[Shovelman]

Always wash by hand but last week I was out of town and really needed to run it thru a car wash. That made the outside presentable. Today it's a little above freezing so I got out washing tools and hand washed. The outside was not too bad so I just washed and wiped from the doorhandles down and gave the interior a cleaning. Much better now.

[freakystyly]

Done it before it gets painful on the hands with near freezing water if you don't use a pressure washer. That being said, it's been raining a lot over here and car remains dirty until things clear up.

[Kernel Kurtz]

I'm actually happier when it is colder, say -12C or lower in the winter. Car stays clean a lot longer. Once it gets warm enough for salt to work the roads get wet and slushy and keeping the car clean is not possible.

Have to hit the car wash (indoor wand wash) when it is not too busy so can have drying time indoors, drying outdoors is tough when the towel freezes instantly. Usually I will run an interior car warmer for a couple hours in my garage to dry things out afterward (so windows don't freeze shut for instance).

[leftoverture]

I just run mine through the local car wash as often as needed and then put it away in my underground heated garage.

[MarcoZandrini]

I've washed mine while it was snowing!

[Cos270]

I see you're in Michigan too Shovelman. I've found a nice touchless car wash close by that I usually run through depending on weather and how much salt they're putting down. Sure does make it challenging to keep a daily-driven car clean in this state.

[WolfGTI]

Sorry man I had to laugh, y'all don't get real snow down there.

Originally Posted by MarcoZandrini

I've washed mine while it was snowing!

[Maynard]

Use warm water and wear vinyl exam gloves, they work like a wetsuit. If it is too cold to dry it then you don't need to. Watersheds aren't a big deal this time of year

[JMcLellan]

I'm super OCD with keeping my car clean in the winter. To the point where I haven't driven it in about 3 weeks while its been sloppy and snowing here in MN. I'm even more OCD about keeping it clean with my garage recently being finished off and holding at 55 degrees with a space heater. I don't want all the salt bits sitting there in that warmth. Last time I got a car wash I had to pick a really cold day where there wasn't much spittle on the road and I was swerving around any wet spots to avoid getting stuff on the car. I know....I'm a mess. At some point in the future I'd like to install a garage drain and be able to hose off my car once it's parked in the garage.

[mecheng77]

Originally Posted by JMcLellan

I'm super OCD with keeping my car clean in the winter. To the point where I haven't driven it in about 3 weeks while its been sloppy and snowing here in MN. I'm even more OCD about keeping it clean with my garage recently being finished off and holding at 55 degrees with a space heater. I don't want all the salt bits sitting there in that warmth. Last time I got a car wash I had to pick a really cold day where there wasn't much spittle on the road and I was swerving around any wet spots to avoid getting stuff on the car. I know....I'm a mess. At some point in the future I'd like to install a garage drain and be able to hose off my car once it's parked in the garage.

Originally Posted by JMcLellan

I'm super OCD with keeping my car clean in the winter. To the point where I haven't driven it in about 3 weeks while its been sloppy and snowing here in MN. I'm even more OCD about keeping it clean with my garage recently being finished off and holding at 55 degrees with a space heater. I don't want all the salt bits sitting there in that warmth. Last time I got a car wash I had to pick a really cold day where there wasn't much spittle on the road and I was swerving around any wet spots to avoid getting stuff on the car. I know....I'm a mess. At some point in the future I'd like to install a garage drain and be able to hose off my car once it's parked in the garage.

Corrosion is accelerated in warmer temperatures. I wouldn't heat any garage with salt on the car

[Kernel Kurtz]

Yeah a heated garage is nice but you really have to keep the salt off as much as possible when you park in them.

[XutvJet]

I'm on my 7th year of driving my 2016 M235 (67K miles) in the Kansas City snowy and salty winters. Streets are treated with salt, sand, and various liquid compounds. Then it rains and throws that stuff all over the car for days on end. Until very recently, the car was parked in our unheated garage which at most times of the winters, ranges in temp from mid 30s to 50s, so yeah, the snow and grime melt off the car onto the floor. Sadly, the car now lives outside.

My winter cleaning routine is to wash the car maybe once every two weeks, typically at manual car wash. If it's above 40 and not windy, I may wash the car by hand. I always make sure to wash in the wheel wells and underneath the rear of the car around the rear suspension and exhaust. I clean the interior and engine bay once a month with a wet rag and vacuum out the interior and keep the all weather mats fairly clean.

I've done all sorts of suspension, brake, and exhaust throughout the years. There is hardly any rust on the chassis except on unfinished, high iron containing parts and some minor rust on the electronic valve housings of the struts/shocks. Any rust is surficial. There is no rust on the subframes or body. Bolts and nuts easily come off and aren't rusted. My wife's 2020 4runner has significantly more rust than my M235.

When things warm up, I clay bar, polish, and wax the car. The car looks brand new after a deep clean. These cars are made to handle winter. Some of you over think this and worry too much. It's a car. Drive it and enjoy it.

[beauderek]

Originally Posted by Cos270

I see you're in Michigan too Shovelman. I've found a nice touchless car wash close by that I usually run through depending on weather and how much salt they're putting down. Sure does make it challenging to keep a daily-driven car clean in this state.

Where is the touchless car wash located?

[Kernel Kurtz]

Originally Posted by XutvJet

I've done all sorts of suspension, brake, and exhaust throughout the years. There is hardly any rust on the chassis except on unfinished, high iron containing parts and some minor rust on the electronic valve housings of the struts/shocks. Any rust is surficial. There is no rust on the subframes or body. Bolts and nuts easily come off and aren't rusted. My wife's 2020 4runner has significantly more rust than my M235.

When things warm up, I clay bar, polish, and wax the car. The car looks brand new after a deep clean. These cars are made to handle winter. Some of you over think this and worry too much. It's a car. Drive it and enjoy it.

That is good to know. I try to keep the exterior clean in the winter and also do a total detail job in the spring and fall. It is the bottom of the car that does not get any attention though, and in my experience with older cars it is indeed the underbody, suspension, exhaust etc that has been most affected by corrosion.

But I agree, have to remember it is a car and meant to be driven, did not buy it to be a static art display. There will be more cars in the future and I will remember this one fondly.

[Cos270]

Originally Posted by beauderek

Where is the touchless car wash located?

This is the one I use

Eric’s Utica Car Wash
11011 Hall Rd, Utica, MI 48317

[leftoverture]

Originally Posted by XutvJet

It's a car. Drive it and enjoy it.

Exactly. I understand these are dream cars for many of us, but I didn't spend all this money to baby it. I drive my F23 less in the winter months, but I do drive it in any weather and sometimes just because I can. Even during winter. It's actually quite fun in the snow.

[TrboMike]

It gets cold enough here that I blow out my spigot lines each winter.... but then I cant wash my cars.

Solution: long ass hose from the slop sink in basement.... thru utility room, thru basement, thru garage, into driveway. Wife: "why is the basement all wet?" "needed to wash cars" "why dont you go to the car wash like I do??" "have you SEEN your paint lately?"

[Shovelman]

Originally Posted by TrboMike

It gets cold enough here that I blow out my spigot lines each winter.... but then I cant wash my cars.

Solution: long ass hose from the slop sink in basement.... thru utility room, thru basement, thru garage, into driveway. Wife: "why is the basement all wet?" "needed to wash cars" "why dont you go to the car wash like I do??" "have you SEEN your paint lately?"

Freeze proof faucets are the way to go. Still have to remove hose and back flow preventer in cold weather but you can draw a few buckets of water in any weather.

[ggggbmw]

When it comes to car washing in winter, I just don't.

Yes, my car gets horribly dirty with salt spray. So what. It's just going to get dirty the next time I drive it. And as others have pointed out, you have to be careful with drying and getting all the salt off once its wet, or it's even worse for the car.

So, I try to do one last good wash and wax in early November. Then it's just dirty until the end of April, or whenever it gets around to being above freezing long enough for a good rain to wash the salt off the roads.

[Kernel Kurtz]

That fall wax job is important to keeping the paint in good condition. I only wash if I know it is going to stay clean for a while, no point in washing and then pulling right out on to slushy roads. That the paint is protected makes me more comfortable when the car is sitting covered in salt in the garage for days on end. I use Klasse AIO, but anything that will last through the winter months (typically synthetics and not actual wax) should do the trick.

[beauderek]

Originally Posted by Cos270

This is the one I use

Eric’s Utica Car Wash
11011 Hall Rd, Utica, MI 48317

Thanks. Good to know!

[Neverlost99]

I have never run my convertible thru a car wash, but am almost ready to do so. Any thoughts?