OK anyone got any tips/ideas on how to clean the salt off my car when there has been snow on the ground for 3 weeks and the temperature never goes above freezing?

I was hoping to get to a jet wash and al least get the worst off but there is currently no way of getting my car off the drive with the current dept of snow round here.

Don't want to overuse water as it will freeze and don't fancy spreading the grit/salt about and scratching the paintwork. The car was waxed before the winter set in but its been covered in salt and general road grime for over a month

If the car is well protected then I would wait until the weather warms up.

i covered mine in snow foam the other day and rinsed it off, didnt bother doing anything else, just wanted to get some of the salt off it!

Know what you mean, my car is filthy but there is no way I would consider trying to wash it near my drive or on the road. We have about 3 inches of ice on the street and we all use the ruts like rails . Can't wait for it to thaw.

If you're worried about rust, don't forget that the rusting like any chemical activity will be very slow at the low temperatures we are getting.
It's when it warms up the salt needs to be blasted off.
As we've got lots of nice clean snow I just rub it on the warm glass to clean the windows and headlights etc, it does a smashing job.

What he said. Below freezing it won't rust, and anyway, the roads are still covered with a salty emulsion and will be until rain washes it all away.

I will shove my car through a car wash next week and pay the extra for the under-body spray. Then I'll do it again a week or so later if the thaw continues. If the snow returns, I'll leave it.

Also consider, as water freezes it expands.
When you wash your car water will find its way into loads of little, sometimes hidden, nooks and crannies.
As the temp drops, this mini reservoir will freeze & expand - possibly damaging the car.

My dad had a problem with the rear glass on his 03 plate civic. Every time it rained water would run along under the glass (along the seal) and gather along the bottom edge as there was no escape. consequently, every time he opened the tailgate loads of water dribbled out either side.
Honda's fix for this was to lift the tailgate & allow the water to drain out then bang a load of sealant in either side to prevent water ingress.
Unfortunatley, not all the water escaped. The channel had grown mould inside which held water. Come the first drop in temps and the expanding water shattered the rear screen.
He tried to claim but Honda were having none of it so he got an indie in to inspect the damage & it was their view that water in the mould had expanded as it froze...

OK you have all managed to put me off washing it for now!

Seriously though - the weather is warming up a little so finger crossed it gets above freezing long enough to wash the car properly soon

i enjoued using my frozen snow foam this morning, seemed to work even better than when its in its normal state! May keep it in the freezer from now one :chin: