1. Protect your pressure washer: Frozen water in a pump expands. As we discussed in our previous blog, it’s important to store your pressure washer in a warm and dry place. This protects the fluid, lines, and fittings on your pressure washing machine. Prepare ahead so you don’t damage your pressure washer pump.
2. Aim for indoors: Whenever possible, try to clean your vehicles indoors, insulated and away from freezing conditions.
3. Avoid the shade: If you do have to pressure wash your vehicles outside, try to do so in bright sunlight. Why? Direct lights heat surfaces and makes them much easier and faster to clean. Ditch the shade and find a sunny spot.
4. Suit up: Hypothermia is a very real threat in sub-freezing temperatures. Add layers and take proper precautions. Also, when dealing with high pressure sprays and chemicals in the cold, it’s always best to wear protective clothing. Consider rubber boots, goggles, slickers, gloves, hats, and extra layers. You want to repel the water and ice and stay warm.
5. Remember to de-ice: If you’re pressure washing outside when it’s cold, realize that your wash water must run somewhere. If it spills across the sidewalk or driveway, you’ve just created an ice arena. For your safety and the safety of others, make sure you apply salt or sand ahead of time. You may also want to try magnesium chloride or calcium chloride to melt the ice. But know that these treatments can leave behind an oily and slippy residue.
6. Get traction: Even if you’ve de-iced ahead of time, if you’re power washing outdoors, make sure you wear the proper footwear as you navigate across the ice and slush. Spiked shoes or even boot chains are a great choice. Pressure washers pack a lot of punch. The trigger spray force alone could knock you off your feet. And water on top of ice makes it even more dangerous. Plant your feet and watch your step.
7. Wax on; wax off: Consider applying a liquid insulator wax to your vehicle. Not only will this protect your paint surfaces, it will make help water slide off more quickly during the washing process. The faster the water leaves the surface, the faster the overall drying process.
8. Add some salt: After proper cleaning is performed remember to apply a Salt Neutralizer.
9. Wait until afternoon: It’s tempting to complete tasks like pressure washing first thing in the morning. But if you wait until after lunch, the sun can more effectively warm up the machinery and your vehicles. It will also help with the drying process. Waiting is safer and more efficient.
10. Check your fittings: In the snow belt region of the United States, it’s common for outdoor water sources to freeze. If this occurs, make sure you have access to indoor fittings. Always use properly sized garden hose extensions.
11. Chemical imbalance: In cold weather, chemicals are less effective. Therefore, you should plan on using more chemicals in winter months.
12. Keep it warm: Just as you protect your pressure washer, so too should you protect your chemicals from plunging temperatures. Liquid chemicals will separate if they freeze. So, save time and stress by keeping your chemicals in a dry, warm location.
13. Point and aim: In freezing temps, it’s important to carefully aim your spray nozzle. Why? Lots of vehicle parts will freeze shut, including steps, door jams, and door locks. You can try opening and shutting the doors and locks to reduce the chance of them freezing shut.
14. Wave your wand: Consider the length of your wand when pressure washing. For lifted trucks and large engine bays, a longer wand is more effective. However, if you’re focusing on smaller parts like wheels, switch out your accessory for a shorter more flexible wand.
15. Grease the wheels: Well, not exactly the wheels, but certainly the door locks and other openings. Use a bit of WD-40 to prime these areas before you ever start pressure washing. Applying WD-40 or another product will ensure that cracks and other openings don’t freeze shut.
16. Bump up the temperature: Another good way to prevent doors and brake drums from freezing is to use hotter water when you’re pressure washing. How hot? We recommend between 180-200 degrees. At this temperature, the water evaporation will reduce the chance of icing.
17. Look below: Don’t neglect to wash the underbody, wheel wells, and chassis of your vehicle. Salt, snow, and sand can collect under your machine and cause long-lasting damage. In fact, it’s often the spots you can’t see that can wreak the most havoc. Do all you can to decrease the chance for corrosion and rust. Be sure to direct the pressure washer underneath your vehicle to wash away grit, dirt, and salt.
18. Go with the flow: When you’re working in sub-zero temperatures, things freeze very quickly. To prevent your hoses from freezing, make sure you maintain a steady flow of water. Even if your hose touches the frozen ground, it can freeze almost instantly. Therefore, keep your machinery and water running for the duration of your project.
19. Check the temperature: Certain cleaning procedures just don’t work as well when it’s bitterly cold. For example, acid cleaning and aluminum brightening are not effective when it’s below 60 degrees. It’s best to avoid these in colder temperatures or to do them indoors.
20. Know your nozzles: If you’re trying to remove large chunks of ice from a vehicle, there’s an easier way to get the job done quickly. Simply use your zero-degree nozzle to cut the ice into different sections. Then you can direct your pressure washer to blast away the smaller pieces. Voila!

Winter Pressure washing from McHenry Pressure Cleaning Systems