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Car washes

SafetyGuy

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SafetyGuy Enthusiast

SafetyGuy

Posted
Posted

Sorry if this is the wrong place to post this but i cannot seem to find an answer..

 

I live up in Canada where we use a ton of salt on the roads to keep them from icing up. The problem is that all the salt gets caked on my truck and its drives me insane. I used to take it to a DIY car wash with bays and a wand and pressure wash the salt of the vehicle and i figured that was better than leaving the salt caked on.

I recently read an article that suggested that because most car washes use recycled water that you are essentially blasting your vehicle with salt water,

 

Does anyone know if this it true.

Andy Seibel Enthusiast

Andy Seibel

Posted
Posted

Car wash water can't be any worse that what you drive through daily for 4 months.

 

http://www.bankrate.com/finance/auto/road-salt-in-car-wash-water.aspx

 

I think the water w/ salt can only hurt your vehicle as long as it is wet. I believe if you can park inside and let the salt dry into crystals, they don't cause any rust until they are wet again. So driving around with dry salt on the vehicle is actually less bad than having it be wet. Correct me if i'm wrong.

 

But I don't worry about trying to wash salt off too much in the middle of winter, since you get 1-2 days (or hours sometimes) before its salty again.

Doug Rosewood Enthusiast

Doug Rosewood

Posted
Posted

I believe car washes recycle water for so long. My guess is the water is cycled through a filter system through so many washes before being released into the city sewer. One it takes some load off the sewer, two it stretches resources and improves profits. I still go to the car wash weekly knowing its reused, its just a matter of picking the lesser of two evils..do you want that diluted salty mix with soap..or the really salty mucky stuff mixed with god know what kind of road contamination..food for thought, if you knew what was in carwash shampoo then you would probably be double thinking using it at all. I make it for a living lol

Grumpy Bear Senior Enthusiast

Grumpy Bear

Posted
Posted

It would take quite a water treatment plant to remove the soap, wax, tire and engine cleaners and tons of road waste from a recycled water stream to provide clear clean rinse water. Just say'n.

SafetyGuy Enthusiast

SafetyGuy

Posted
  • Author
Posted

You guys all make valid points. I feel that using a "high pressure saline spray" may end up in places that normally wouldn't see salt.

If i had a big enough garage i would wash it inside with fresh water... Time to move!

mjoekingz28 Enthusiast

mjoekingz28

Posted
Posted

Maybe if you started with a clean undercarriage and put the vehicle up on blocks then you could coat it with something like armor all and dubya d forty and then just use your garden hose at home.

 

Maybe the ultra high pressure wouldn't be needed then.

RyanbabZ71 Senior Enthusiast

RyanbabZ71

Posted
Posted

Should be ok been doing this for 7 yrs during winter. Go home and do a nice waterless wash when done

 

 

Ryan B.

MB2008LTZ Enthusiast

MB2008LTZ

Posted
Posted

Should be ok been doing this for 7 yrs during winter. Go home and do a nice waterless wash when done

 

 

Ryan B.

I agree but it is very difficult to do when the temp is below freezing and the sun isn't shining and you do not have a garage.

RyanbabZ71 Senior Enthusiast

RyanbabZ71

Posted
Posted

If it's below zero the salt shouldn't affect the truck it's when it's above freezing where it does it's damage. When it warms up make sure to keep it off

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

sdeeter19555 Senior Enthusiast

sdeeter19555

Posted
Posted

If it's below zero the salt shouldn't affect the truck it's when it's above freezing where it does it's damage. When it warms up make sure to keep it off

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

While that is almost true, typical rock salt works down to about 21F and whatever the brine is they put down now works down well below that...

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

RyanbabZ71 Senior Enthusiast

RyanbabZ71

Posted
Posted

Guess it depends where you are. They mix sand with ours to aid in colder temps (traction) Leaves a nice brown color. Luckily this yr hasn't been bad and we are about a foot of snow below normal

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

desbennett004 Enthusiast

desbennett004

Posted
Posted

I also live in Canada, I used to wash my chevy every week at the car wash, and then rinse it with the spot free rinse. Worked great. I now have a car wash at work in my shop, that uses fresh hot water that goes through a softener. Now I get a better wash for free. Win win.

 

Sent from my SM-N900W8 using Tapatalk

Sierra Boy Enthusiast

Sierra Boy

Posted
Posted

Wish my HD truck FIT in the garage!

 

Sierra Boy

Doug Rosewood Enthusiast

Doug Rosewood

Posted
Posted

It would take quite a water treatment plant to remove the soap, wax, tire and engine cleaners and tons of road waste from a recycled water stream to provideIf clear clean rinse water. Just say'n.

I work in a chemical plant, soap and wax are the least of the citys worrys with what we pump back to the city. ​

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