What Not to Do When You Wash Your Car (Milton Winter Edition)

The short answer: don't use dish soap, don't scrub with a stiff brush or kitchen sponge, don't use hot water in freezing weather, and don't let soapy water run into the storm drain at the end of your driveway. Use a dedicated car wash soap and soft microfibre, rinse well (especially underneath in salt season), and dry the car before it freezes.

Here's why each one matters, and what to do instead.

1. Don't wash your car with dish soap

Dish soap is made to cut grease, and that's the problem. Carwash Country, quoted by WKMG News 6, says regular dish soap won't damage your clear coat but strips the wax, which leaves the paint unprotected. Consumer Reports, cited in the same article, prefers a dedicated car wash product for paint, and says soap and water are fine for wheels and tires.

Do this instead: use a soap made for cars, and follow the dilution on the bottle. More soap isn't better: it just leaves more to rinse off.

2. Don't scrub with a stiff brush or a kitchen sponge

In winter your car is coated in salt and sand. A stiff brush or a sponge that's picked up grit drags that grit across the paint. CAA North & East Ontario specifically warns that scrub brushes can grind salt and sand into your paint, and recommends a thorough rinse or a foaming spray instead.

Do this instead: rinse first to float off loose grit, then wash with a soft microfibre mitt. Rinse the mitt often (a second bucket of clean water helps), and work from the roof down so the dirtiest panels come last.

3. Don't use hot water in freezing weather

It's tempting to fight the cold with a bucket of hot water. CAA North & East Ontario advises against it: hot water can make small cracks in your glass spread and can melt protective wax.

Do this instead: use lukewarm water, wash on the milder days, and pick a sheltered spot out of the wind if you can.

4. Don't forget the underside

The salt you can't see does the most damage. CAA North & East Ontario recommends hosing down the wheel wells and undercarriage, where road salt drives rust and corrosion. A CAA column on undercarriage care suggests washing the underside about every two weeks in winter, for example at a touchless wash with an underbody spray.

Do this instead: in salt season, make the wheel wells and underbody part of every wash, not an afterthought.

5. Don't let it freeze wet

Water left in door seals, locks and mirror housings turns to ice overnight. CAA North & East Ontario suggests drying the car well, especially the crevices, wiping the rubber door seals after each wash, and running the washer fluid briefly so the wipers don't freeze down.

Do this instead: dry the car fully with a clean microfibre towel, open and wipe each door jamb and seal, then drive it for a few minutes or park it somewhere sheltered.

6. Don't send soapy water down the storm drain

In Milton, storm drains carry water straight to local creeks, not to a treatment plant. The Town's Stormwater By-law 095-2022 allows only stormwater (rain and snowmelt) into the Town's storm system, and lists water with visible foam, sheen or discolouration among the discharges that aren't allowed. The by-law doesn't mention washing a car in your driveway by name. But the CAA column above notes that many Canadian municipalities do restrict driveway and street washing because of soap runoff.

Do this instead: use as little soap as you need, keep soapy water from running down the driveway into the street, or use a commercial car wash that handles its own wastewater. If in doubt, contact the Town of Milton.

7. Don't wait until spring to deal with salt inside

Salt doesn't just hit the paint. It gets tracked into carpets and mats as white rings, and the longer it sits, the harder it is to lift. Our guide to removing winter salt stains from car carpet covers what works at home, and our salt stain removal service handles the stubborn ones.

Rather not wash it yourself in the cold?

Polish & Go is a fully mobile car detailing service in Milton. We come to your driveway, so there's no driving a salty car across town. Exterior detailing starts at $60 for a sedan, and you can compare every package on our services page or book online.