Washing Salt off Car in 10 degree weather

"Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs" (yowen) 01/21/2014 at 16:15 • Filed to: None

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Maybe even lower today, I just really want to get all the shit off my car, is it a concern to do it in weather this cold? I imagine there is no avoiding some of it icing up in certain spots.... Should I wait till the temperature is a bit higher?

How do you guys handle this sort of situation?

I was planning to go to the local self-serve wash to hose my car off since my black car is practically white.

MonkeePuzzle > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 01/21/2014 at 16:17

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the pay places usually have heated water

minardi > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 01/21/2014 at 16:18

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If you don't want rust to come and if the car stays outside (not garaged) don't wash it. If you really have to, use a car wash.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > MonkeePuzzle 01/21/2014 at 16:19

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Haha, that stuff freezes too!

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > minardi 01/21/2014 at 16:20

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Yeah, my car is an outside dog...errr....car. So you are saying its better to leave the salt on there than it is to wash it off?

Drsweetdik > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 01/21/2014 at 16:20

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I own a car wash. If the sun is shining, do it. If it is cloudy and windy, hold off. Use a "gentle touch" wash because the high pressure wash will blast water into your locks and handles and potentially freeze up. Wipe the rubber gaskets around the doors when done drying.

CalzoneGolem > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 01/21/2014 at 16:20

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I wait for it to rain.

M54B30 > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 01/21/2014 at 16:20

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Just wait until there's a stretch of warmer days. You can spray it off but it's possible they'll put more down tomorrow again.

Drsweetdik > Drsweetdik 01/21/2014 at 16:21

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BTW it is 5 degrees here today and I washed mine with no problems.

minardi > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 01/21/2014 at 16:23

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As long as it doesn't melt, I say yes.

Drsweetdik > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 01/21/2014 at 16:23

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!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

offroadkarter > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 01/21/2014 at 16:24

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Putting a salty car in a warm(er) garage will speed up the corrosion process, as the salt corrodes faster when its warm.

505Turbeaux > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 01/21/2014 at 16:24

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dude dont do it. I woke up to frozen locks on the Audi this morning. LIKE REALLY FROZEN. Looked good the day I did it though

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > M54B30 01/21/2014 at 16:24

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That's not till Saturday, at 27 degrees, that's still below freezing, haha.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > 505Turbeaux 01/21/2014 at 16:25

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Haha, Even with remote unlock this would be a concern?

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Drsweetdik 01/21/2014 at 16:29

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I don't feel like those get the car completely dry though? But maybe mostly dry is good enough?

505Turbeaux > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 01/21/2014 at 16:29

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could be, possibly. Hell the locks on the Audi are supposed to be heated

Battery Tender Unnecessary > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 01/21/2014 at 16:29

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It is. Dry salt is preferable to wet salt if you can't completely wash the vehicle and dry it off.

Stupidru > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 01/21/2014 at 16:30

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If it gets above 40° then I wash my car. Really, unless it's above 32° there's no reason to wash your car at all. Salt will really only start its corrosion process somewhere north of 32°

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Battery Tender Unnecessary 01/21/2014 at 16:31

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Hmmm, how about an automatic wash, that blows the car (mostly) dry at the end?

Stupidru > MonkeePuzzle 01/21/2014 at 16:31

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If it's pure hot water, it will freeze faster than the stuff from the hose

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Stupidru 01/21/2014 at 16:32

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Hmmm, I guess that means I just leave it dirty for the time being... It just looks so bad :/ I have a black car, haha.

Drsweetdik > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 01/21/2014 at 16:33

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Wipe up around the door sills with a big fluffy towel. You will be fine.

Battery Tender Unnecessary > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 01/21/2014 at 16:35

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I would pre-rinse manually to dislodge any heavy salt and to make sure the drainage areas on the car are clean. The surface areas of the car are usually protected via the paint, wax, sealant, etc. The areas you worry about is where the water carries the salt while you're washing. It's why the most common areas of rust on cars are places where water ends up while you're washing: Windshield frames, sunroof recesses, around bumpers and lighting fixtures, the guttering around the car, etc.

deekster_caddy > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 01/21/2014 at 16:35

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Salt isn't attacking the metal unless it's wet, which means it's warm. Somewhere I read that cars rust worse in a heated garage because of this. So if it's covered in salt, just leave it until it warms up enough to be wet.

DatASSun > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 01/21/2014 at 16:38

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Move to Texas ...

M54B30 > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 01/21/2014 at 16:40

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I normally wash mine and park them in the garage once I get home. The garage is heated with space heaters to about 60°-70° so it's safe from refreezing. I guess you're stuck looking at the salt. I don't think it's as big of a deal as it used to be

Stupidru > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 01/21/2014 at 16:40

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I like to think of it as having 2 different colored cars. It's grey/white in the winter and red every other season

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Stupidru 01/21/2014 at 16:41

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Jalopnik should run an article about salt, cold weather, when to wash, etc. etc.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Stupidru 01/21/2014 at 16:42

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Haha, I guess I need to start thinking like you.

MonkeePuzzle > Stupidru 01/21/2014 at 17:17

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its hardly hot, but warmer.

MonkeePuzzle > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 01/21/2014 at 17:18

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sure, eventually, but hopefully you will get the salt off prior to it being frozen in place