Letting rain give you a free rinse.

[pezzy84]

So prob not the best forum to do this in (or is it?)

Top deck of my parking garage at work doesn't have a single tree anywhere nearby and is wide open to the elements, heavy rain in forecast I trek all the way up there - put my wipers in service position so the cowl and underside of the wipers get a good rinse and let mother nature do its thing. My two colleagues I walk out with first thought it was funny, now one of them does same thing to give her car a rinse. Mind you my car is parked outside at home but due to trees rain will typically make things worse with bird crap and whatever other tree debris comes out during the rain.

So between washes who else tries to park outside (and not underneath trees) during heavy rain for a quick and free rinse?

 

[gregk24]

My wife gets the carport to my Honda stays out 24/7. Rain doesn’t affect my washing cycle, it gets washed every 1-2 weeks regardless. Both vehicles do actually.

 

[The Critic]

I've always wanted to do a soap wash inside the garage, the parking the car outside during a rainstorm for a thorough spot-free rinse.

 

[Zee09]

I do the same but my cars sit outside. Run out and put a bit of soap on the roof

 

[tbm5690]

Uh...rain makes my cars more dirty, not more clean so I avoid rain like the plague.

 

[FordBroncoVWJeta]

Uh...rain makes my cars more dirty, not more clean so I avoid rain like the plague.

Same. It attracts dust.

 

[Lubener]

The rain won't help much if there is a film built up on the paint, then it needs a wash.

 

[manicrodder]

Same. It attracts dust.

And creates dirt spots when it dries.

 

[PimTac]

Rain will do nothing to clean your car. Wash it properly

 

[Blinker]

Letting the rain rinse your car might make sense for a couple reasons only that I can think off.

1) If you recently went mudding in your truck/Jeep/4x4 and it’s covered in mud. Rain will help rinse it away. But a proper wash is still needed.

2) Certain environments are more toxic to car finish. I had a colleague years ago who once lived in NYC and said that cars would get a layer of filth on them in a short amount of time. I’m assuming their is a lot of environmental fallout in the air there. She said people would move their cars from the parking garage (parking structure for you west coasters) and try to find parking on the street so the rain could rinse their car. You would still need a proper wash though.

 

[Malo83]

Like washing your car and taking it on the highway to dry it off

 

[RooflessVW]

Rain will do nothing to clean your car. Wash it properly

Not a universal truth.

My Atlas is coated and is cleaner after a good rain - especially when it is yellow from pollen.