How Do You Get Mud Out of ATV Plastic?

Keeping your car clean is crucial in the winter months, but there are some major hazards that can get in the way of a traditional car wash. Our freezing temperatures in Grand Forks can leave your car iced up and unfit to drive if you're not careful about your approach. Learn how to care for your car properly in our freezing winter months. more The Hazards of a Dirty Car in Winter The winter months present numerous hazards for vehicles. The very road salt that helps keep roadways clear while you're driving can wreak havoc on your vehicle. Salt accelerates corrosion, so exposure to road salt will cause your vehicle to rust more quickly than it would otherwise. The risk is most prevalent for your car's undercarriage, which is constantly splashed with the briny blend. Critical parts like your brakes and transmission are exposed on the underside of the vehicle, putting them at a greater risk of rust damage. When salt splashes up and dries on your car's coating, it can damage your paint job. Any salt that creeps under the hood (most likely around the seams) can even wreak havoc on your engine. Packed snow and ice present additional dangers. If this accumulates around the exhaust pipe, it could cause carbon monoxide to back up inside the car. Packed snow in the engine may constrict moving parts or otherwise damage the engine. Around the brake pads, packed snow may damage seals and cause brake fluid to leak. If ice seeps in around your car doors or door locks, you may not even be able to get into your vehicle. Properly caring for your car in winter can help minimize some of these hazards, but you'll need to know how to address the problems properly or you may risk worsening them. Preparing Your Vehicle for Cold-Weather Months Preparation and prevention are the best ways to handle cold-weather hazards for your vehicle. You can protect your car from damage by taking steps to winterize it before you're facing the threat of snow and ice. Around Grand Forks, this means getting to work around September. Prepare your car for winter by: Filling any chips in the paint. Leaving them exposed provides an opening for rust to take hold. Applying wax or another protective coating like ceramic to your vehicle. Having the undercarriage thoroughly cleaned. Inspecting your windshield wipers and changing as needed. Checking your tires for appropriate tread and any signs of damage. Repair or replace as needed. Have your oil changed to a product that's optimized for winter. Fill your radiator with a 50/50 mix of water and antifreeze. Clean battery connections and make sure they're tight. Replace your windshield wiper fluid with de-icing fluid. The Dangers of Washing Your Car in Winter Frequent car washes are one of the best ways to remove road salt, ice, and packed snow from your vehicle in winter. However, it's not easy to wash your car when the temperatures are below freezing. In Grand Forks, the average high is below freezing from December through February. The average lows are below freezing from November to April, and you can easily encounter freezing temperatures on occasion outside of this range. Freezing temperatures mean that water can turn to ice while you're working. If you're not careful, an attempt at washing your vehicle could leave it encased in frozen soap and water, which is in itself harmful. Tunnel car washes are no exception. There's little to no protection from freezing here, and you may end up sitting in an icy car that's no longer fit to drive home. How To Wash Your Car in Freezing Temperatures If you're planning a DIY car wash in winter, you'll need to work in a very careful manner. Always choose the warmest day of the week. Wash the car in direct sunlight during the warmest hours to maximize your chances of getting an environment that's above freezing. Wear waterproof gloves to protect your hands from the wet and cold, and work as quickly as you can. Follow these steps to successfully clean off your car when it's below freezing: Drive the car around the block a few times with the heater on high before you begin washing your vehicle. This will help warm it up from the inside out. Fill a few 5-gallon buckets with hot water or connect your hose directly to your water heater. The hotter the water when you begin, the longer it will take to freeze. Rinse the vehicle with warm water. Spray it down with a high-pressure water hose connected to hot water if possible. This spray applies less water to the car, reducing the risk of freezing. Working with one panel at a time, wash the car using warm water and soap that's formulated for washing cars. Rinse the panel as soon as you're finished washing it. Immediately dry that part of the car with a microfiber towel. Have a ready supply of dry towels, as thoroughly drying the car is one of the most important steps. Repeat as you work your way around the car, working in small sections. Pay extra attention to the seams around the hood, the tires and wheel wells, the door handles and locks, and the seams around the doors and trunk. Professional Solutions for Cold-Weather Cleaning A DIY car wash is a great way to protect your car from winter weather, but even the best at-home cleaning can't compare with what you'll enjoy from a professional. Ideally, you will give your car a thorough wash at home once a week and periodically take it in for professional detailing as often as you can manage. This is the best way to get the undercarriage clean and ensure that even the smallest parts of the car are treated for salt and snow. Our service experts at Rydell Auto Group offer expert car cleaning services. We also offer detailing services for boats, motorcycles, ATVs, and even fish houses. If you have outdoor equipment that needs to be cleaned, contact us for an appointment now.

Washing your car regularly is an important way to keep it looking good for longer. You may be thinking that your best option is to wash your car at home, but there are several reasons why this isn't a good idea. Here's a look at why you should avoid washing your car at home. more You'll Waste a Lot of Water Image via Flickr by NNECAPA via CC BY 2.0 One of the main problems with washing your vehicle at home is that you'll end up using a lot more water than a professional car wash requires. First and foremost, you're not likely to have access to the professional equipment used at a car wash to speed up the washing process. This means you'll need more time to wash your car if you do it at home. A related issue is that a standard garden hose uses a lot of water. On average, a hose uses about 10 gallons of water for every minute of use. By contrast, the average carwash requires about 40 gallons of water to wash one car. This means that after just 4 minutes of hosing down your vehicle, you'll be using more water than a carwash would need to finish the job. If you spend 30 minutes washing your car, you'll have used 300 gallons of water on average. This would be enough water to wash your car seven times at a typical commercial car wash. Over time, the cost for the extra water you'd need if you regularly wash your car at home could be considerable. Paying the relatively small amount of money required to use a carwash is likely to prove less expensive in the long run. You'll Wash Pollutants Into Nearby Drains Whether you drive your car on busy city roads, on the highway, or off the beaten track, it picks up a lot of debris, dust, and dirt. Salt, sand, mud, dust, and oil are all substances that can potentially stick to your vehicle's exterior, including the windows and undercarriage. If you clean your car at home, all of this dirt will end up being collected in the nearest runoff drain. Runoff drains in residential areas are not designed to cope with these kinds of substances. In fact, their main purpose is to allow rainwater to be drained off the street or sidewalk whenever the weather takes a turn for the worse. If you contaminate the drain near your home with everything you wash off your vehicle, there's a good chance that it will struggle to cope over time. The drain's inability to break down the substances you've washed off your car can also damage the local environment. You Could Damage Your Vehicle's Paintwork The cleaning products that many people have at home are not suitable for washing cars and may actually cause damage to your vehicle. For example, a typical household soap can dull the color of your car's paintwork by oxidizing the paint. Since most people washing their car at home will do so outdoors, they also face the problem that the sun can dry the soap that's on your vehicle. This can lead to a buildup of residue on your vehicle that won't look good. Washing your car in direct sunlight can also cause spots to be burned in the paint. Even if you plan on using specialty auto cleaning products, these are still likely to be less effective than they would be at a carwash. For instance, you'll probably need to scrub your vehicle with a sponge or mitt, which won't be necessary if you go to a carwash. The added friction caused by your scrubbing can lead to scratches on the paintwork and other damage. What Are the Benefits of Visiting a Car Wash? The biggest advantage you gain from going to a carwash is that it will produce a higher-quality result. The equipment available at a commercial carwash can generate a higher level of water pressure than a normal hose at home. This helps in removing tough dirt and grime that you may not be able to get rid of yourself. Commercial car washes also remove the need for excessive touching and scrubbing of your paintwork. Whether you go to a tunnel car wash or use a different setup, you'll find that most of the cleaning is done by equipment that sprays water and cleaning products from a distance. If brushes are used, they are generally designed to avoid causing damage. As a result, the likelihood of damaging the exterior of your vehicle is reduced. Commercial car washes also have systems in place to safely dispose of the water contaminated by the substances that are washed off your car. They have water treatment equipment that can separate things like oil residue, metal sediment, and other substances that can be damaging to the environment. A further benefit you get by visiting a commercial car wash is that additional services are offered to keep your car looking its best. You can have the paintwork waxed to produce a fresh look. You also may decide to have your vehicle vacuumed. Visit Our Modern Car Wash in Grand Forks Today Now that you know why visiting a professional car wash is a better option than washing your vehicle at home, why not drop by one of our two car wash locations in Grand Forks? At Rydell Cars, we use state-of-the-art technology at our two car wash facilities to produce the best results and keep your vehicle safe. Our foam brushes guard against the risk of scratching your paint, and our optional hot wax treatment can leave your vehicle appearing sparkling and new. Once your car wash appointment is complete, you can take advantage of our complimentary vacuuming service. We also have a detail center to take care of all other cleaning needs. If you have questions about any of our car wash services, don't hesitate to contact our helpful team. We'd be delighted to provide you with the answers to your questions so that you can use our services with confidence.

Taking care of your car involves major repairs, getting a regular oil change, and getting small tune-ups. You can also take care of your vehicle by cleaning it using the best methods, cleaners, and waxes to prevent damage to your paint, glass, and body. Explore these differences between a car wash and an auto detailing so you know which one to get and when. more What's Included Image via Pixabay by DariuszSankowski Depending on where you go and how much you spend, you can expect a rinse, some soap, some wax, and a blow-dry when you get your car washed. At an automated car wash, your car might get the water-only treatment or get some scrubbing from the car-wash brushes. Car washes with actual human operators may use some elbow grease to scrub your tires, your car's backend, and other hard-to-reach spots. And while a car wash is just for the outside, you can also use the on-site vacuum to clean up the interior of your car. However, that might cost extra. When you get your car detailed, you get a good wash and much more. An auto detailing typically includes a thorough cleaning of the exterior, including  the hardest-to-reach spots, plus a detailed cleaning of the car's interior. But that's not all! Your car also gets a good scrub to remove tough substances like bugs, tar, and sap as well as paint touch-ups, small dent repairs, and a wash under the hood. The Steps The most common steps in any car wash, no matter where you go, are as follows: Wet the whole car. Scrub hard-to-reach areas with a brush. Apply soap. Use brushes and/or powerful water sprayers to remove debris and dirt. Rinse. Apply wax or sealant. Rinse again. Air dry, blow dry, or towel dry. While this might leave your car looking really clean for a few days, a car detailing has many more steps to make sure your vehicle is actually clean and to prevent dirt from sticking for a while longer. Here are the most common steps in a car detailing service: Wash the whole exterior of the vehicle: Professionals use foaming soap that softens dirt and special brushes and washing mitts to remove grime. They then rinse the vehicle with clean water and dry it with soft microfiber towels to prevent scratches or water streaks. Scrub the wheels: Since the wheels are often the dirtiest parts of your vehicle, detailing pros will scrub the tires, wheels, brake calipers, and lug nuts to remove all grime. Touch up the paint: The first step here is to use a clay bar surface to completely remove dirt from the clear coat. Then, detailers can polish the paint to remove swirls, scratches, or signs of oxidation, either by hand or using a polishing machine. Wax and seal the car: In this step, detailers add a protective layer to prevent harm to the car's paint from dirt build-up or scratches. Polish the windows, rubber, and plastic parts: Detailers finish the exterior cleaning by polishing the outdoor glass and other areas that need additional cleaning. Vacuum and shampoo the carpets, mats, and upholstery: Using commercial-grade machines, detailers vacuum, steam clean, and shampoo all of the cloth upholstery, including your interior roof. If you've got leather upholstery that needs cleaning, the pros will use the right stuff to do so. Wipe the dash, steering wheel, console, and doors: Detailers remove dust, dirt, pet hair, and crumbs from every surface, including your vents and cupholders. Clean the interior side of the windows and the mirrors: Detailers make sure you can see from every angle. Freshen up the engine bay: This step is typically optional, but a detailer may recommend removing grime, dust, debris, and anything else that might get in a mechanic's way when checking under the hood. How Long It Takes A car wash can take anywhere from a few minutes in an automated car wash to an hour or two if you're doing it yourself. However, car detailing typically takes between two and three hours, depending on how large your vehicle is and how much cleaning they need to do. The Price Going to an automated car wash in Grand Forks, North Dakota, can cost a few dollars for each visit. Some places allow you to pay a flat monthly charge for unlimited washes. At Rydell, we offer a wash in our cutting-edge facilities for as low as $8. Car detailing can cost anywhere from $40 to over $200 with additional cleaning and detailing services. The cost can also depend on how large your vehicle is. Whether You Can Do It Yourself Washing your car yourself can be a fun activity to do with the kids or a meditative solo experience. Though buying the best car-friendly soaps, washing mitts, wax, and towels can cost a pretty penny upfront, you might be able to save money by washing your car yourself rather than taking it to the car wash regularly. But if you want your car detailed, it's best to leave that up to the professionals because of their expertise, special equipment, and attention to detail. Benefits for Your Car While the benefit of a simple, automated car wash is that your car's body looks clean, auto detailing offers many more benefits: Little-to-no risk of scratches or damage to the body. Keeping your car in better shape, potentially improving its longevity and resale value. Better protecting your vehicle from oxidation. Greater likelihood of a spotless clean. When You Should Get Each Done Choose to get your car washed when: You just want a quick clean. You're in the middle of a season when the weather can change at the drop of a hat. Your car is covered in pollen, salt, or sludge from the snow. It's recommended that you get your car fully detailed every four to six months, but the frequency may change depending on where you live, the kind of weather you get, how much you drive it, and how often you wash it. Opt for a full auto detailing when: You've never had it detailed. You've gone more than six months since you last had it detailed. You're between seasons and need to remove the previous season's buildup. You want to sell your car. Rydell Auto Group knows how important your vehicle is to you, which is why we offer our own automated car wash locations and great wash packages to freshen up your vehicle, no matter how big or small. Do you have questions about our car wash, our vehicle selection, or our service options? Contact us today — we're happy to help!