Here in NY it has been a bit warmer than normal allowing me to wash and wax the new R60 by hand each week. Today will reach only upper 30's F but I really want to give it a go. What does everyone else do? I'd hate to go through the car wash but this could be too cold for me to break out the bucket and hose.

 

I don't like cold weather, yet in my younger days I saw ice cycles hanging from the car when I finished.

Much older and a bit wiser, I wait for a day when the temp reaches at least 50º F. Even then my wife questions my sanity. Don't know how I would survive as far North as you.

 

In the cold winter months, I just go to the car wash weekly. I only use laser washes, which are car wash places that are touchless and there isn't a rack to drive your wheel into...it positions your car by sensors. So nothing is touching my car's paint or wheels. It's worth the $8 to me not to freeze my buns off.

 

That's exactly what I do. I just bring my drying towel with me and quick wipe it right after. The air blaster in those things never gets it dry. Then I also "show shine" my car in my garage a few times between full washes. No need for the bucket and hose all winter really.

 

Paid the dealer $80 to detail the Mini to get it ready for winter and they did a great job. Throughout the rest of winter we usually get a few warn days each month so I hand wash.

 

I turn on the propane heater in my garage and spend the afternoon with my MINI. A wash and wax is a relaxing way to spend a few hours.

 

We're going to take both Molly & "SMAUG" out later today to a DIY Car Wash, just to get them hosed off and then we'll bring them home for some Griot's Garage Spray On Car Wash!!

Couldn't do it today...it RAINED!!

UPDATE: Took "SMAUG" up to Mount Hood to see the Snow was able to get him to the DIY got him sprayed off and back home before it RAINED!!

 

Big, heated garage with a floor drain, so just like motor12 a leisurely hand-washing is a satisfying winter diversion and it happens almost as many times as I take the MINI out motoring. I can have an NFL game on the tube over in the corner of the garage and it makes for a superb Sunday afternoon.

 

I just froze my hands yesterday washing Bazzle, I put hot water in the bucket, so the actual wash isnt bad, its the chamois drying that killed me! A big heated garage with a floor drain would be a great thing, maybe when we put the addition on someday, until then, its frozen hands for me!
I keep a 25' section of hose in the garage, and plug it in for the wash, then wrap it back up in the garage so it doesnt freeze. There are always above freezing days over the winter to clean it up a little. I also have used the laser wash Danigurrl spoke about in the past, works fairly well, but its just not the same. One nice thing of the auto car washes is that they usually spray up under the car too, always a good thing to get some of that salt out of there

 

Had wash here in Charlotte. When it gets too cold I have a long car wash brush that I use to wash the van that I use for my business. The I use a water blade to get the bulk of the water off, the touch up with a chamois. Its worth getting cold to keep the Mini looking sharp.

 

I actually washed and used the clay bar on the wifes Mini Christmas Eve. And man does it look SWEEETT!

 

The coldest I have ever washed my MINI was a mix between when I was at the Dragon the 1st time and when I did MTTS 2010 when we were in Winter Park. Both places the temperatures outside were in the upper 40s to mid 50s when I washed the car. The temp outside was really nice which is weird because I hate cold but, the only part that made it bad was the water temperature. It has been pretty warm here in Florida the last week I will be was and waxing my MINI. Now when it starts getting into the 60s I start only doing rinsing with pressure washer and that is about as far as it goes.

 

I'll have to keep an eye out for those.


I have a car wash bay in my building so I can use that even though it is about 10F outside right now. The only issue is it is right next to the garage exit so if you wash during the day, it is very cold... so I usually use it late at night when few people are leaving the garage and it stays well above freezing.

I can't imagine using self-wash bays outside in this weather unless it is for a quite spray down to remove salt build up.

 

We have a touchless here but it sucks. It leaves a film of dirt on the car. To get it off you have to use the detail spray and several soft microfiber cloths. I'm thinking of going back to the old fashioned car washes for winter followed by a professional detail in the spring.

 

I hand wash the car unless it goes below 40 degrees. I bought a heated blaster to blow the water off. It is great. No drips no smears.

 

I believe if you pick a quality car wash that DOES NOT use recycled water and keeps their system/bays clean, an auto car wash, even one with the twirriling rag type "brushes" will not harm your car. Here in the midwest, we have salt and other nasty stuff on the roads during winter that does far more damage to our cars than a quality auto car wash. I realize that, to some, a auto car wash is not too desirable, however, it's a better trade-off than a car covered with winter salt/road grime!!

 

That's the main reason I used to laser washes in the winter...to get salt off the undercarriage. I know Mini has a 12 year rust warranty...but I never want to use it.

There are good and bad ones. There are several in my area, and only 3 that are actually good come to mind. Fortunately, one of them is on my commute home from work, so it'll be easy for me to give Jack a quick bath.

 

I'm going to suck it up and hand wash it Friday or Saturday, no matter the temp. It's just too dirty after 2 long road trips and all the Christmas visiting I did.
All the Auto Car washes here start with a guy and a pressure washer. 1 week after taking delivery of my CM, we had a snowstorm that left a ton of salt all over it. I grudgingly brought it to the wash and told the guy please don't use the pressure washer on it. "Okay Poppi!"...then proceeds to pressure wash the sides and even the Vinyl decale on the Sunroof.

 

I just hand washed and waxed my car last week getting her ready for sale here in MA. The weather was above freezing but not by much. Took me three days, mostly because I started late each day and lost light. I had a hot and cold tap installed outside of my house and bought a hose rated for hot water. Kept hands dry with dish washing gloves, so they stayed warm and clean. The tap also comes in handy for washing the dogs outside, though not in the winter!

 

I don't wash my car as often as the majority (severe understatement). But during winter, I'll hand wash myself if it's mid 40's WHEN I wax. Driving from the carwash to my garage dirties up the car enough to where I can't wax it. I also use Collinite products, and they tend to hold up pretty well. The rest of the winter, I pay the carwash.