Freezing temperatures, snowy and rainy conditions, and dark nights can make it difficult for you to keep your vehicle clean in winter. However, cold weather can wreak havoc on your car’s appearance and even cause damage to some of its components. Therefore, it’s essential that you regularly wash your car in the winter months, even if you dread going outside when it’s cold, wet, and dark. Check out this detailed guide to learn why you need to clean your vehicle in winter and how you can do it the right way.
Why It’s Important to Clean Your Car in Winter
It may seem counter-productive to wash your vehicle in winter because it will get dirty again the moment you hit the road. While this is true, it’s still important to keep your car clean because it offers a number of practical benefits. The following are two good reasons why you should regularly wash your car in the cold months:
Protect Your Car From Damage
During winter, your vehicle will encounter things like grit, salt, and rotting leaves as it takes you from one place to another. These substances and debris can stick to your paint job and leave detrimental deposits behind. This may, in turn, lead to the onset of rust, which can eat away at your vehicle’s exposed metalwork if left unattended.
Salt and moisture are especially harmful to the undercarriage, where metal parts have less protection. If rust occurs there, it can cause all kinds of mechanical issues and significantly reduce the resale value of your car.
Improve Safety
Washing your vehicle in winter also helps reduce your risk of accidents. A windshield that’s dirty, streaked, and covered with fallen leaves can impair your visibility while you’re driving, especially when the sun is low. Sun glare is a more common problem in the winter months because the sun is close to the horizon during peak driving hours. As such, it’s important to ensure that your windshield is clean and streak-free so that you can reduce glare. It’s also recommended that you keep a pair of sunglasses in your car.
How to Properly Wash Your Vehicle in Winter
Due to the extremely cold temperatures and wet conditions, washing your vehicle in winter isn’t as straightforward as it is in summer. However, you’ll be able to give your car a proper cleaning by following these tips:
Turn On the Heat
Before you start washing your vehicle, turn the heat all the way up and switch on both the front and rear defrosters. By doing so, you can slow down the speed at which water freezes on your windows, weather seals, and other components.
Avoid Scrubbing
Instead of scrubbing the exterior of your vehicle, you should just spray water on it to rinse away salt, sand, and debris. Blast winter gunk and ice out of the wheels and wheel wells and thoroughly rinse the undercarriage. This can reduce vibrations and make your car ride smoother.
Also, spray away snow and ice from the area between the hood and the windshield where the wiper blades rest. There’s a vent in this area that allows air to enter the cabin. If ice and slush block this vent, your heater and defroster won’t be able to work properly.
It’s essential to avoid using a wash brush to scrub the surface of your vehicle during winter, especially if ice has already formed on it. Scrubbing can leave scratches on your car’s clearcoat.
Spray Wiper Fluid
After you’ve finished rinsing, get inside your car, close the door, and spray wiper fluid on your windshield. While the wipers are moving, feel free to use a generous amount of fluid. This will allow the fluid to soak into the wiper blade assembly and prevent ice from forming on the wiper blades and arm hinges. Additionally, doing this clears away water that can ice up the openings in the washer nozzle. As a result, your wipers and washer nozzle will be able to work properly to keep your windshield clean.
Roll Down Your Windows
By now, your vehicle should be properly warmed up and ready for this step. Roll each of the windows down about half an inch and open the sunroof the same amount. This can dramatically reduce the amount of ice that will form between the windows and their seals. As such, the windows will be able to operate smoothly without putting extra strain on the window regulator. Close the windows and sunroof after a few minutes or when you’re done washing your car.
Open the Fuel-Filler Door
Ice can form around your vehicle’s fuel-filler door and freeze it shut. To prevent this, open the fuel door and use a clean towel to wipe the area around it dry.
Open the Doors
Open all of your car’s doors and its trunk or tailgate. Then, use a clean, dry towel to wipe the rubber weather seals on the inside edges of the doors and trunk and the ones lining the door openings. This is to ensure that ice won’t form between the seals and the body of your car and cause the doors to get stuck. Additionally, it helps prevent damage to the weather seals, which is likely to happen when you try to forcefully open a frozen car door.
Pull the Door Handles and Locks
While the doors are open, pull each door handle several times so that ice won’t build up within its mechanism. Just a few pulls should be enough to weaken the grip of any ice that’s forming inside the handle. After you’re done with the door handles, spray some lock de-icer into the keyholes to prevent frozen water from jamming them up.
Visit the Rydell Car Wash
It’s essential to clean your vehicle properly in winter because failure to do so can lead to a wide array of problems. If you want to give your car a good cleaning or repair any problems, don’t hesitate to stop by one of Rydell Cars’ dealerships in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.
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