It gets COLD in the winter where I live and while I'd love to pay some detailer $200 a month to wash my car, I'd like to try a do it yourself method this coming winter. How do you guys do it?

 

Use yellow dishwashing gloves when you wash it. This will protect your hands. It works great...

 

Rubber boots. Warm water. I use a lambs wool mitt for washing so it holds a lot of water and that keeps my hand warm. Keep the other hand in your pocket

 

I do mine in the January afternoons when it normally hits 60-70 degrees here in SoCal.

 

With Vo on this one. I use special car grooming gloves always (fully lined and a bit tougher than your usual dish washing gloves), but especially in Winter to stop the hands freezing for those mornings when you want to clean your car before going to a meet.

 

I do the exact same thing except the rubber boots part. I also dry the car as I wash a section. I try to do the roof, hatch, and hood first, and then dry it off. Then the front and dry. Each side and dry them. Then the rear bumper with the same process. I've had water start to freeze before when I tried to do the whole car and then dry, and that's no good. I then do the wheels last, but I pull it in the garage after I get them wet and clean them off inside the garage.

 

Optimum No Rinse(ONR) and warm water. Don't even have to pull the car out of the garage.

 

^ same

 

This is a hell of a question to ask in July. I have a pair of rubber gloves from Home Depot. About $8. Helps keep your hands from freezing.

And a bucket of warm water.

 

4 car heated garage with tools tv fridge and full bathroom
most importantly.....drains in each cars stall

 

Warm water from the house. I also use the blower in winter to keep from having to dry the water. Rubber gloves too.

 

I tried the blower method, and it just took forever to get dry. What kind of blower are you using?

 

get some very thick yellow gloves for when you are out side. do not use hot water it will strip wax off of the finish. instead just use regular cold water. then I suggest getting a kerosine space heater for your garage if you have a garage. that was the best thing I ever bought for the winter, turn it on in your garage while you start washing and when you pull in to dry it off and maybe wax it. you will warm up real quick.
Problem solved.

 

I hate the winter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Interesting thread. I have to try the yellow dishwashing gloves this upcoming winter. I usually just use warm water and try to pick a day when the sun is out and there is low or no wind. Then ill kick my mothers car out of the garage and dry inside the garage

 

ONR ftw.

 

Its tough washing in the winter haha Basically I wash the car the same way, just 10 times faster! If its just too damn cold to wash and the car is looking like a salt block, I settle for just going through a touchless car wash until it warms up enough to do it correctly.

 

yeah....what kinda blower...12amps - 200mph good enough?

 

Move to California

 

I store my car in the winter but for those times that my outside water is not turned on yet, I go to one of those indoor car washes that are heated. I bring all my own soap and stuff.