Wash Car In Garage During Winter

For most of us car enthusiasts, there’s nothing quite like the feeling of getting into a clean vehicle. A sparkling clean ride can offer the nostalgia of the moment you purchased your vehicle. The flawless end result makes washing a car all the more enjoyable and less chore-like. However, for car owners living in colder climates, washing a car in the winter can be brutal. We’re talking frozen hands, harsh down pours, and even the products we use don’t seem to work the same. If you have to move your car washing skills indoors, here are some tips to wash your car in the garage during winter months. 

Tips for Washing Car in Garage During Winter Months

How does someone wash car in garage during winter months, though? It may feel necessary to have a dedicated, professional detailing space in order to properly service your car. However, this isn’t the only way to get your car clean especially during winter months when the weather can cause a number of issues on your vehicle. For homeowners, it’s possible to keep up with your car without a high-tech garage and expensive detailing equipment. 

A garage often serves its purpose when washing a car during the snow season. Here are some things to note when looking to wash car in garage during winter. 

Process for Washing Car in Garage During Winter

First things first, having the right detailing supplies is important to ensure a beautiful, scratch-free finish. While this doesn’t necessarily mean that dropping hundreds of dollars is the only way forward, there are certain basic supplies to keep in mind. 

Supplies:

A garage typically supplies adequate space to detail a car. What’s more, homeowners have access to specific household items such as electrical outlets for space heaters to help keep the space warm. 

Step-By-Step Instructions: Vehicle Washing in Garage

There are plenty of cost-effective tools on the market to get a vehicle washed properly. If you’re unable to find a car wash solution, you can also make your own. Combine ¼ cup baking soda, ¼ cup dishwashing liquid, and 1-gallon water. 

It’s important to use warm water for your wash solution, especially during a cold front. Most garages will have a water source, but if not, you can use a hose hookup inside your house to bring it directly to the garage. You’ll need to refill both buckets as the water levels get lower. A hose is also great for a final rinse. 

The two bucket method in detailing is fairly straightforward:

Unsightly scratches and swirls on a car can make any car finish a disaster. How do those things randomly appear, though? A flawed wash job is more to blame than you think! Over 95% of swirls and scratches come from improper car washing techniques: 

The trick is to use two buckets, a good quality mitt, premium towels, and some sort of wash screen, plus a car blow dryer for extra measure.

The overall goal is to keep abrasive dirt and debris off your car and away from the paintwork. Imagine pulling your wash mitt off your filthy car. The microfiber noodles suck up all the dirt and debris that were sitting on your paint, and now all that dirt and debris is on your mitt! Dipping that mitt into a single wash bucket will remove all the dirt and debris, but then it will just be floating in the bucket. Needless to say, reattaching itself to your mitt and winding up back on your paintwork, which causes swirls and scratches.

Instead, professional detailers use the two bucket method, dipping the filthy mitt first into a rinse bucket to dislodge the heavy dirt and debris. Only once that mitt has been rinsed, does it go into the wash bucket, where it picks up tons of soapy water and suds to once again be applied to your car. Follow the steps below to get the perfect scratch free wash each and every time!

STEP 1: RINSE BUCKET

Take one bucket and fill it with water. This will be your rinse bucket and will be the first stop for your filthy wash mitt after you pull it off the car.

STEP 2: WASH BUCKET

Fill a second bucket with a dirt trap and 1 – 3 oz of your favorite Gyeon Quartz (or homemade) soap. This will be your Wash Bucket, which is the second stop for your wash mitt. Activate the suds by spraying high pressure water into the bucket from your linked hose.

STEP 3: RINSE CAR

Rinse the car using pressurized water only to remove the largest dirt and debris, getting rid of it before you even have a chance to put mitt to paintwork.

STEP 4: WASH CAR

Dip the wash mitt into soapy water and wipe the vehicle from top to bottom in straight lines, one small section at a time. When the mitt has become soiled, remove it from the paintwork.

STEP 5: WRING WASH MITT

Wring mitt out over the ground away from your vehicle. This will purge the majority of the dirt and debris on the floor, so it doesn’t wind up in your rinse bucket and off your car.

STEP 6: WASH THE MITT

Return the soiled wash mitt to the rinse bucket first. Rub the dirty wash mitt against the Dirt Trap to agitate the stuck-on dirt, causing it to fall off the mitt and into the trap below. When all dirt has been dislodged, remove it from the rinse bucket, and wring out.

STEP 7: RESOAP MITT & REPEAT

Place a clean wash mitt back into the wash bucket to soap it up again. Repeat the process until the entire car is clean, then rinse and then move on to properly dry the car in the garage.

STEP 8: DRYING VEHICLE

Drying a vehicle is one of the most important steps that vehicle owners often overlook. Luckily, inexpensive car blow dryers can help with the drying process and eliminate any issues caused by frigid temperatures. 

Whether you choose to do it daily or weekly, it’s important that a fool-proof drying routine is incorporated into the process. According to an article in The Drive, allowing your car to air dry means minerals in the water can be left on the paint’s surface. This can result in water spots and even scratched pain. 

Washing car in garage during winter is similar to what you would do in an outdoor space. The main difference is ensuring that the two bucket wash method is utilized with proper washing towels and other products. Using a space heater while you do this is the perk of being in an indoor area. If your garage doesn’t have a water drain, using floor squeegees can help mop up the mess afterward. It’s advisable to remove all water to ensure that freezing temperatures don’t cause an ice rink to form in your garage area. 

How Does The Cold Air Impact Washing a Car? 

The cold air during winter is particularly damaging to any vehicle. When it comes to washing it, it can also cause issues. It’s advisable to use a garage to wash your car during winter months for a number of different reasons. For one, water that hits your car when the air is too cold may lead to door handles and locks freezing. Additionally, expert detailers mention the importance of thoroughly drying a car when the outside temperature is near freezing. Road salts can stick to a wet car, undoing the benefits of a washed car. 

Car Maintenance During Winter

We spend a lot of money on our vehicles so keeping them in tip-top shape is essential to longevity. Unfortunately, as car or motorcycle or truck owners, we often delay washing our vehicles in winter months, during a time when it’s needed most. And there are many reasons car washing is essential including:

- Appearance
- Car Lifespan
- Trade in value

According to AAA Daily, another benefit of maintaining your vehicle is increasing overall safety. If your car’s ability to operate properly is impaired, there are safety risks that can go overlooked. For example, if the windows are covered in dirt or debris driving is more difficult. Even smeared windows from sleet and dirty snow can obscure vision and slow reaction time.

How Often Should I Wash and Dry My Vehicle?

Some car enthusiasts contend that your vehicle should be washed and dried every time you drive during winter months. While this makes sense, few of us have adequate time. Aiming at once every week is more realistic. Types of roads and weather conditions are also important factors in your decision. The harsh conditions of winter will make washing your vehicle more often a sensible decision.

Blo Car Dryers

For your car, truck, motorcycle, bike, or small boat, there is an air blow dryer that is perfect for your needs and the available space in your garage.

Offering Efficient Car Drying Options

If you have limited storage space and you will be working in the confines of your garage, you might wish to look first at the AIR-S Portable Car Dryer. It is both compact and hand-held. While it looks small and can be stored on your garage wall with your other tools, the AIR-S Car Dryer is the most powerful handheld portable dryer on the market.

The one-and-a-half horsepower motor delivers 21,899 FPM. This dryer comes with twin air speed controls. It blows warm filtered air onto a vehicle. 

All three models come with sixteen-foot power cords that afford room to maneuver around your car in the garage.

Our pro blow car dryers also come with three nozzles so you can dry vents, grilles, mirrors, and wheels. We call the Air-RS and Air-GT dryers the big brothers to our AIR-S model. If you want more power and are prepared for an air dryer that requires more muscle and takes up more space, then you should consider the RS or GT models.     

All three BLO Car Dryers are equipped with high-pressure heat settings. They are powerful, efficient and reliable. All three models of BLO Dryers come with a 100% unconditional one-year warranty.

For more information on the Air-S Portable Car Dryer, the RS or the GT BLO Dryers or to discuss your car dryer needs and which dryer is the ideal choice for your needs and space go here.