I've washed my cars when it was cold enought that the soapy water would freeze in a thin sheet until I rinsed the car, cold enought that I would have take hot water to defrost the garden hose, cold enough that...well, suffice to say I hate driving around in a dirty car. I frankly don't like automated car washes and the slack-jawed teenagers they hire to work in them. There is a drive-through "Laser" brand car wash near where I live now, that is truly no-touch. Very high pressure, brushless multiple step wash/de-ionized water rinse/wax and a blow dry. It won't clean off caked-on mud but it does a pretty good job on general fallout, bugs, and dust; good enough at least until I can get around to doing a proper clean-up in my driveway.

 

Next time you are near Annapolis, give the new place which is called "MARITIME Carwash" a try and let me know what you think.

It is a few blocks South on Route 2 at the intersection of Forest drive and Route 2 across the street from the Harbor Place shopping center.

 

i dunno if i can handle washing my car out when its wintertime... i need to hurry and find a touchless car wash around here!

 

If you drive your Z in the winter time.. I would suggest washing it at a Touch free car wash, then take it to your house, wipe it down, wax it and your good to go!

 

Take it to the car wash dude. Its not a Ferrari.. 5 years from now you'll be driving something else.

Just go wash it!

 

If I still lived in Detroit I would like to think I would go to a do-it-yourself-pressure-wash but gotta say that the first day below 32 degrees the touchless carwash places would look real good!

 

last winter i was still washing my car, even when it was so cold the water froze on my car before i could wipe it off!!! just turn the car on and let it idle while you are washing it and turn on the heater and defroster full blast helps. plus then you have a warm place to go when done.

 

I washed my car in the winter once. It turned out to not be as good of an idea as I thought.

 

washing the car in the winter is a b!tch cuz, you have to dry THE ENTIRE SURFACE, which is not always possible, and also sometimes u cant really reach them (i.e., the cracks between doors, etc.,) and at nite when it is 32F or below, the leftover water starts to freeze, nd as we all kno, when water freezes it expands, nd this can lead to cracks in the paint. So the best thing is to wash it in 50+F. And try to wash it in the noon time so u can get maximum daylight.

 

old post.. but.. i did a search.

It was 40 degrees outside and i hand washed my Z for the first time today. I even got some good microfiber wash mitts and dry towels. it looks so perty in the garage. I'm sure I'll be sick for days, but, it was worth it.