[Col-Bimmer]

Any recommendations on the best way to hand wash a car during the Winter months? The weather and the tap water gets pretty cold in the Winter. Previous attempts have resulted in very painful hands.

Thanks in advance for your prompt response.

[Sportstick]

I've had good improvement in hand comfort by wearing two sets of the latex rubber gloves sold at Costco. Have to be careful not to plunge your hands too far into the bucket, though, as the gloves barely cover the wrist area.

[Transfer]

If you can find a good soft brush or mitt/sponge thing to attach to a handle, that spares the hands but makes it harder to clean the tight spots.

[merlin3008]

Go to a good detailing forum like Autogeek and do a search for Optimum No Rinse or ONR. Here's a link to the product below. There's a very simple two bucket method that allows you to wash in garage in comfort. I"ve used it on dark cars and noticed no damage to the surface.

http://www.autogeek.net/optimum-no-rinse.html

[ORIGIN M.]

Originally Posted by Transfer

If you can find a good soft brush or mitt/sponge thing to attach to a handle, that spares the hands but makes it harder to clean the tight spots.

You get 6 mil Nitro gloves they are the best tool for cold weather washing.

[allthatisntnow]

Use a jet wash for initial rinse and then use warm water for the hand washing part in conjunction with some sort of noodle mitt. No need to freeze your hands just cause its winter. Its what i do if i wash it in the winter. The gold solution is to take it to a hand wash place and have someone else do it.

[midwest 340xi 6sp]

Cold Weather Car Washing?

I call it pay someone else to hand wash it in a nice, warm, indoor space...We're lucky to have one close by.

[3.0L]

Be very careful about putting warm water on a cold windows. This is looking for an instant crack.

It it were me, I'd take my car to a reputable car wash and sit and read a good BMW magazine.

[Nahlem]

Washing it during the cold months? :O Are you crazy washing it outdoors? Would be instant freeze of the water. So i would suggest as previous said take it to a so called "Self Washing Center" if you have those where you live and can wash the car indoors and where its warm, Otherwise leave it to someone else that is better then both freezing outside or risk damaging your car specially the windows witch roll down when opening the door.

I my self put my car in warm storage over the winter, Don't drive it from End of October when the first snow arrives here to about march or something Not because the car can't take it but because its such a pain in the as washing the damn thing during the winter that it makes me even consider if its worth having a car like this during that time.

[allthatisntnow]

I assume your definitions of cold are colder than mine. Wouldn't wash the car in anything below 7C. Certainly wouldn't risk any of the water freezing up on either the car or the road.

[Xiaoxi]

I handwash once a week. However...

Once the weather gets bellow 55-50, it's time to compromise. Doing meticulous washes is a futile endeavor... All that rain, snow, and sleet will just dirty it up in no time at all. I will be putting a coat of sealant and wax as it gets closer to winter and hope for the best...

There are a few self-serve wash stations which will be good enough to do touchless soap and spray to get the salt off. It's not gonna be pristine but it's good enough for me.

[Outrun]

touchless car wash with underbody wash

[mfourn20]

I honestly just spray mine off with the hose on days above freezing. Last winter it just wasn't worth washing it. There was salt water on the roads pretty much every single day from January until April. I used to be anal...now its just a car. A seriously fun car!

[NEUE02]

I have a hot/cold water mixing valve installed in my basement just before it goes into the outside tap. I dial in the hot water when washing my cars in cooler weather. And turn it off when I'm done. Makes the whole washing process quite pleasant and drying much faster.

[Nahlem]

I hate that they are using salt on the roads here in Sweden during the winter times such a pita, But unfortunately have to due to all the worthless drivers in this country oh well maybe not country but my town at least, The minute it starts freezing a little bit maybe bellow 0 to -2 & -5c they rush out the salt trucks spray the damn roads with the thing and it just turns in to a nightmare specially if you have a white car.

Even though its been proven time after time that salt both damages the cars, nature & roads as well and causes the asphalt to crackle and break cause it goes down in to the asphalt when the salt has melted ice and turns it in to water, Takes the water all the way down in to the asphalt and when it goes bellow -10 as it usually does during the night time in the winter here the damn salt is worthless and freezes the water turns it to ice then expands and breaks apart the asphalt.

They have been told time after time to stop using the damn thing and they refuse to stop. Got damn government bullies.

So my self and as many others here in Sweden we don't drive our cars between 31 st of October to 31 st of Mars when the snow starts to melt for real but it probably isn't until middle of may when you can be sure that the snow won't return.

So how do we get around well, We buy cheap cars for around 500-1000€ and use them as winter toys instead.

As long as they keep salting the roads we won't be driving our cars during that time, Cause they sure as hell won't pay us for salt damage and everyone who drives around with spikes on their tires, that causes more damage then a stone chip and in worst case a rusty spike hits you then your done for.

*Stone Chips.
*Salt.
*Spikes.
*Giant Snow piles that can contain hidden concrete stuff in case you hit something like that.
*Terrible drivers that will eventually hit you.
*Freeze Damage on the car.
*Having to wash the car every week.
*Ginormous drop in Value of the car if driven during the winter times.

And many more reasons why you shouldn't drive your nice car during the winter times in Sweden at least.

[jradon]

I would use Optimum No Rinse Wax & Shine. Great product indeed.

[Col-Bimmer]

Thank you all for your advice. A lot of good information.

[Col-Bimmer]

Originally Posted by merlin3008

Go to a good detailing forum like Autogeek and do a search for Optimum No Rinse or ONR. Here's a link to the product below. There's a very simple two bucket method that allows you to wash in garage in comfort. I"ve used it on dark cars and noticed no damage to the surface.

http://www.autogeek.net/optimum-no-rinse.html

Thanks for the information and the link. I have used a similar technique with my motorcycle, but it does not have as much "paint" as a car would. I might give it a shot. The description of the product sounds intriguing. Kind of washing and waxing at the same time.

[Col-Bimmer]

Originally Posted by allthatisntnow

Use a jet wash for initial rinse and then use warm water for the hand washing part in conjunction with some sort of noodle mitt. No need to freeze your hands just cause its winter. Its what i do if i wash it in the winter. The gold solution is to take it to a hand wash place and have someone else do it.

Only two decent car wash places near my home. One is touchless, but they don't do a very good job. The other place does a better job of cleaning, but they use the traditional auto car wash where there is a lot of touching by equipment. With the latter, I have noticed a couple of scratches on my other cars. Hence the reason I find myself doing the washing myself.

[Col-Bimmer]

Originally Posted by 3.0L

Be very careful about putting warm water on a cold windows. This is looking for an instant crack.

It it were me, I'd take my car to a reputable car wash and sit and read a good BMW magazine.

Unfortunately, I learned the lesson many years ago. I had a starburst on my windshield. Took the car to the wash and while driving home in 20F temperature the starburst expanded at a very rapid rate. It sounded like a gun shot. I must have jumped a foot inside the car. The seatbelt held me in place.

Won't be making that mistake again.

[Col-Bimmer]

Originally Posted by Xiaoxi

I handwash once a week. However...

Once the weather gets bellow 55-50, it's time to compromise. Doing meticulous washes is a futile endeavor... All that rain, snow, and sleet will just dirty it up in no time at all. I will be putting a coat of sealant and wax as it gets closer to winter and hope for the best...

There are a few self-serve wash stations which will be good enough to do touchless soap and spray to get the salt off. It's not gonna be pristine but it's good enough for me.

They use magnesium chloride here to help the snow melt. The stuff is nasty. When it dries, it becomes a semi-conductor. Down in Denver, they have had power outages due to the mist build up in the power lines and then the power lines shorting out. Can't imagine what it does to the cars.

[Col-Bimmer]

Originally Posted by SeroXer

I hate that they are using salt on the roads here in Sweden during the winter times such a pita, But unfortunately have to due to all the worthless drivers in this country oh well maybe not country but my town at least, The minute it starts freezing a little bit maybe bellow 0 to -2 & -5c they rush out the salt trucks spray the damn roads with the thing and it just turns in to a nightmare specially if you have a white car.

Even though its been proven time after time that salt both damages the cars, nature & roads as well and causes the asphalt to crackle and break cause it goes down in to the asphalt when the salt has melted ice and turns it in to water, Takes the water all the way down in to the asphalt and when it goes bellow -10 as it usually does during the night time in the winter here the damn salt is worthless and freezes the water turns it to ice then expands and breaks apart the asphalt.

They have been told time after time to stop using the damn thing and they refuse to stop. Got damn government bullies.

So my self and as many others here in Sweden we don't drive our cars between 31 st of October to 31 st of Mars when the snow starts to melt for real but it probably isn't until middle of may when you can be sure that the snow won't return.

So how do we get around well, We buy cheap cars for around 500-1000€ and use them as winter toys instead.

As long as they keep salting the roads we won't be driving our cars during that time, Cause they sure as hell won't pay us for salt damage and everyone who drives around with spikes on their tires, that causes more damage then a stone chip and in worst case a rusty spike hits you then your done for.

*Stone Chips.
*Salt.
*Spikes.
*Giant Snow piles that can contain hidden concrete stuff in case you hit something like that.
*Terrible drivers that will eventually hit you.
*Freeze Damage on the car.
*Having to wash the car every week.
*Ginormous drop in Value of the car if driven during the winter times.

And many more reasons why you shouldn't drive your nice car during the winter times in Sweden at least.

We are fortunate enough that the 235 is not an every day car, which gives us some flexibility on when we drive it. Still, the baby needs some washing.