Washing your Ranger during winter in Northern Climates

[Swingpure]

My hoses are put away for the winter. Just wondering how some of you wash your Ranger during the winter months, other than taking them to a car wash? I was out in the slush twice today and the truck is the dirtiest it ever has been.

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[IdahoRanger]

Yeah, same problem here and they salt the shit out of the highways so unfortunately I go through the car wash in winter. Our driveway faces NE so no way am I using water on it.

 

[Rviator]

When I lived in the north I'd use a bucket of hot water. As long as the sponge is wet it shouldn't scratch the paint. Does a good enough job to be presentable.

 

[AzScorpion]

Move! ?

When I lived back east I had a shorter hose (25') just so it was easier to lug out and then drain the water. I also bought a pair of neoprene diving gloves with a high cuff to keep my hands dry. Only other good way without scratching it is a manual car wash with the wands.

 

[Swingpure]

I also bought a pair of neoprene diving gloves with a high cuff to keep my hands dry.

I guess you didn’t want your hands chapping! ?

 

[Msfitoy]

Touchless auto wash...

 

[Deleted member 1634]

I don't wash mine in the winter. Once in the Fall before the cold hits, and again in the Spring when it finally warms up to wash it all off is all. The salt doesn't really do much of anything to the truck when it's cold. It's darn cold here a good majority of the winter, cold enough for salt to not work on the roads. And definitely cold enough for the truck to freeze solid in minutes if it gets wet, and that's not good. But then again, I also don't care much about the truck being clean anyways so I really only wash it maybe 3-4 times a year. haha But when I do, I just use the carwash. I don't understand the aversion to using it, seems like a simple enough solution.

 

[Swingpure]

Hmmm. I guess there are no magic solutions.. Not a lot of good choices for where I am. I am a 20 min drive through town, highways then cottage roads and by the time I get back from the car wash, the vehicle looks similar to how it left home.

I thought about the buckets of water with soap for cleaning, but the pre and post rinse would be a challenge.

I guess I will just have to wait for warm days and run the 100’ of hose out and then keep the hose in the heated garage. The other consideration is the water becoming ice on the parking area.

My Buddy near by has a basement with a walk out to his boat launch. His pressure washer and hose outlet, is inside his basement and he just runs the pressure washer hose out his door and cleans his truck off, But then his boat launch gets pretty icy.

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[mustang marty]

The hose is still out here . When the freeze hits it is in hose then out hose on warmer days . Then bucket of hot water with Mequiar car wash liquid soap . Probably once a month Dec. to March . The hot water is a must . OH YEAH make sure some kind of wax is on now . Could I use ceramic wax in the cold ?

 

[apotocki]

You can use a waterless car wash product. I use Aero Cosmetics Wash Wax All. It is very easy to use....I used it last winter - got my truck Dec 19 - and also through the summer at our lake cottage where we only had well water and it wasn’t convenient.

 

[Swingpure]

You can use a waterless car wash product. I use Aero Cosmetics Wash Wax All. It is very easy to use....I used it last winter - got my truck Dec 19 - and also through the summer at our lake cottage where we only had well water and it wasn’t convenient.

I watched a few videos on it and others like it and the vehicles they were using it on were relatively clean. I would be scared to start rubbing with mud filled slush on the door panels with this method. How dirty was your truck when you tried this.

Thank you for your first reply.

 

[rltriumph]

 

[Sailor]

In the winter I go to the car wash then directly across the street for groceries which has a heated underground parking lot where I dry all the door sills etc. By the time I am done shopping the truck is nice and dry.

 

[apotocki]

I watched a few videos on it and others like it and the vehicles they were using it on were relatively clean. I would be scared to start rubbing with mud filled slush on the door panels with this method. How dirty was your truck when you tried this.

Thank you for your first reply.

At first I was apprehensive about using when the truck was pretty dirty - but....after the first couple times with no ill effects I was sold. I live in Michigan and we use tons of road salt in the winter meaning many times Maggie was more white than Magnetic and the waterless process worked great. I guess I would say I have no reservations using it with a ‘normal’ amount of dirtiness - the type you get from typical road driving after rain and such.....I guess if I was off roading and/or there was a lot of mud and such I’d probably want to rinse it off first.

 

[Swingpure]

I guess you can get heavy dirt and grime, but it looks scary rubbing that dirty towel back and forth.

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