If you have the Expedition rack and ladder, how are you washing your Defender? It can't go through an automated car wash (right?).

For some reason where I live in PA, there are no do-it-yourself car washes (with the high pressure hose and brush). The old garden hose in the driveway doesn't seem to have enough oomph to get off some of the salt/grime (thinking ahead to next winter).

 

I use an automated car wash. Contactless. Leave the MaxTrax up there too and even skis when season permits. A bonus free coat of wax.

 

The old hose and bucket method in warm weather and then a touch less automatic or DIY wand wash in Winter does the trick.

 

I had a crossbar/bike rack assembly ripped off the roof of my X3 by a car wash that swore they would push the button to keep the overhead brush from dropping down. The rack got caught in the brush fabric strips and slammed against the roof and hood of my car several times before it was thrown clear. Almost $4,000 of damage (that the car wash paid for, of course).

But that's why I didn't order an expedition roof rack for my Defender (expected in August or maybe later). I'll get the cross bars, but I'll remove them before I put it through the wash.

I live in the snow belt, and we put salt on our roads in the winter. I want to be able to drive through the kind of car wash that cleans the underside of the vehicle - brush and bucket, or the do-it-yourself stalls with hose and wand are fine in the summer, but won't help clear salt in winter.

 

Get a cheap pressure washer and do it yourself. I will put every vehicle I have thru a car wash, no questions asked. But none of them do I really care about in the same way. The Defender - hand wash only. I'll take it to a DIY wash to knock the big stuff off first after off-roading, but you say that's off the table. If it were, I'd be investing in an inexpensive pressure washer. Guarantee you'll find a LOT more uses for one after you get it!

 

I can't speak to ladder but.. washing under the expedition roof is quite the fun project. Only way I've been able to get it done is a detailer/hand wash or doing it myself. The touch free auto car wash I go to leaves stripes of dirt on the roof when I've tried it. But I can confirm the expedition roof does just fine in a car wash. (the rubber crossbar strips stay in, no issues there)

 

My preferred at-home method, with rack or not. (Note, keeping a step ladder, bench or some type of raised platform close by goes a long way to reaching the roof.)

- rinse whole truck well with pressure washer on a moderate pressure setting
- foam the whole truck with a good foam cannon and quality foam soap (i use ammo) starting on the roof
- when done, hit the roof again one more time with another pile of foam until canon runs out
- let sit for a few minutes (in the shade)
- take the pressure washer to the whole truck again for a rinse
- dry with big boi or good leaf blower
- towel dry last bits, door jambs, etc. Maybe a little rinseless wash on a microfiber used sparingly to deal with a bug or missed spot.

I can do the entire truck in under 15 minutes and barely have to touch it, assuming I don't want to spend a lot of time on rims. (Some quick release connectors on foam canon and pressure washer go a long way.)

Caveat is this method is only good if you do it routinely and is not great if there's a lot of dirt buildup. For heavy duty washing, I'll go with the two bucket method. But that is a pain with the roof rack.

Invest in a decent pressure washer, foam canon, and dryer. And this method (like all washing methods) works even better if the truck is wrapped and/or ceramic coated.

Mike_F's point above about snow/salt is a good one. OK, I'll stop now. Good luck!

 

Great recommendations, sj24k.

I actually have a pressure washer; I use it on the lawn furniture in the spring to get a year's worth of grime off.

But at the time of year when I would need to pressure-wash the underside of the car, my driveway is either ice or slush - not something I feel like kneeling down in.

All good advice from everyone, though!

 

Here is what works for me. The pressure washer is perfect for most needs, just put car wash liquid into the reservoir, put on the suds/foam nozzle after first rinsing and it layers a nice coating of suds all over. Then I use the telescoping microfiber wand to reach all areas quickly, and to answer the question about getting under the Expedition rack, the low profile of the telescoping wand slides right under the rack allowing you to reach the entire roof easily. What used to take me a couple of hours with a bucket and sponge and ladder now takes 30-45 minutes. The wand comes with several machine washable pads, so I use one to wash, and put on a dry one to get most of the water off initially, fast. Then I go to a microfiber towel to finish and get any water spots. The pressure washer is great for blasting the wheels and tires, and reaching up under the wheel wells and underbody.

 

That Sun Joe is a good option for car cleaning and light power washing. I don't recommend it over a gas powered unit if you want to use it for other pressure washing tasks (driveway, etc.) as it doesn't have enough pressure. But for cars, it's a great option.