What's worse, salt or machine washing
 

It's been a cold winter, so I haven't washed my car since November. LOTS of salt and dirt on it. I won't let anyone wash my car but me, thats why my paint is still nearly perfect after 3 years and 40k miles.

So what's worse? Letting the salt just eat into the car until I can wash it myself? Or take it to a machine or hand car wash. I can just imagine how clean the rags are in a hand car wash, and they won't care about my paint as much as I do. I thought about those do-it-yourself spray washes, but even then I can imagine a high pressure stream just grinding the dirt and salt into the car.

What do ya think?

Re: What's worse, salt or machine washing
 

I used to live in Wisconsin, and feel your pain. I used to use the high-pressure DIY's just to keep the big chunks off and to blow off the salt encrustations.

That wouldn't bother me, and I'm pretty picky about paint care. In Madison, there were a couple of places that hand-washed that were very careful and reputable. Ask around?

Re: What's worse, salt or machine washing
 

I use a low pressure stream in these cases, aka "the garden hose" :)

They sell attachments that allow you to mix detergents with the garden hose flow.

Back when I lived in an apartment in minnesota, they had a hot-water car wash hose in the car park. That was neat :)

Re: What's worse, salt or machine washing
 

My advice would be to find a nice 'touchless' car wash and run it through every 2 weeks or so.
If you have a roadster, I would not recommend going through any automatic car wash. You would be better off to go to a DIY stall and do the best you can.
I take my daily drivers through the local 'touchless' car wash every 2 weeks or so all winter.

Re: What's worse, salt or machine washing
 

It's kind of interesting, that I was once told by a car paint guy that a build up of dirt in the winter, if you don't keep it washed all the time, is actually better for the car than a semi clean. the reason for this is that the dirt acts as a barrier to the salt and the moisture and therefore cuts down on the oxidation overall. The paint is alot tougher than you think, and too much washing lends itself to water staying in recesses and the like and hastening the rusting process. That's why heated garages in the winter, while more human pleasing is not all that good for the car, it keeps the water in liquid form while at the same time mixing with salt. Better to let it freeze dry and slowly evaporate. I take mine through the wash about once a week, and hope for the best.

Re: What's worse, salt or machine washing
 

Personal thoughts;
I live in BC were salt has become a major issue. I did live in Ontario were salt has been a major issue for at least the last 40 years. I know from that experience if you do not get the salt off of your car you will be looking at problems once the car is four of five years old. :(
My recommendation, if they use large amounts of salt in your area, would match up with RPM's of a touchless wash on a coup or using a pressure washer held back a minim of three feet from the car if it is a roadster. [ getting too close with a pressure washer can take the paint right off of the car ]:rolleyes:

Re: What's worse, salt or machine washing
 

There were concerns years ago that some automatic car washes would recycle their waste water after a cursory filtering - basically forcing salt water into areas that it would never normally get into...I don't know if that practice is still going on.

Re: What's worse, salt or machine washing
 

I believe that car washes recycle the water and the salt dissolved in it. I get outside with the hose when I can if it gets above freezing and hose the car down. Underneath is where the salt gets mixed in with all the silt and sand that lodges behind the bumpers, on top of muffler and in the fenders and suspension. Wash the bottom pan as well if you can stand the cold spray in your face. I have seen too many cars get lighter as the rust eats them away.

Re: What's worse, salt or machine washing
 

As long as its above freezing, yes I've washed my car in 33 degree weather, I do it. I've missed 2 weekends this winter so far, only one last winter. I use heavy rubber gloves and I blow dry it when I'm done with my leaf blower. That means the rest of the drying can be done with one towel. The blower also gets the water out of the cracks and crevices. Your winters are colder than ours, at the very least I'd clean it off at one of those places where you can wash it. The guys are correct, lots of car washs now recycle their water but at least you could get the heavy stuff off. In the mean time in the warm months I'd build up as much wax/polish as you can.

Re: What's worse, salt or machine washing
 

i take mine through a drivethru and had pretty good luck the local car wash has a chevy suburban they take through it every day and the paint looks in good condition. Rather hit it up with some wax and scratch remover than have to remove rust from the salt.

Re: What's worse, salt or machine washing
 

We tried the drive thru but noticed the rims scraping along the rails that keep the car aligned in the wash. No damage but we ain't doin' that again. Now I have a shop with an unauthorized drain in the floor so hot water washes are on!

Re: What's worse, salt or machine washing
 

I'm no expert but I would say GET THE SALT OFF! That is very corrosive stuff. Maybe you get a few scratches on it but that's better than pits, and in the spring you can take your 7424 and gloss it all up. :p

Re: What's worse, salt or machine washing
 

As long as the salt "jacket" is dry, I wouldn't think it's doing that much damadge to your paint either. Any place you have a stone chip or an unsealed scratch, (where there's bare metal) that's a different story.
The biggest problem I see by not washing the dirt, salt, and road grime off your car is this. If somebody walks by your car and accidently brushes up against it, it's just like they're "scuffing" your paint with a piece of sand paper, thanks to the above mentioned dirt, salt, and road grime.:(

Re: What's worse, salt or machine washing
 

Guy's I used to have a detailing Business.

I recommend rinsing your vehicles often to wash off the salt. Also make sure you rinse inside the wheel wells as well as the undercarriage.

Just use a regualr garden hose to rinse until the snow is gone and the roads have no more salt on them. Then you can wash the car in the spring.

This seems to keep all my cars looking great.

Re: What's worse, salt or machine washing
 

Well thanks for all your help. It seems the consensus is that leaving the salt on is bad, but maybe not as bad as a car wash unless your 100% confident of that car wash.

It's been below freezing for a long time, so I can't rinse it as I've done previous years. This weekend it will be in the 50's. If my frozen pipe isn't too bad, I'll be busy.

Re: What's worse, salt or machine washing
 

Boy, I HATE it when my pipe freezes!

Re: What's worse, salt or machine washing
 

Agree with Antonio - get as much off with the hose as possible, wheelwells and under the car as wells before you wash. Some of the stuff they use around here actually crystalizes on the car if it sits on the car long enough and gets wet from road spray. Like washing your car with grit and that can not be good.
They actually mix sand and salt together in our area and it makes a huge mess on the roads and on the cars.

Re: What's worse, salt or machine washing
 

Y'know, the more I think about the less of a real concern this is to me. I think it may have been worse in years gone by-the same type of salt versus little corrosian protection built into cars from the factory. But coming to work this morning I was thinking, that if salt is that bad for the car, then our Cross'es in CA and FL, all up and down the East, West and South coasts should be falling away in pieces, being constantly bathed in a salt fog vapor. And that clearly isn't the case. So I think a good wash on a regular basis, keeping scratches cleaned and waxed on a regular basis is really the way to go, not getting so concerned about effect a winter of casual saltand grime is doing to the car. honestly, I'm thinking that in the long run it's minimal.

Re: What's worse, salt or machine washing
 

We all know that salt attracts water, remember that the old salt we had in salt cellars went soggy? The salt we have on the roads attracts water and when its on your car it causes rust, even the slightest amount will attract humidity out of the air in the summer and start rust spots.

Wash it all away with clean water, why add salty water to the insides of the doors etc from a car wash.

Re: What's worse, salt or machine washing
 

I would not recoomend going through a regular car wash, it will swirl your paint to hell. Touchless is a better option, but the chemicals they use are very potent which will remove any protection (wax/sealant) that you have on your paint.

Personally, I ONR in the winter.

Here is a nice video from 5th gear showing the importance of proper washing techniques.

[MEDIA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZjWkB_q2lE[/MEDIA]