Best Way to Wash Your Car in the Winter

So you’re crazy enough to want to wash your car in the winter?

So it’s too cold outside to use a hose, most likely the hose is frozen so even if you wanted to use it, you can’t. So how do you wash all of the dirt, grime, and harmful road salts off of your car? Best way is using a rinseless wash such as Optimum No Rinse (ONR) which I will be using in this demonstration showing you how to wash your car in the winter.



Basically ONR contains polymers that will encapsulate the dirt and grime on your car allowing you to easily wash them off without scratching the paint. ONR can be diluted to be used as a rinseless wash, a quick detailer, and a clay bar lubricant. It is definitely a must have for any detailer, amateur or professional.

In this video I will demonstrate the basic steps on how to wash your car in the winter with a rinseless wash. Afterwords I will also piece together a basic list of step by step instructions to help guide you. The process is fairly simple and once mastered you can be washing your car in under 20 minutes. Not only that, you will be using next to no water!

1. Fill your 5 gallon bucket (with Grit Guards) with roughly 4-5 gallons of water. The washing dilution ratio of ONR is 1 ounce to every 2 gallons so add about 4 ounces of ONR. Then let your wash sponge or mitt soak in the solution for a few minutes.
2. Presoak the panel with your pre-soaking mix. Use any old sprayer if you are up to the job of spraying an entire car or use an air-assisted spray which will make the job 100x easier. The solution should be diluted to about 8 ounces per gallon (about 1 once for 16oz bottle). You will be working panel by panel, so just presoak the one panel you are washing.
3. Wash panel in one direction, I prefer to go horizontally in any area I possibly can. Be consistent and do not scrub harshly. Let the sponge and the ONR do the work for you. Always be sure to be well lubricated and clean off the sponge as often as possible to prevent scratches from dirt stuck in your sponge.
4. Pat dry and gently dry the areas with a clean microfiber. I prefer to first use a basic microfiber followed by a light spray or 2 of ONR with a waffle-weaved microfiber.
5. Move onto the next panel and repeat the process.
   

And that is all you need to wash your car in the winter or any time of the year without needing massive amounts water or even access to a hose. I did this entire wash in under 30 degree weather (I was freezing) and had no access to a hose. This method will help you wash off the nasty road salts that Northeastern states flood the streets with every year.

Some basic dilution ratios to remember when using Optimum No Rinse:

• Rinseless Wash Solution: 1 once per 2 gallons
• Clay Bar Lubricant: 1-2 onces/gallon
• Super Slick Quick Detailer: 2-4 onces/gallon