Winter Washing Guide

Ceramic Pro Elite Dealers often receive inquiries from consumers about winter vehicle cleaning. Protecting your vehicle from corrosion is important whether you have purchased a Sport coating package or the Ultimate Armor exterior lifetime protection package.

Damage to the chassis, paint protection film, and ceramic coatings is rapid in colder areas due to road salt and magnesium chloride. The longer this filth is on the car, the more likely it is to corrode and rust.

But what should you do if your garden hose is frozen in the winter or you live in a water-constrained area? Thankfully, the solution is straightforward. A hybrid or no-rinse vehicle wash is what you need.

In order to keep our ceramic coatings, paint protection film, and ceramic tint in pristine condition, Ceramic Pro collaborated with Americana Global to develop a line of professional detailing materials.

Americana Global Rinseless Wash is one of their most versatile offerings.

In this post, we’ll show you how to wash your vehicle in the garage or outside without a hose or running water, whether it’s the dead of winter or the middle of summer.

 

How to Wash Your Car at Home in Winter

One of the most pervasive misconceptions about automobile maintenance is that washing a vehicle in the winter is physically impossible. This is especially true in colder areas when using conventional vehicle washes and hoses. Similarly, it may be challenging to wash automobiles in areas of the United States where water use is regulated.

If you’ve just spent thousands on a Ceramic Pro coating, PPF, or the new Ultimate Armor package, it’s vital to discover a creative manner of wiping light dirt off your car all year.

Americana Global Rinseless Wash is the best option for individuals looking for a safe and efficient method to clean their vehicles throughout the cold winter months.

The tutorial video is easy to understand. But if you’d like detailed written directions, we’re here to assist with that, too.

Step 1 – Collect Your Supplies

You’ll need to collect essential supplies for washing a car without a hose. You can purchase our Winter Maintenance Kit that contains all of the important items. 

(1) Bottle of Americana Global Rinseless wash: 16oz or 32oz

(2) Packs Plush Microfiber Towels (you’ll use these instead of a wash mitt).

(1) Bottle of Americana Global Detail Spray – for final wipe down and added protection.

(2) Wash Buckets (at least 3-gallon buckets) – Add an extra wash bucket if you’re going to wash your wheel wells,

(2) Grit Guards

(1) Dedicated Drying Towel

(4) Gallons of Filtered Warm Water (if you live in freezing temperatures and are washing in your garage). Don’t use hot water above 80 degrees. Room temperature is OK.

(1) Pump Sprayer (optional – but highly recommended)

Step 2 – Mix the Solution

We suggest using one ounce of Rinseless wash for every two gallons and eight ounces of water to get a rinseless wash. Equal to one (1) liquid capful for one (1) gallon of filtered water.

Tap water may be used instead of filtered water in a pinch. To prevent water marks, be sure to dry the car thoroughly and fast.

• Have two buckets of water ready. One with your solution mixed in, the other for rinsing.
• Insert Grit Guard
• Put 2 caps of Rinseless Wash into the wash bucket for every 2 gallons of water.
• Insert at least 5 Pink Towels
• To ensure a uniform consistency, you should stir the solution by swishing it around.

Step 3: Pre-Rinse with Pump Sprayer (Amazon)

Fill the pump sprayer with filtered water. Most pump sprayers are two to five gallons. Add the recommended (1) cap or 1oz per 1 gallon.

Close the container and shake the pump sprayer to agitate and blend the liquid.

Pump up the mixed liquid and saturate the panel from top to bottom.

Focus on one panel at a time. This will help avoid freezing in colder climates.

Step 4: Wash the vehicle

Using the first pink towel, ring it out to remove most of the dripping liquid – but not all the way. It should be saturated enough to drip slightly.

Fold the towel in four

Wash from top to bottom – left to right. This is to prevent the dirty bottom side of the vehicle from contaminating the rest of the car and causing damage. You can fold a towel up to 4 times to reduce the number of towels you use. So do 1 panel top to bottom, flip the towel over, do the next. You can realistically get 2-4 panels per towel. 

When done with the panel, put the dirty towel in the clean bucket.

Dry off that section with the dedicated drying towel. I recommend that you spray a single mix of detail spray on that panel to help lubricate the drying towel. Most damage comes from unlubricated drying.

Step 5: Create a Mobile Quick Detailer

Let’s say you want to create a mobile detailing or car care kit in the back of your car to remove those annoying bird droppings or light debris to keep the vehicle clean. You can use this Rinseless wash as a quick detailer.

Here is how to do it correctly.

1. Using a clean 32oz trigger sprayer bottle, fill the bottle about ¾ full.
2. Add (1) cap full of Rinseless wash.
3. Add a bit more water to fill it to a full 32oz.
4. Mist the product onto the spots you want to clean.
5. Use a plush pink microfiber towel to dry.
6. Flip the towel over to the dry side to buff off any residue.

As you can see, cleaning your vehicle during the winter months is possible – and more accessible than you’d think.

HOW TO WASH YOUR TOWELS! 

Wash your towels in free & clear laundry detergent – no fabric softeners, no dyes, no fragrances, in cold water. Tumble Dry or Allow to Air Dry for best results. HEAT DRYING MELTS MICROFIBER! DO NOT USE HEAT!

In Conclusion

It’s not as difficult as you would think to wash your car in the winter. If you have the right tools, you can wash your car without scratching or damaging the vehicle. 

For a good wash, you’ll need a rinseless wash solution, buckets, grit guards, microfiber towels, a drying towel, and a pump sprayer.

A quick detailer and ceramic boost spray is also recommended for the winter months. You can keep your automobile clean in any season if you follow these guidelines.

Gabe Fletcher

Gabe Fletcher – originally an IT career turned now one of the leading automotive protection specialists on the east coast. Gabe possesses an unmatched dedication to motorsports, participating in region are TrackCross, AutoCross & HPDE events. His passion and drive for producing top-quality results on every car & creating a top-notch customer service experience for every client that comes into his shop is #1 priority. He has been featured in PPF Magazine, on the blog of CeramicPro.com and Urable.com as one of the fastest-growing automotive protection specialists in the industry.