Car Washes and Snow?

[nzwasp]

I feel like everytime I go through a car wash at this time of the year by the end of the day my car is just as dirty as it was before going in the car wash - are there any automatic car washes that give a good wax and snow protection?

[ExtraSlow]

real hand-applied wax might help. Nothing from an auto car wash is likely to help.

[killramos]

Ceramic Coat

[ThePenIsMightier]

If it's a mess outside I don't even rinse the soap off! I figure it mildly helps the grime not stick as well. Car still looks exactly like shit, but maybe cleans more easily next week.

[Disoblige]

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If it's a mess outside I don't even rinse the soap off! I figure it mildly helps the grime not stick as well. Car still looks exactly like shit, but maybe cleans more easily next week.

Or what you can do is just spray with high pressure wax.
I think it would be better than leaving soap on.

[ThePenIsMightier]

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Or what you can do is just spray with high pressure wax.
I think it would be better than leaving soap on.

That's actually what I usually do. Sometimes in spring I'll go soap only

[Mitsu3000gt]

Any spray-on automatic wax is almost useless from the car washes. Waste of money IMO - just pay for the cheapest wash that also includes undercarriage wash.

The whole point of washing your car in the winter is not so much to keep it looking clean, but to get rid of the salt and grime. Yes your car will be dirty by the end of the day again, but not as bad. Or wash it right before it gets really cold, and it'll stay clean until it warms up.

If you want you car to look like it just came out of the detailers every time you go through a touchless automatic wash, get yourself a proper creamic coating - they are relatively inexpensive, everything comes right off, and your car looks like it has a fresh coat of wax all the time.

[revelations]

I really wish sometimes winter was just -10c the whole time. There would be no need for washes as snow is a fine powder.

When the temps start to climb to >-5c, I just hose the vehicle and undercarriage/engine bay off in my garage once a week. No point for anything further than that.

[dj_rice]

Nothing you can really do in winter. With the freeze, thaw cycle its just going to get dirty.

Case in point, car dropped at at my detailer, to get a maintenance wash and polish and re-apply ceramic coat on the trunk lid since it was repaired from a collision previously.

Pick up car, clean af. Drive down road for 5 mins, already dirty. Not avoidable. Ceramic just makes it easier to wash and stay clean longer, but in winter its moot.

[schocker]

I just try to go to top gear car wash every other weekend to get everything sprayed off. Did a good wax/sealant before winter but didn't have time for ceramic except on the wheels. Just going to get dirty again regardless so I don't care too much now. Should maybe be a bit better now that it looks like the highs for the next while are all below zero. Today was still a lil sloppy but much less so than yesterday.

[rx7boi]

Your car's going to get dirty as soon as you leave the car wash; no wax or ceramic coating is going to dirty-proof your car and I think you know that lol.

If you want to squeeze an extra several days of having a clean car, wash it when the roads are dry and it'll be cleaner before the next snowfall.

[revelations]

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If you want to squeeze an extra several days of having a clean car, wash it when the roads are dry and it'll be cleaner before the next snowfall.

This - i tend to hose off my car right before it drops to -10c or lower.

[lilmira]

yeah, I usually wash mine whenever I can. The temperature lately sucks, neither cold or warm enough. Not much you can do when the streets are wet. My reverse camera is useless lol.

[rx7boi]

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yeah, I usually wash mine whenever I can. The temperature lately sucks, neither cold or warm enough. Not much you can do when the streets are wet. My reverse camera is useless lol.

Same here. I didn't think it'd kick up that much and cover my reverse camera that quick haha.

[sneek]

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Nothing you can really do in winter. With the freeze, thaw cycle its just going to get dirty.

Case in point, car dropped at at my detailer, to get a maintenance wash and polish and re-apply ceramic coat on the trunk lid since it was repaired from a collision previously.

Pick up car, clean af. Drive down road for 5 mins, already dirty. Not avoidable. Ceramic just makes it easier to wash and stay clean longer, but in winter its moot.

Kind of this. Ceramic coatings do work, but they aren't magic. I think it helps keep my car cleaner but there is only so much slush it can really repel off your paint.

Once you do even a quick rinse the car comes pretty clean, but I wash my cars every 3-4 days and it still looks like crap some days.

[Mitsu3000gt]

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Your car's going to get dirty as soon as you leave the car wash; no wax or ceramic coating is going to dirty-proof your car and I think you know that lol.

If you want to squeeze an extra several days of having a clean car, wash it when the roads are dry and it'll be cleaner before the next snowfall.

Nobody gets the ceramic coating to dirt-proof it, but what it does do is reduce what adheres to the car, and also when you wash it with a touchless wash, EVERYTHING comes off in one go. That is the advantage, along with protecting all applied surfaces from salt. The coatings keep the car cleaner for longer, make it easier to wash, protects the paint from salt/bird poop, etc., and always looks like you have a fresh coat of wax after a wash.

[rx7boi]

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Nobody gets the ceramic coating to dirt-proof it, but what it does do is reduce what adheres to the car, and also when you wash it with a touchless wash, EVERYTHING comes off in one go. That is the advantage, along with protecting all applied surfaces from salt. The coatings keep the car cleaner for longer, make it easier to wash, protects the paint from salt/bird poop, etc., and always looks like you have a fresh coat of wax after a wash.

I have ceramic coating and I understand the benefits so that part is obvious.

It is not what the OP asked. You can put 2 and 2 together that when OP says his car is just as dirty by the end of day, his money has basically limited utility and that is just a fact of winter driving.

[jwslam]

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Did a good wax/sealant before winter but didn't have time for ceramic except on the wheels.

Ceramic coating is a DIY thing?!?!

[heavyD]

It's been a tough winter so far in regards to keeping your vehicles clean. We keep getting these dustings on a regular basis and temperatures not cold enough to melt all the snow between dustings. It's going to be pointless to wash anything until we get a stretch of weather with no snow.

[rx7boi]

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Ceramic coating is a DIY thing?!?!

Yeah, you can buy nanocoating kits between $80 and $160 bucks and apply it to your wheels. Was planning on picking up a kit this winter season and slowly do my set of Niche wheels to prepare for the spring.

I've heard some people try to apply it to their vehicle themselves and bung it up, so I'm more than happy to pay Rainier to do it for me haha.

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It's been a tough winter so far in regards to keeping your vehicles clean. We keep getting these dustings on a regular basis and temperatures not cold enough to melt all the snow between dustings. It's going to be pointless to wash anything until we get a stretch of weather with no snow.

Yeah exactly, which is why I suggested taking advantage of the dry road days that follow after a chinook.

Ceramic coating has its own utility but based on what OP is describing, I'm not sure that he's looking for a pricey full vehicle ceramic coating solution. He just doesn't want the car to look like ass after he's washed it but let's face it, we all have the same problem haha.