I've tried the chain waxing, it's OK, but I find in the really cold it flakes off and gums stuff up. Too much effort to be worth it, so I just use a mix of wet and dry lube, which is also supposedly a no-no but seems to work well enoguh for what I have to ride through.
Definitely wash whenever you can. Chinooks are my friend for that. A second wheelset is convenient. For me a big part of it was rim brakes eating through rims in the winter, so I'd be buying sets anyway. Having a clean summer set and an inevitably grimy winter se worked for me, but I also have cheap 26" wheels I could get for $50 or so at the time. I upgraded to disc, so that rim eating issue is better. Maybe not a concern where you ride, but I had a big downhill both directions, and salty grit on brake pads eats them fast.
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