You generally want to avoid washing your car at or below freezing, and especially once temperatures drop into the low 20s Fahrenheit or below −5-5−5 °C.

Quick Scoop: Safe Temperature Ranges

  • Best/safest: Above 32 °F (0 °C). Water won’t instantly freeze, doors and locks are less likely to seize, and soap and wax work properly.
  • “Maybe, but be careful”: About 20–32 °F (−6-6−6 to 0 °C). It can be done if you use a heated/indoor or touchless wash, work quickly, and dry very thoroughly, but you still risk frozen doors, seals, and ice on the ground.
  • Usually “too cold”: Below about 20 °F (−6-6−6 °C). Many detailing and insurance guides say to avoid washing at these temps because water can freeze on contact, trap salt and grime in ice against the paint, and lock doors, latches, and wipers.

Why “Too Cold” Matters

  • Frozen doors and locks: Water in door seams, locks, mirrors, and window seals can freeze and leave you unable to open the car or move mirrors and wipers.
  • Ice stuck to paint: If water freezes on the body, you can end up with ice sheets holding salt and dirt against the clear coat, which over time can etch and corrode.
  • Products don’t work right: Wax and some sealants don’t bond well in cold weather and can leave streaks or poor protection if applied below about 40–50 °F (4–10 °C).

A winter-specific example: If it’s 25 °F (−4-4−4 °C) and cloudy all day, most consumer sources consider that borderline or too cold for a driveway wash, unless you have warm water, a place for runoff to drain safely, and time to dry every crack and crevice.

Practical Rules of Thumb

  • Aim for above freezing for several hours in a row , especially if you’re washing at home.
  • If temps hover just below freezing but the sun is strong and the car wash is heated and has blow-dryers, a quick touchless or automatic wash is usually okay as long as you drive afterward to sling off remaining water.
  • Skip washing when it’s bitterly cold (single digits °F or below) unless you have a heated garage and can get the car fully dry.

So in everyday terms: it’s typically considered “too cold” for a normal car wash once you’re below about 20 °F (−6-6−6 °C), and it’s safest and easiest any time you’re clearly above 32 °F (0 °C) for a good part of the day.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.