waxes I believe that all the Collinites are also temperature dependant,
so of the commonly used ones that I have tried, it leaves Optimum Car Wax
and Megs Nxt. Of the two, I'd probably only try the OCW, but only on a day
when I'd consider using a QD. With the current protection levels I don't think
that a need for a wax will occur again until I do my summer prep next April.
Conclusion
Car cleaning in winter need not be an arduous task. Certainly, for me, being
introduced to ONR has meant that I'm prepared to go out there in winter and
indulge my passion for stroking those beautiful metal curves without doing any
damage. HFE has meant that even those closely spaced spokes don't present
too much of a cleaning problem either. I still have a healthy respect for the
salt-monster, but I hope this missive helps you to make winter washing less
of a chore. The only watchwords for both products are: allow and enjoy!
A Short Video
Winter Washing Demo
Regards,
Steve
P.S. At the time of posting no alternative to CG Hose Free Eco has been found
here, though I am hopeful a brand new product that's available in Asia will
soon be sold in the UK. I'll update as and when...
