Preventing Rust from Road Salt

On 01/14/2011 12:43 PM, econo_cars wrote:
> "Brent" wrote
>>
>> I've done hand washing in sub zero weather.
>> 1) sunny day. Park in the sun.
>> 2) use hot water.
>> 3) do one panel at a time. Wash, dry.
>>
>
> That's because you're not lazy like the ones who suggest you can't do it.
> Like you elude to there are many opportunities to do a hand wash during the
> Winter months. Also your cars probably go rust free forever with your
> willingness to take care of your car during the Winter months.
>
> Econo-cars
>

it only works if you have a source of hot water and a driveway, which
pretty much means you have to live in a single family home or duplex.
Otherwise you're at the mercy of the automatic car wash or detailing
services.

Surprise, those of us forced by circumstance to live in other less
appealing accomodations do not have such options.

I do remember living in one apartment complex that had a wash bay in the
underground garage, but that was the exception rather than the rule, and
you still had to bring your own bucket, sponge, soap, chamois, etc.

nate


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On 2011-01-14, Nate Nagel > wrote:
> On 01/14/2011 12:43 PM, econo_cars wrote:
>> "Brent" wrote
>>>
>>> I've done hand washing in sub zero weather.
>>> 1) sunny day. Park in the sun.
>>> 2) use hot water.
>>> 3) do one panel at a time. Wash, dry.
>>>
>>
>> That's because you're not lazy like the ones who suggest you can't do it.
>> Like you elude to there are many opportunities to do a hand wash during the
>> Winter months. Also your cars probably go rust free forever with your
>> willingness to take care of your car during the Winter months.

> it only works if you have a source of hot water and a driveway, which
> pretty much means you have to live in a single family home or duplex.
> Otherwise you're at the mercy of the automatic car wash or detailing
> services.

I did it in an apartment complex parking lot back when it was how I had
to do it. Now I have a place I can wash my cars indoors so I don't have
to be clever any longer.

> Surprise, those of us forced by circumstance to live in other less
> appealing accomodations do not have such options.

just depends if you're willing to push the letter of the rules but keep
within the spirit of them. All the apartment restrictions I took as
'clean up after yourself'. I always did that and never had a problem.
Although one neighbor turned me in to the management office thinking
that the early 70s mustang vert that had appeared in the lot belonged
to me, which would put me over the car limit... but it wasn't my car. I
think that was because I did the guy a favor and put the corner of his
car cover back on after the wind had removed it.

Why not use a spray wand with your water hose connected to your hot
water heater? That would be better than nothing.It would be simple
enough to make something from a few pieces of plastic pipe with some
holes drilled into the pipe.Lay it on your driveway and drive back and
forth and rinse off the salty water crud.
cuhulin

Or maybe a cheap yard sprinkler, you wouldn't have to drill any holes.
cuhulin

"Nate Nagel" wrote:
>
> it only works if you have a source of hot water and a driveway, which
> pretty much means you have to live in a single family home or duplex.
> Otherwise you're at the mercy of the automatic car wash or detailing
> services.
>
> Surprise, those of us forced by circumstance to live in other less
> appealing accomodations do not have such options.
>
> I do remember living in one apartment complex that had a wash bay in the
> underground garage, but that was the exception rather than the rule, and
> you still had to bring your own bucket, sponge, soap, chamois, etc.
>
> nate
>

Most apartment buildings have a laundry room on the first/ground floor where
you have access to warm water. Also on a sunny day, as was pointed out, you
can use cold water. Most if not all apartments and condos with inside
parking have water taps for hoses. How else do you think they clean the
asphalt and/or cement in parking surfaces? I wouldn't doubt that most
apartments have at least one maintenance room opening to the outside of the
first level, all of which have water access for hoses to do outdoor
maintenance like window washing. Ask your landlord if any access is
available to you.

Do you really believe that none of the millions of people in America who
live in apartment buildings wash their cars by hand in the Winter?

Econo-cars

On 01/15/2011 07:43 PM, econo_cars wrote:
> "Nate Nagel" wrote:
>>
>> it only works if you have a source of hot water and a driveway, which
>> pretty much means you have to live in a single family home or duplex.
>> Otherwise you're at the mercy of the automatic car wash or detailing
>> services.
>>
>> Surprise, those of us forced by circumstance to live in other less
>> appealing accomodations do not have such options.
>>
>> I do remember living in one apartment complex that had a wash bay in the
>> underground garage, but that was the exception rather than the rule, and
>> you still had to bring your own bucket, sponge, soap, chamois, etc.
>>
>> nate
>>
>
> Most apartment buildings have a laundry room on the first/ground floor where
> you have access to warm water. Also on a sunny day, as was pointed out, you
> can use cold water. Most if not all apartments and condos with inside
> parking have water taps for hoses. How else do you think they clean the
> asphalt and/or cement in parking surfaces? I wouldn't doubt that most
> apartments have at least one maintenance room opening to the outside of the
> first level, all of which have water access for hoses to do outdoor
> maintenance like window washing. Ask your landlord if any access is
> available to you.
>
> Do you really believe that none of the millions of people in America who
> live in apartment buildings wash their cars by hand in the Winter?
>
> Econo-cars
>
>

the vast majority of them use automatic car washes, I'm sure.

Don't get me wrong, I like having a single family home with outside
spigots (and if you're handy, they now make hot/cold spigots) but
haven't always had that option

nate

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On Sat, 15 Jan 2011 20:43:48 -0400, "econo_cars"
> wrote:

>
>Do you really believe that none of the millions of people in America who
>live in apartment buildings wash their cars by hand in the Winter?
>
>Econo-cars
>

Maybe some do. Never saw it. Never did it when I lived in an
apartment, and never washed my cars in the winter either.
Never saw anybody outside an apartment building washing a car in the
winter either.
Sounds crazy to me.
Only washed my cars in the winter a few times in an auto car wash when
they were all salted up and you got dirty just climbing in or
accidentally brushing against it.
Only did that for the ladies or when I was working suit and tie.

It's all nonsense anyway.
If you wax your car in the summer that'll last through the winter.
Cars rust from the inside out. Every single one I've had.
Think you're helping it getting it wet in the winter?
Nope. Just encouraging the salt to work on it.
Keeping it in a heated garage isn't good either.
Speeds up the corrosion process.
A case can be made for cleaning the underbody during thaws, but like
somebody said, the car washes are recycling water so it's loaded with
salt. Might make it worse.
Some cars are built better and don't rust as fast, but salt gets them
all in the end.
Usually time to move on to something more modern anyway.

--Vic

"Vic Smith" wrote
> It's all nonsense anyway.
> If you wax your car in the summer that'll last through the winter.
> Cars rust from the inside out. Every single one I've had.
> Think you're helping it getting it wet in the winter?
> Nope. Just encouraging the salt to work on it.

Rust occurs as temperatures rise. Winter washing helps to prevent salt build
up so when temps rise there is little to no salt to help the corrosion
process. Waxing your car does nothing for the undercarriage where the
majority of costly repairs do to rust will occur.. Our Toyota Camry and Ford
Taurus were not waxed in the entire time we had them (both over 13yrs). The
only rust spots on the body were rust from door dings, and no amount of
waxing would have stopped that rust from occuring. We should have touched up
the paint when first chipped.

> Keeping it in a heated garage isn't good either.
> Speeds up the corrosion process.

You're contradicting yourself, but this last statement is correct.

> A case can be made for cleaning the underbody during thaws, but like
> somebody said, the car washes are recycling water so it's loaded with
> salt. Might make it worse.

You don't want to wait for thaws to get salt off the car, you want to get it
off before the thaw. Carwashes that recycle water are definitely worse for
the car, and especially the ones that have pressure sprayers to clean the
underbody, as they just push salt into crevices it normally would not go.

> Some cars are built better and don't rust as fast, but salt gets them
> all in the end.
> Usually time to move on to something more modern anyway.
>
The only car that stands out in the rust free department is Porche. They
have their own patented rust coating that all higher end porches are dipped
into by robotic arm 2x over 3 days, and then set to harden for 2 more before
the paint and outer gloss is applied, and before any actual parts are added
on. I do not know if they spray individual parts before they are added to
the body, but if not then things like brake lines and manafolds will still
rot out like any other car.

Econo-cars

"Nate Nagel" wrote
> the vast majority of them use automatic car washes, I'm sure.
>

Really, I'd say the vast majority don't wash their car period, not carwash
or by hand.

> Don't get me wrong, I like having a single family home with outside
> spigots (and if you're handy, they now make hot/cold spigots) but haven't
> always had that option
>
> nate

Don't get me wrong, I'm saying using living in an apartment building is just
an excuse to not take the time to wash your car in the Winter. If the
landlord won't let you hook up to the taps in the laundry room, or
maintenance room, then there are plenty of manual wash bays around that cost
less to use than auto washes. There are always family and friends too.
Surely not everyone you know lives in an apartment building.

Econo-cars

On 01/15/2011 11:03 PM, econo_cars wrote:
> "Nate Nagel" wrote
>> the vast majority of them use automatic car washes, I'm sure.
>>
>
> Really, I'd say the vast majority don't wash their car period, not carwash
> or by hand.
>
>> Don't get me wrong, I like having a single family home with outside
>> spigots (and if you're handy, they now make hot/cold spigots) but haven't
>> always had that option
>>
>> nate
>
> Don't get me wrong, I'm saying using living in an apartment building is just
> an excuse to not take the time to wash your car in the Winter. If the
> landlord won't let you hook up to the taps in the laundry room, or
> maintenance room, then there are plenty of manual wash bays around that cost
> less to use than auto washes.

That seems to be a dying breed around here

> There are always family and friends too.

yes, just use people

> Surely not everyone you know lives in an apartment building.

I live just outside of DC. Yeah, unless you're rich, you do. (or a
condo complex)

nate


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