# washing your car at night



## kingswood (Jun 23, 2016)

got a flyer from work today and thought id wash the car when i get back and give it a spray with some QD. then tuck her up in the garage for a week as be using the wifes.

but as i left at 4.15 its getting dark.........get home at 4.40 and its darker still 

do i start and wash it in the dark and look like a sad sack?!?

obviously i do!  guna rain all day tomo and wont get chance till next week so cldnt put her away dirty.

as im washing it became 'proper' dark and had to get the torch out. need to invest in a spotlight for the drive! next door already think im mad for' washing it too much' its called looking after something you tramp! :lol:

anyway, just wondered how many other people wash in the dark?!


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## Soul boy 68 (Sep 8, 2013)

Not my style I am afraid, I always wash in day light and if I don't get time I just leave it until I do.


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## Caledoniandream (Oct 9, 2009)

Yes done it before in the dark, washing the car that is.
Been known for washing in downpour of rain, snow and frost.
If it has to be done, it has to be done
,:detailer::detailer:


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## shine247 (Mar 1, 2010)

I have a few times but generally in the spotlight attached to the garage.


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## steelghost (Aug 20, 2015)

Probably the most I'd attempt in the dark or when it's getting that way would be a pre-wash with Auto Foam and a rinse off with the power washer. Yes, the car wouldn't get "properly" clean, but otherwise I'd be sure to miss a bit and end up being far more annoyed by that than only having done a pre-wash and rinse off.


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## Actrosman (Oct 23, 2013)

I went one better than a torch (but only just) a couple of weeks ago... waxing up the Mondeo in the garage with a work lamp for illumination after the strip light bulb blew when I was half way through it! Good job it had a long cable so I could move it about....white wax on a white car is a bleeding nightmare!



Didn't turn out to bad in the end....



And in the daylight...


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## Naddy37 (Oct 27, 2005)

I've been known to clean the chauffeur work horse at the local Tesco jetwash at 2am!


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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

neilos said:


> I've been known to clean the chauffeur work horse at the local Tesco jetwash at 2am!


In the depths of a dark winter, I'd bring the chariot down to the tesco power wash too. Two buckets in the car, shampoo, selection of cloths, drying towel, and Robert's your mother's brother.

I'd happily wash it in the rain, snow or in the dark - it just so happens that tesco is very close.

Cooks

Sent from my D6603


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## HEADPHONES (Jan 1, 2008)

For the past few years I do more than 50% of my car washing at night so that I can spend more time with the kids during the weekends.
A PIR floodlight outside the house and a small 20w led portable rechargeable floodlight are my light source.
However I will only do a 2bm wash followed by a rinse.
Instead of drying the car I will use 3 two litre coke bottles with a sports cap filled with water from a dehumidifier we use in the laundry room to give a further rinse.
Even though Manchester water is much softer than London I'd still get water spotting without the extra rinse.
Just don't fancy drying at night in case I missed a spot.
Many a time a will bring my mineral free water bottles to the supermarket jetwash along with POWERMAXED Jetwash and Wax in a sprayer, along with another 2 litre sprayer with shampoo and a wheel mitt.
Start by covering car with POWERMAXED.
Then wash my rims with shampoo.
Then high pressure rinse.
Then rinse with my special rinse water.
Job done.

People look bemused at seeing me do a final rinse with coke bottles filled with water AT NIGHT :lol:


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## kingswood (Jun 23, 2016)

Soul boy 68 said:


> Not my style I am afraid, I always wash in day light and if I don't get time I just leave it until I do.


pretty much sure theres no style in washing a car at night! :lol:

thanks for the replies, glad to know im not the only one!

double garage is on the cards for the next move


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## super_cds (Aug 14, 2010)

time to buy a light
http://www.screwfix.com/c/electrica...94|ae0295&cm_sp=homepage-_-promo-_-worklights


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## padhinbed (Sep 2, 2016)

If I had a garage, I would most probably start early evening and continue under cover to dry and wax if needed. Not put off by the dark but more the noise from the PW (I'm not the quickest and it takes me an age to do the wheels followed by bodywork and then I always clean down the driveway and footpath to avoid any snow foam getting on any dog paws)


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## euge07 (Jan 15, 2011)

washing in the dark? whats that 










have 3 100watt led floodlights at my washbay outside my house


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## steelghost (Aug 20, 2015)

padhinbed said:


> If I had a garage, I would most probably start early evening and continue under cover to dry and wax if needed. Not put off by the dark but more the noise from the PW (I'm not the quickest and it takes me an age to do the wheels followed by bodywork and then I always clean down the driveway and footpath to avoid any snow foam getting on any dog paws)


BH Auto Foam in a pump sprayer, never snow foam again :thumb:


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## Choppy (Aug 8, 2013)

Its when the air gets damp and just keeps settling on the car I find more of a problem

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk


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## shane_ctr (Dec 17, 2006)

Ive been thinking this in my old houses i never had a garage just a street light and i never enjoyed doing it as it was impossibly to dry due to getting damp but now having a double garage i have lights on my garage so now i wash in the dark and then pull in to the garage to finish off. 

The only thing that worried me was in the summer i used to wash the car in the evening but would not be using the pressure washer after 8pm but now its dark i feel bad using the pressure washer at 6pm. but my wife said to be fair it sounds loud to you but in the house we can handle here it. 

I like to clean week nights if i can then i can spend more time at weekends with the kids


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## stealthwolf (Sep 24, 2008)

I once SF, 2BM, towel dried and waxed a car at night. We were going to a function the next morning (Saturday) and had to be up and out the house by 7am. So I came home from work and at 7pm did the above.

Nowadays, I'd just snowfoam and rinse at night if required. Otherwise I'd wait for the weekend and do it then, rain or shine.


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## petemattw (Nov 3, 2008)

I've got portable site lights on tripods that i bought specifically for washing in the drk during the winter hours, turns my drive from night into day when I turn them all on! It's like a beacon of cleanliness


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## Actrosman (Oct 23, 2013)

euge07 said:


> washing in the dark? whats that
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Nice motor bud & a fellow truck driver! :wave: Mines not up there with the roar of a side piped V8 unfortunately, more a whimper...... Swedish horses are far superior to bloody German ones! Any other drivers on here I wonder?


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## euge07 (Jan 15, 2011)

Actrosman said:


> Nice motor bud & a fellow truck driver! :wave: Mines not up there with the roar of a side piped V8 unfortunately, more a whimper...... Swedish horses are far superior to bloody German ones! Any other drivers on here I wonder?












thanks pal, although im not a trucker, it is my brothers but I love them as well!

love the grunt out of his, he has the twin pipes and remapped etc:thumb:


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## Actrosman (Oct 23, 2013)

euge07 said:


> thanks pal, although im not a trucker, it is my brothers but I love them as well!
> 
> love the grunt out of his, he has the twin pipes and remapped etc:thumb:


Must be nudging near on 700 now.....and as it's Irish, must have a 'boat mode' on! :lol::thumb:


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## PaulN (Jan 17, 2008)

lol come on most of us know ours cars we could clean them blind folded......


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## Actrosman (Oct 23, 2013)

But be warned....if, like me, you have an old, narrow garage and you're rushing around trying to buff that layer of wax off the last panel before presenting your hard work to the public......duck....or have a t-shirt like this!!


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## shine247 (Mar 1, 2010)

Actrosman said:


> But be warned....if, like me, you have an old, narrow garage and you're rushing around trying to buff that layer of wax off the last panel before presenting your hard work to the public......duck....or have a t-shirt like this!!


:doublesho So the spray on did not just turn your Mondeo pink. Ouch.


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## J306TD (May 19, 2008)

Actrosman said:


> But be warned....if, like me, you have an old, narrow garage and you're rushing around trying to buff that layer of wax off the last panel before presenting your hard work to the public......duck....or have a t-shirt like this!!


Ouch that doesn't look nice. Take it the door won that battle

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S7


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## Actrosman (Oct 23, 2013)

@shine247.... that was the Primal Detail 'white' I was using.....what followed turned the air blue though 
@j306td......not so much the door, more the extra lock!



And a cleaned up wound


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## shine247 (Mar 1, 2010)

Actrosman said:


> [/URL]


That is bad, glad I just watched 31. There is a lot to be said for waring a hat but even then that is a nasty bolt to catch.


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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

Actrosman said:


> @shine247.... that was the Primal Detail 'white' I was using.....what followed turned the air blue though
> @j306td......not so much the door, more the extra lock!
> 
> 
> ...


Good lord mate. That's nasty. Hope you're not too sore!!

Cooks

Sent from my D6603


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## J306TD (May 19, 2008)

Actrosman said:


> @shine247.... that was the Primal Detail 'white' I was using.....what followed turned the air blue though
> @j306td......not so much the door, more the extra lock!
> 
> 
> ...


Ouch mate looks nasty. Get that bolt changed or cut down

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S7


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## Actrosman (Oct 23, 2013)

To be fair, it didn't really hurt....felt just I'd banged my head... I realised it was bad when I rubbed it (cuz everybody rubs summat when it's been bumped right as a god rub makes it all better!!) and felt the warmth of the claret.....within seconds, it was pouring out....wasn't bothered about the path or patio but MrsH was highly unimpressed with it all over the kitchen floor.....I was more cheesed of with the fact it was a relatively new Primani t-shirt....3 bleeding quid in the bin! But....the bolt has gone....and it's been there 5 years and cutting it down was always a 'do it tomorrow' job!


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## Bevvo (Feb 1, 2013)

PaulN said:


> lol come on most of us know ours cars we could clean them blind folded......


You're quite right. Whilst I don't clean in the dark very often, when I do I see it as a way of testing my technique, especially that I don't miss bits. It's a bit of a personal challenge and quite rewarding when I see in daylight the next day that I've done just as good a job.


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## Toto (Oct 6, 2014)

kingswood said:


> got a flyer from work today and thought id wash the car when i get back and give it a spray with some QD. then tuck her up in the garage for a week as be using the wifes.
> 
> but as i left at 4.15 its getting dark.........get home at 4.40 and its darker still
> 
> ...


I would not ever wash one of my clients cars in the dark,so to do my own car in the dark is a big no no,if its waxed or sealed it will be ok.


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## Midlife (Sep 6, 2016)

Actrosman said:


> But be warned....if, like me, you have an old, narrow garage and you're rushing around trying to buff that layer of wax off the last panel before presenting your hard work to the public......duck....or have a t-shirt like this!!


Hope it heals soon, you have just reminded me to hammer the nails poking through my shed roof when it was replaced as did catch my head once and forgot about them... no where near as bad your cut though.
Hope the wife looked after injured you :thumb:


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## Actrosman (Oct 23, 2013)

@midlife....she gave less of a  than I did mate! Kept on about going to get it stitched blah blah but it stopped gushing after a couple of minutes (I don't like to give much away!) so just had a shower (that stung a bit) and forgot all about it! You'll forget about the nails right up until ya bang 'em!


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## RaceGlazer (Jan 10, 2007)

I did my Range Rover last week in the dark, not too bad a job actually, though the handy streetlight over the road helped a lot.
if the weathers awful at the weekend, and it being dark at 4:30 there's not much choice - would rather do it in the dark than get soaked by driven rain.
Here's the beast...with streetlight behind !


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## Adi_328 (Aug 22, 2013)

I'm even more hardcore as I decided to machine polish front wing of my X6 in complete darkness, just using one tripod halogen light. I reckon it went quite well cause it looks equally good in a daylight

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