Winter Car Washing
It’s about the time of year where most Canadians are beginning to “winterize” their vehicles. Winter is by far the toughest season for wear and tear on your vehicle, so it’s important to prepare your vehicle before the season starts. You need to know how to safely clean your car in winter. Cleaning your car in the winter isn’t as glamorous as it is in the summer when you can rock the tunes while you enjoy a pint in one hand with a pressure washer in the other. In this article, we’re going to give you five tips about prepping and washing your car for this winter season.
1. Don’t Use Hot Water to Wash Your Car
This tip applies to cleaning your car in the middle of winter and it’s a very important one to remember. You should NEVER use hot water to hose your car down in the winter. Glass and hot water don’t mix, it can make microscopic cracks in your windshield worse and even shatter the glass. Glass isn’t the only reason you shouldn’t use hot water, hot water can also remove any protective wax that’s been applied to your car. Instead, when you’re washing your car you should use warm water and pre-heat your car beforehand. To pre-heat your car, let it run for 10 minutes and blow hot air on the windshield. Pre-heating your car will stop the water from freezing during or after the wash.
2. Don’t Scrub Your Car
Believe it or not, rinsing your car is actually much more efficient than scrubbing your car. Scrubbing with a soapy brush risks scratching the car with salt, sand and dirt particles. You’re much better off letting the rinsing do the work. You still need to put soap on your car, but the safest way to do this is by using a foam soap gun.
3. Add Winter Wax
While this is less a cleaning strategy and more a preventative measure, adding winter wax is something you should make a priority before each winter season. One of the more popular winter waxes is called carnauba wax, this wax works by repelling water and snow. Winter wax should last around a year depending on how much you apply. Adding carnauba wax is also a good idea before putting your car in storage.
4. Wash Beneath the Car
In the winter months, washing beneath your car is particularly important because there is no protection by any kind of coating or wax. Because of this, it’s very susceptible to rust from salt and constant water splashes. It would be good for you to take a hose to the bottom of your car and wheel wells every few weeks to wash off any built-up dirt and salt. If you don’t think this is feasible, you can purchase undercarriage sprays for around $60.
5. Attend to Your Wipers
Once you’ve cleaned your car, it’s important for you to check your wipers. The best way to do this is by running your washer fluid for 10 to 15 seconds while the wiper blades are in motion. The logic behind this is it allows the washer fluid to soak into the wiper pieces like the hinges to prevent ice formation.
Ready for Winter Driving?
We hope these five tips will help you to better navigate the roads this coming winter!
