automatic car washes / how do you deal with winter salt from roads

[John105]

We've had a $14/mo which is now $19/mo base car wash membership for my wife's SUV. It is large and has a pretty large surface area, so I got it in the interest of keeping salt off in the winter. Then kept it year round.

My daily driver I'm ok washing by hand but again winter is here--I signed up for a monthly car wash near work, ouch, $25/mo. The website wasn't up to date and there was a $15/mo offering. I verified they're not selling it as it's not inside the office nor on the screen. The $25 adds undercarriage, tire cleaner, wax, drying agent, blah blah blah. I'm thinking use it to keep salt off, then cancel when the weather is warm again. By the way the staff were super friendly which means something to me. That's how an establishment can get business imho. No RFID like my wife's, just license plate readers to open the gates.

How do you guys and gals deal with the salt from the roads? I was against car washes all my life, hand wash only, but caved in I suppose.

 

[Pew]

Touchless gas station car washes. Not the best but it'll do until the weather gets warm again.

 

[billt460]

Back when I lived in the Chicago area you had to be careful. Because many car washes, (especially the coin operated self serve high pressure wand types), used recycled water.

So you were basically washing your car with salt water that had the dirt filtered out of it. I found one in my area at the time that didn't. And they also had doors that opened and closed, and natural gas heaters when it was below freezing.

But keeping the road salt off a vehicle in that crappy climate basically becomes a lesson in futility. It's a bit like fighting cancer when the doctor tells you that you've got a 5% chance.

 

[dadto2]

Touchless gas station car washes. Not the best but it'll do until the weather gets warm again.

Here in the rust belt we have several car wash chains with very good "under" wash systems.
Also, parking outside the garage where it's colder and the salt is less reactive is a good idea. May need to clean the snow of the car more often, but it rusts more slowly.

 

[RooflessVW]

Eastwood Road Salt Neutralizer Gallon

Neutralize corrosive film from salt or ice melters; won't harm paint

www.eastwood.com

Keep it frozen. Warm wet salt is what eats your car.

 

[doitmyself]

Eastwood Road Salt Neutralizer Gallon

Neutralize corrosive film from salt or ice melters; won't harm paint

www.eastwood.com

Keep it frozen. Warm wet salt is what eats your car.

Like the Salt Away product, I believe that the only neutralizing going on is the act of washing the salt off.

From the Eastwood product: "Converts Salt Residue to a Water Soluble State That is Easily Rinsed Away" .

I get my car Krowned annually and rarely self wash it in the winter.

 

[JoelB]

After a lot of research and testing I determined undercoating is the only way to really slow the rust. Even fairly frequent washes wont get he salt out of cracks an crevices a vehicle underbody has. Getting salt off the paint doesn't really even matter. It's not going to eat the clearcoat.

But to answer your question directly. Fresh coat of sealant as late in the year as i can then every 10 days or so i get a touchless wash at a local gas station. I no longer get the underbody spray to help preserve my undercoating.

 

[JRHAWK9]

Back when I lived in the Chicago area you had to be careful. Because many car washes, (especially the coin operated self serve high pressure wand types), used recycled water.

So you were basically washing your car with salt water that had the dirt filtered out of it. I found one in my area at the time that didn't. And they also had doors that opened and closed, and natural gas heaters when it was below freezing.

But keeping the road salt off a vehicle in that crappy climate basically becomes a lesson in futility. It's a bit like fighting cancer when the doctor tells you that you've got a 5% chance.

I use a self serve place that I bring my own supplies to hand wash. I did a taste test of the water and if it had salt, I couldn't taste it. I also wash later at night so I don't have others waiting for me.

I get my car Krowned annually and rarely self wash it in the winter.

Same here. Annual Krown treatment for both of our daily drivers.

 

[PoorMans180SX]

The best way is certainly something like blaster surface shield, woolwax, or fluid film. I'm using blaster surface shield under my G35x this year.

Getting an auto wash with an underbody blast is probably the next best option. I also do the self-service washes from time to time if it's not too blisteringly cold, but I certainly can't get underneath the car like an underbody sprayer.

 

[64bawagon]

Theres a period of time in the winter when I just leave the car outside in the cold (using remote start) rather than putting it in the 50 degree garage and giving the salt a wakeup call. It really does become futile in Jan/Feb so I just wash outside if we get a day above freezing and only put the car inside if its clean. That way my garage isnt trashed from the melting dirt and salt encrusted mess on the car. I also have a hot and cold faucet in the garage with softened water for washing but I only wash outside.

 

[SevenBizzos]

My winter wash choice depends on temperature and salt concentration.

 

[DirtyGary]

I stop by the DIY car wash every week depending on how salty/grimy it is and just use the warm high pressure hose to clean things up a little.

Will never go through an automated car wash.

 

[John105]

I stop by the DIY car wash every week depending on how salty/grimy it is and just use the warm high pressure hose to clean things up a little.

Will never go through an automated car wash.

I used to adhere to your rule. 20 years ago, my uncle who builds car washes told me, never take a car you like through a car wash. Oddly, his position today is 180 degrees. He said they are perfectly fine as long as they're maintained.

When I bought my car new in 12/06 (wow 16 years ago) I had it put on my profile, NO WASH. But everytime, I'd get my car back and it was sparkling. They ran it through. To date, that car has never seen an automatic wash with me behind the wheel, but it has seen many at the dealerships over the years. One time I brought it to an indie to mount/balance tires. I came to pick up the car and I saw a person bucket washing it. I thought outstanding, this shop has integrity.

At the end of the day the cars with the memberships are 2006 and 2011, so I suppose again I've caved, and I've become practical about it? I don't think 20 years ago there were monthlies anywhere near $20, not sure.

Another good point in this thread was temperature and not leaving a salt covered car in a 50F garage, I had not thought of that!

I mean I know that salt is ineffective at melting ice around 15F to 10F, which is one of the reasons I use CaCl2

I believe that my lack of washing my 1998 Nissan caused it to have much more rust than average. By 2012 it was a rust bucket.....that's why I now always have it in the back of my mind don't leave it too long...

 

[PF52]

I agree with the "park the car outside" advice. Otherwise, you'll be parking a wet, salty and snowy car in the garage where it will melt and drip and leave little "sand dunes" of salt in the garage.

I'm also 100% on-board with the notion of having an older winter beater to use when the roads are nasty. I keep my cars for many years, and no matter how much I would try to keep them clean in the winter, by about Year 10 or 15 or so there would be rust in the most unfortunate of places. No more of that!

 

[John105]

I agree with the "park the car outside" advice. Otherwise, you'll be parking a wet, salty and snowy car in the garage where it will melt and drip and leave little "sand dunes" of salt in the garage.

I'm also 100% on-board with the notion of having an older winter beater to use when the roads are nasty. I keep my cars for many years, and no matter how much I would try to keep them clean in the winter, by about Year 10 or 15 or so there would be rust in the most unfortunate of places. No more of that!

gotta love your screen name. Mine should be, "PF63(not E!)"

 

[2005jettatdi]

My son, who moved from Indiana to West Virginia last year, said you run a sprinkler under the car for a minute or so.

 

[Escape08]

Spray the under chassis and under the wheel fenders with water via a water hose to remove the salt come Spring time. Remove each wheel for better accessibility in cleaning

 

[SatinSilver]

I remember in high school working for a carpet cleaning company where the vans had to be washed by hand at the end of the day. Then they were kept garaged over night. Eventually they would all start rusting out from the bottom. There were some pretty old vans in the fleet so they did last awhile. I want to say maybe 15 yrs was the oldest which was good for the use they saw.

 

[PoorMans180SX]

I agree with the "park the car outside" advice. Otherwise, you'll be parking a wet, salty and snowy car in the garage where it will melt and drip and leave little "sand dunes" of salt in the garage.

I'm also 100% on-board with the notion of having an older winter beater to use when the roads are nasty. I keep my cars for many years, and no matter how much I would try to keep them clean in the winter, by about Year 10 or 15 or so there would be rust in the most unfortunate of places. No more of that!

If you treat the underbody with blaster surface shield every year, it’ll essentially never rust.

 

[SatinSilver]

If you treat the underbody with blaster surface shield every year, it’ll essentially never rust.

There's a youtuber by the name of Repair Geek that uses it and swears by it. Plus he's run some good tests to prove it. I think he's not far from me too.