For at least this one winter I've decided to drive my car through the winter, rust risk be damned. I will have it checked out at my area's premier BMW body shop (Sansossio's) come spring to identify any early rust spots in hard-to-find places. In the meanwhile I'm wondering how often I should get it washed. I live in a condo with no access to my own hose. I've heard that most car washes don't recycle their salty water. (I'm not sure that's true though.) How often do other rust belters get their cars washed if they drive during the winter? What's recommended? I've got a touchless car wash not too far from me, and I don't mind going there every week if I need to. I don't drive the car when the roads are real wet and/or freshly salted.
Well, for us daily driving rust-prone vehicle drivers, we don't have the luxury of not driving when the conditions suck. I try to get it washed every week, though I feel that's not often enough. But, if I wash it any more often, then I'll run out of bank and wouldn't be able to wash the car at all! Car washes here aren't cheap, and they're... well, car washes. If I wasn't such a pansy when it comes to cold weather, then I'd do it myself (as long as it's above freezing) but I don't find the idea of hypothermia and finger amputation welcoming. If it was up to me, I'd do it two or three times a week if the roads are cruddy or every weekend if the roads are completely dry and free of salt.
Well that's the thing, I wonder if our roads are ever really free of salt in the winter. There's always a white color on the roads even when they're hasn't been a recent snow. I suppose the salt doesn't spray up onto the car as easily in dry conditions. But I guess it's relative and there's a lot more salt out there after a storm or a thaw/freeze when the roads ice up.
I feel for you guys. It gets pretty salty here too, but I am fortunate enough that I walk to work, and my wife takes the train. So for the most part I am able to avoid wet salt. I always try to wash the car soon after an encounter with wet salty roads. For the dry dusty salt days I don't worry about it too much. I always wash my cars by hand. Usually just with a bucket, b/c I also don't have easy access to a hose. I have too heard that car wash places recycle their water and it can be salty in the winter. That could just be an urban legend, but I have no way of confirming it. I prefer by hand because it doesn't take off the wax I painstaking put on. I try to wash once a week to every two weeks. I use luke warm water so my hands to freeze too badly. As long as the temp is above 32 F I am out there washing. Below that the water freezes to the car before I get much of a chance to was the dirt away.
It hasn't been above 32 degrees here in weeks. I took it to the touchless car wash yesterday and it looks pretty good. I've ordered some Griot's Speed Shine and will be using it between washes year 'round. I've heard very good things about that stuff.
I'm in Maine. I tend to wash depending on timing of storms and the condition of the roads. As soon as they are down to bare tar, I'm at it. I did 3 cars outdoors yesterday, sunny and mid 20's. I'm VERY fortunate as I have a garage attached to my house. The garage is not heated, but is insulated and has heated house on 2 sides and a family room over the garage. I ran a hose into the garage through the basement for rinse. I fill 2 buckets with warm water from the kitchen and go at it in the garage. I can do this anytime, regardless of temperature. The garage never gets below 40. Unfortunately, no floor drain, but if I'm careful with the spray adjustment on the hose, you'd be surprised how little water there is. The biggest amount is when I do the undercarrage. I squeegie it out and off to the side of the driveway. When it's 20 or above I do it outside. The warm water really makes a sdifference. By next winter, I'm going to have hot & cold running water in my garage. (There's nothing sick about that, right??) I think if I have warm water in the hose, I'll be able to wash it outside most of the time, unless it's below zero. Doesn't it make you feel good when it's done and clean?
There is nothing like driving around in your spanking clean bimmer in the middle of winter. When all the other cars are that white/gray salt color!
