Winter Cleaning Regime
12-17-2009 | 05:11 AM
#1
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Every day I take my E61 (le mans blue) out it gets covered in rain, salts, road grime etc. Mostly from motorway, freeway, autoroute. Obviously, because it's now Winter in Europe and the road is always wet.
I have tried clearning it, but one-day later it's covered in filth again.
I'm thinking of giving it one last clean and good polish / waxing, the just giving up until the weather improves in March, with maybe just the occassional water jetting to rinse off the dirt.
What do you guys recommend to keep the car clean in these winter months ? what do you do ? I considered just a automatic car wash, but that can scratch-the-hell out of the paint.
Such a pity to see such a great colour dirt all the time irght now.
I have tried clearning it, but one-day later it's covered in filth again.
I'm thinking of giving it one last clean and good polish / waxing, the just giving up until the weather improves in March, with maybe just the occassional water jetting to rinse off the dirt.
What do you guys recommend to keep the car clean in these winter months ? what do you do ? I considered just a automatic car wash, but that can scratch-the-hell out of the paint.
Such a pity to see such a great colour dirt all the time irght now.
12-17-2009 | 06:24 AM
#2
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 5,851
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From: Kajaani, Finland
My Ride: Bmw 530d 2004
Originally Posted by higher' post='1075154' date='Dec 17 2009, 03:11 PM
Every day I take my E61 (le mans blue) out it gets covered in rain, salts, road grime etc. Mostly from motorway, freeway, autoroute. Obviously, because it's now Winter in Europe and the road is always wet.
I have tried clearning it, but one-day later it's covered in filth again.
I'm thinking of giving it one last clean and good polish / waxing, the just giving up until the weather improves in March, with maybe just the occassional water jetting to rinse off the dirt.
What do you guys recommend to keep the car clean in these winter months ? what do you do ? I considered just a automatic car wash, but that can scratch-the-hell out of the paint.
Such a pity to see such a great colour dirt all the time irght now.
I have tried clearning it, but one-day later it's covered in filth again.
I'm thinking of giving it one last clean and good polish / waxing, the just giving up until the weather improves in March, with maybe just the occassional water jetting to rinse off the dirt.
What do you guys recommend to keep the car clean in these winter months ? what do you do ? I considered just a automatic car wash, but that can scratch-the-hell out of the paint.
Such a pity to see such a great colour dirt all the time irght now.
!
12-17-2009 | 08:03 AM
#4
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Joined: Nov 2009
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From: East Coast
Not easy to do.
Here in Connecticut, we've got several car wash places that have replaced their wash machinery with people, which results in a true hand wash, no matter the temperature. The price is higher, but the results are far better. This is one of the few places I feel comfortable taking my car in the middle of winter when it's covered with grit and grime.
I don't have the gene that allows me to drive a dirty car, so probably wash every 2 weeks in winter, every week hand wash in the driveway during summer.
Cheers
Gundo
Here in Connecticut, we've got several car wash places that have replaced their wash machinery with people, which results in a true hand wash, no matter the temperature. The price is higher, but the results are far better. This is one of the few places I feel comfortable taking my car in the middle of winter when it's covered with grit and grime.
I don't have the gene that allows me to drive a dirty car, so probably wash every 2 weeks in winter, every week hand wash in the driveway during summer.
Cheers
Gundo
12-17-2009 | 08:19 AM
#5
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From: So North
My Ride: 530xd, 2006, 231hp
4-wheel-drive, Monaco metal blue, Dakota beige leather interior, fine wood trim, extended lighting package, adaptive Headlights, headlight cleaning system, PDC, extended automatic air conditioning, ProNav, ipod connection, skibag, electric engine/interior heating, thb200 sub, 19" M6 wheels, Schmiedmann frontspoiler lip, tyre control, servotronic
[quote name='higher' date='Dec 17 2009, 08:11 AM' post='1075154']
What do you guys recommend to keep the car clean in these winter months ? what do you do ? I considered just a automatic car wash, but that can scratch-the-hell out of the paint.
dont ever, ever put your car in automatic car wash .
bmw's water based paint is so week to handle "sand paper job" what automatic car wash make.
find a place where they make hand wash.
Here in Finland, are plenty places where they make hand wash.
What do you guys recommend to keep the car clean in these winter months ? what do you do ? I considered just a automatic car wash, but that can scratch-the-hell out of the paint.
dont ever, ever put your car in automatic car wash .
bmw's water based paint is so week to handle "sand paper job" what automatic car wash make.
find a place where they make hand wash.
Here in Finland, are plenty places where they make hand wash.
12-17-2009 | 08:22 AM
#6
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Joined: May 2009
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From: SoCal
My Ride: 2008 550I LOADED, all options except HUD and NV
Easy enough to d here in SoCal, we don't really get a real "winter" per se, we get at worst late autumn weather. So normal care is what our cars need. The flip side is that since it is so dry here we do have to be careful about sun damage (regular waxing), and dry rot degrading the rubber seals and bushings prematurely.
12-17-2009 | 08:52 AM
#7
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From: Turku, Finland
My Ride: 2005 BMW 530d M-Sport TouringExterior: Titansilber Metallic, M5 mirrors, ACS rear roof spoiler, BMW Carbon Fiber rear diffuser, Adaptive Xenon headlights, AngeliBright v.3 Angel Eyes, F1 Autohaus Euphoria 6000K LED license plate lightsInterior: Black
Power wash inside my garage. 
12-17-2009 | 09:03 AM
#8
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Joined: Aug 2009
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From: Connecticut
key to keeping your car clean.....GET TUFF
J/K it is hard but who have to work though it.
i help out my friend who owns a detail shop and we washed 3 cars last night outside in 28 degree weather. the key is fill the wash buckets with hot water and then wash the car quickly cuz it will freeze over eventually. then get the car in the garage and finish the rest. main thing is to apply a good coat of sealant to the paint before the winter for salt protection. then i wax my car at least once a month. just always keep coats of wax on it for the extra protection. another good thing to remember is to use car soaps that are PH balanced so they don't strip the previous coat of wax off the car while your washing. i personally don't like going to car wash places even if they are hand wash because they use the same mitts on every car. i like to know that my mitts are free of as much dirt as possible.
J/K it is hard but who have to work though it.
i help out my friend who owns a detail shop and we washed 3 cars last night outside in 28 degree weather. the key is fill the wash buckets with hot water and then wash the car quickly cuz it will freeze over eventually. then get the car in the garage and finish the rest. main thing is to apply a good coat of sealant to the paint before the winter for salt protection. then i wax my car at least once a month. just always keep coats of wax on it for the extra protection. another good thing to remember is to use car soaps that are PH balanced so they don't strip the previous coat of wax off the car while your washing. i personally don't like going to car wash places even if they are hand wash because they use the same mitts on every car. i like to know that my mitts are free of as much dirt as possible.
12-17-2009 | 09:06 AM
#9
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Originally Posted by Patrick E61' post='1075245' date='Dec 17 2009, 11:52 AM
Power wash inside my garage.
Power wash INSIDE your garage,
I thought this was a mistake before I realised you were in Finalnd !!
Where I guess the water would freeze before it got from the power wash to the car if you did it outside.
Here in the UK we are paniking about -2 tempreture and a little snow which is almost stopping the country
I guess that is laughable compared to Finald temps right now.
12-17-2009 | 09:43 AM
#10
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 5,851
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From: Kajaani, Finland
My Ride: Bmw 530d 2004
Originally Posted by higher' post='1075249' date='Dec 17 2009, 07:06 PM
Power wash INSIDE your garage,
I thought this was a mistake before I realised you were in Finalnd !!
Where I guess the water would freeze before it got from the power wash to the car if you did it outside.
Here in the UK we are paniking about -2 tempreture and a little snow which is almost stopping the country
I guess that is laughable compared to Finald temps right now.
I thought this was a mistake before I realised you were in Finalnd !!
Where I guess the water would freeze before it got from the power wash to the car if you did it outside.
Here in the UK we are paniking about -2 tempreture and a little snow which is almost stopping the country
I guess that is laughable compared to Finald temps right now.
About those automatic car washes. Washes with brushes is an ultimate no no! A brushless wash is ok for a car that is not so dirty, but the hand wash is the best. However, I don't let anyone else to wash my car. Even in handwash, there are so many things you can do wrong after all.
- Antti -