Washing in this heat!

[Frid]

Anyone else having difficulties finding a time to wash their ride? It's light out til about 9pm and the scorching heat isn't helping at all. Debating whether I want to wait til later tonight and bring out the halogens or to wake up early as heck tomorrow morning.

[J Tegeler]

getting a break from the heat here! it is about time. I can be outside now and be comfortable.

[DenaliDan]

getting a break from the heat here! it is about time. I can be outside now and be comfortable.

 

Yep. Here in central Indiana also. Perfect detailing day: mid 80s, humidity not bad, mostly overcast skies, light breeze. Can't get much better. Just finished all the polishing and now an overnight sealant cure before finishing it off tomorrow morning after the F1 race.

[Coderedpl]

Talking about humidity, I started washing my car at 5:45 this morning. I dried it, but before I finish drying, it already has that hazy, wet look to it. Needless to say, it never got completely dry.

I get that more often than I would like.

Haven't washed my car for a week or more, planning to do it tomorrow morning. Hopefully no rain or humidity

[MAYBEN]

its still pretty humid here

[RSCamaro]

The city I live in made it illeagal to wash your car at your house...so I just do it after dark since all of the coin-op places are luminated and I have to go there anyways. Not to mention, going after dark allows me to bring my own products without getting any complaints that I'm holding up the lines.

[savi01]

Me. Doesn't help that the sun is DIRECTLY over my driveway from sunrise to sunset.

[ExpressThis13]

late night or early morning no question. If you wash in this heat your just gonna hate yourself for it. Hot panels plus sweating yourself washing is much more enjoyable when panels are cool. I washed my truck one time in the sun on a hot day and the soap dried on the truck and it was such a pita to remove i havent washed my truck in the sun since. It will stay dirty before it gets washed in the sun again.

*I should specify the soap I was using at that time was not Adams*

[BrianT]

Anyone else having difficulties finding a time to wash their ride? It's light out til about 9pm and the scorching heat isn't helping at all. Debating whether I want to wait til later tonight and bring out the halogens or to wake up early as heck tomorrow morning.

 

 

Just take it to the car wash place and have them do it!

[Chuckkilo3]

I do my washing later in the evening after 7. The sun comes up early so it's not easy washing it early.

[Frid]

Just take it to the car wash place and have them do it!

 

Nuuuuuuuuu! lol.

 

Yeah, I was planning on doing it later. I bought some work lights a few weeks back and glad I did. Guess I'll be doing the wash when its dark .

[Feets31]

Depend on which side of your house you can find a shade and you are available. Mornings are usually cooler

[Chuckkilo3]

Nuuuuuuuuu! lol.

 

Yeah, I was planning on doing it later. I bought some work lights a few weeks back and glad I did. Guess I'll be doing the wash when its dark .

Maybe your lights will fry some bugs.

[Frid]

Just got done. Whole driveway was covered in shade and wasn't too hot out. Got it done just in time before it got dark. My baby is all clean again .

[Tim]

I just got done washing my wife's equinox, laying down a coat of buttery and QS on the front and hood. But it has cooled to 80.

[JBlack151]

Last weekend I had no choice but to pull out the lights and begin washing the SS at 10:00 at night. Any other time I wake up around 5:00 to get started before the sun is really working me and the black paint!

[Skinytall]

I wash mine around 7pm I have a huge oak tree that shades my driveway so by that time the airs a little cooler & i usually have a nice breeze,so its kinda relaxing!

[ArablueRS3]

Just got finished with mine. I start at 0600 on Saturday. Neighbors give me the stink eye afterwards. I'm up at 0430 everyday.

[Golf for Life]

Been putting off washing the car this heat is just too much. Car is in the garage 24/7 some dust but just can't see washing until it cools off some.

Spending most of the day working inside the garage re-dooo. Insulation, ceiling and walls.

[DP 08 GXP]

Last week i was working on a ford f150 that had overspray all over it...it was 9pm and the heat index was still 96....after 2 hours i lost 7 pounds of water weight...chugged lots of water before bed

[Blazer15]

The city I live in made it illeagal to wash your car at your house...so I just do it after dark since all of the coin-op places are luminated and I have to go there anyways. Not to mention, going after dark allows me to bring my own products without getting any complaints that I'm holding up the lines.

 

Where do you live? So I know never to move there. Lol. That sucks

[RSCamaro]

Yeah it does. Makes it a pain to wash the ride, and it really adds up having to use the coin-op every time.

 

I live in Lubbock, it's a fairly nice size town....we're about population 225,000 or so. They put on all kinds of water restrictions on the town. For instance, you can only water your lawn for so many minutes one day a week, and the day you can water is dependent upon the last digit of your house number.

 

They're cracking down pretty hard on it, no warnings are issued...just $200 tickets.

 

But I refuse to let the swirl-o-matic touch my baby and I'm not about to use those nylon do it yourself brushes they provide. I just wish I was able to utilize the firehose nozzle and it really makes it a pain having to lug all your stuff to and from the coin-op.

[Chase@InsanePaint]

Shade, shade, shade, and more shade. I have from 7am-10am in my driveway this time of year. OR from 4pm-8pm. Both times offer adequate shade in the driveway. If I can get a cooled down ride in those time slots, I'm good to go. Direct sunlight = NO NO.

[randyfox]

It has been stupid hot here in west Georgia so it's almost pointless to try to wait for a good time to wash a car. I washed my wife's car yesterday and it was brutal. Just have to power through it.

[LFairbanks]

I love this heat!!! Hot, dry heat, or hot, humid heat. I will take either one over snow. My wife thinks Iam nuts. Just finished up washing the truck. Just have to do it early in the morning, or late afternoon early evening. Sometimes Iam out there as early as 5am. If I start late afternoon and it gets dark outside I just pull into the garage and finish drying.

 

[Luken10]

If you do have to do it in direct sunlight there are a couple things you can do to help make the most out of it. I am found that a foam gun in absolutely necessary. Keeping the whole car covered in soap while you are washing helps keep the water spots away. You have to keep spraying the suds on it while you are washing, which definitely takes extra time and effort, but I find it to work well. When it comes down to hosing down the soap off the car make sure you keep soaking the spots you have already sprayed. So say you just hosed off the top and are now going on to the side make sure you keep the top wet. It will help keep the panels cooler and stop water spots from forming as quickly. As for drying you can definitely do the "sheeting technique" if you are quick enough at it. If not make sure you have a couple towels ready and be ready to hustle! Get the bulk of it dried, and there will be minimal water spots. A little detail spray wipe will help with those. But then again I have had trouble with the detail spray in direct sunlight.

 

So will your car be perfect when you are done? No. But it will definitely look better than if you had not washed it. Definitely a whole lot more effort than washing early in the morning or late at night.