Winter Washing.. The Power Of Ten........

[CharlieFarlie]

On this and a couple of other forums I visit we have spoken about winter washing of our cars..

Many of you know how I like my cars to be clean but I don't touch my car with a mitt or sponge when the council starts chucking salt about through to early spring....

I choose to foam and wash off with a decent power washer..

My Rav4 Is the daily driver so gets all the muck chucked at it especially now we live down a country lane..

This thread is about upping the game of winter washing.. Making it easier to do but still getting a really good class finish and one that is as close to a full two bucket wash and dry with a towel.. But bearing in mind the cars get filthy the first time we drive more than half a mile

Since moving in one of the jobs I have done is plumb in both Hot And Cold taps to the front of the garage with Warm/Hot washing in mind... And wow does it work...

Bear in mind the car had not been washed for over two weeks and as absolutely minging !!!

I set up the washer and turned on just the hot tap until hot was through the system. The on with the cold so the water was not to hot.. I would say 40 degrees..

I then foamed the car once. This was done with Autobrite "Magifoam" which is a high quality and extremely good foam but not exactly cheap.. I buy in bulk of 25 litres and pay just over 70 quid delivered..

I allowed the foam to dwell on the car for 7 or eight minutes the power washed off the whole car. The wheels and under the arches... And that's it NO contact other than the water was made at all

The results were amazing.. Wheels clean and bright ! No wheel cleaner was used and the bodywork is spotless with none of the usual film powerwashing alone usually leaves..... I can wipe my finger along the lowers of the car and no residue sticks...

All this down to one key element.. Warm/Hot water....

Please note.. If using a water container for the hot water source be aware you need to use a high quality suction hose as one member had his collapse and bugger his power washer...

[Paulus17]

Cracking job Charlie the Rav looks lovely as per.

Can i ask though what would be the best way of washing the Rav this time of year if like me and haven't got a pressure washer just a plain ol bucket and hosepipe with cold water

[Big Kev]

Paul.........there is a wee gadget bottle that clicks on to yer normal clicky hose fitment, one of which I have in my redundicated stock.

It was my first effort at snow foaming on the cheap, and works of a fashion. Best use something like that and avoid contact washing. Or at least a good foaming and rinsing prior to contact wash if car really bowfin' .

Now.......if only ah had a PM with yer address oan it ah coulda sent it doon from Santa.......

[silly sausage]

Appreciate you 'resurrecting' this thread Charlie, I always find these really informative, there's no better recommendation for valeting products than from other forum members.

[CharlieFarlie]

AhHa the veritable Gilmour Kev ? I still have one of those somewhere !

Paul without a pressure washer mate its an uphill struggle but Kevs device will help !!

[silly sausage]

Cracking job Charlie the Rav looks lovely as per.

Can i ask though what would be the best way of washing the Rav this time of year if like me and haven't got a pressure washer just a plain ol bucket and hosepipe with cold water

Add a good little pressure washer to your Christmas present list Paul….. invaluable, particularly in the winter months.

[anchorman]

Just built up the cylinder head and pump on my washer - fairly complicated!!!

Will reasemble it into the casing tomorrow and give it a try. Will also pm my details to you too Charlie.

[Big Kev]

AhHa the veritable Gilmour Kev ? I still have one of those somewhere !

Paul without a pressure washer mate its an uphill struggle but Kevs device will help !!

Ach naw, Charlie min.......not as elaborate or expensive as the Gillie, but does the job of creating foam.

[CharlieFarlie]

I've had the Gilmour Foamaster in the garage since god was a lad Kev.... It was the predecessor of the foam lance we have today... This one sees duty once a year foaming the wifeys greenhouse !!!

[FROSTYBALLS]

If anyone is looking for a pressure washer, Amazon are continuing their Black Friday deals over the weekend. They have already had a couple of Nilfisk pressure washers, and will have a Karcher K2 later today (Saturday 30.11.13). The deal price isn't shown until the deal goes live.

[dave.m]

If anyone is looking for a pressure washer, Amazon are continuing their Black Friday deals over the weekend. They have already had a couple of Nilfisk pressure washers, and will have a Karcher K2 later today (Saturday 30.11.13). The deal price isn't shown until the deal goes live.

Would also add, I bought my Nilfisk last weekend from Homebase who were selling it at 15% less than Argos.

This weekend ( lucky white heather again) Homebase are doing one of their 15% off weekends so it will be

even cheaper.

[Big Kev]

Do yer usual then, Dave....break a bit aff, return for refund...........send wife in later for a nurra one.....have ye changed or something?

[dave.m]

Moi ? Surely not ( don't call me Shirley)

Actually Kev I was going to go into that Glesga this morning with err indoors who wants to christmas shop, with

the intention of dropping that stuff off at yours on the way back. But no doubt you will have seen the shocking

news this morning, so will be giving that a very wide berth.

[Big Kev]

Moi ? Surely not ( don't call me Shirley)

Actually Kev I was going to go into that Glesga this morning with err indoors who wants to christmas shop, with

the intention of dropping that stuff off at yours on the way back. But no doubt you will have seen the shocking

news this morning, so will be giving that a very wide berth.

Absolutely, Dave........c'mon the Firemen........c'mon The Polis........c'mon The Survivors. Well done the public heroes.

Thoughts with all those with people missing.........good luck.

[jolly-friar]

Yes, was reading about it earlier... so sad what happened...

Reading this thread, and thinking of Chrimbo prezzie for Mr O'Hare..

What about something like this ? was thinking you could fill with warm water ?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/121076932695?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649#ht_11795wt_932

Not as good as the fantastic set-up Charlie has, but thought it would be ok and easy to use ?

[CharlieFarlie]

Looks good Liz.. Has the benefit of gravity pushing the water at the outlet which can help as sometimes getting the suction to start with a hose pushed into the top of a container can be tricky....

Connecting hose is braided as well so all good !

[Paulus17]

Is THIS the sort of gun you on aboot Kev

[CharlieFarlie]

Is THIS the sort of gun you on aboot Kev

Thats the Gilmour Foamaster Paul.. Same as the one I have here. I bet my one is ten years old now !

They were all the rage at one time before the foam lances we have now came out...

Still an excellent tool mind and you use exactly as the lances we have now.. IE 2 inches of foam product into the bottle and top up with warm/hot water.. You then connect to a normal hose pipe no power washer is needed. The use as in the video clip.

The foam will never be thick as there is no pressure to drive the water through the wire mesh that creates the foam..

They were and still are a good tool but just not as effective as using a powered machine..

See here

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Gilmour-Foamaster-II-Snow-Foam-Gun-FREE-1-Litre-Snow-Foam-Safe-Pre-Wash-/290879341596?pt=UK_Car_Accessories_Car_Care_Cleaning&hash=item43b9c2841c

[davef2901]

Our Rav ain't been out on salted roads yet so it got a good wash t'other day & today got the winter wax with Autoglym, Lot of wax on wheels! It's now cleaner than the table so I've told her I want my dinner on the bonnet.

That was several hours and a trip to casualty ago!

Rav looks lovely

[bigend]

LoL!

[dave.m]

Ok, today I have lost my Autobrite Magicfoam virginity........................And I can honestly say that the stuff is outstanding!
A definite 10 out of 10

[Big Kev]

Did both Ravs today....... first time foam washed unrinsed cars.......no difference that I could detect, except less time, obviously.

I think my foam may well be a wee bit weak though..........dave m gonnae let me try some of his Autobrite.

Ridiculously mild up here today....12 degrees Centrifuge fgs.........end of week may see the white stuff so many fellow members seem to like playing in........nutterz......

[dave.m]

Did both Ravs today....... first time foam washed unrinsed cars.......no difference that I could detect, except less time, obviously.

I think my foam may well be a wee bit weak though..........dave m gonnae let me try some of his Autobrite.

Ridiculously mild up here today....12 degrees Centrifuge fgs.........end of week may see the white stuff so many fellow members seem to like playing in........nutterz......

Kev, as you know the plans this weekend went to pot. Anyway I have the stuff in the boot, so if I am oot your way or you are oot near my work it will be available.

Ps you are right about the snow next weekend, the real stuff not the Autobrite stuff.

[anchorman]

Was that a none contact wash Dave?

BTW, if you go to the full editor (post reply) instead of the quick one at the bottom of the page, you can actually load pictures from your pc instead of using photobucket.

[dave.m]

Absolutely no contact whatsoever Don, not even on the wheels. Would add that before washing

It was absolutely filthy. Re the photos, on the IPad the little icon for posting does not appear, you

know the one which shows the actual photo once posted rather than just posting a link.

Edit, forgot to say, it was a cold wash, would like to try Charlie's method of using hot but don't at

present have anything to rig up for hot but really liked the item that Liz posted up from eBay.