March 14th, 2022 by Sarah Miles

Aside from just choosing a dry day, there are optimum times for washing your car to get the best results and to maximise the protection that car detailing offers. These are dependent on other factors but all fall into the two broad categories of weather and road conditions.

The best times to wash your car according to the weather

Weather is obviously a key influence on when you wash your car but there’s more to it than you might think:

• Heat
  A glorious hot summer day may seem like the ideal time to wash your car but there are several reasons why this is not a good idea. Firstly, if the car is very hot, any shampoo you use may dry on the surface before you have had a chance to rinse it away. This can make it harder to remove, leaving it with a dull film and streaks.
  
  Secondly, if you plan to use snow foam, which is a pre-wash treatment that enables you to remove the bulk of the dirt before shampooing, it may not work properly on a hot car. This is because it needs to cling to the surface in order to grab the dirt. The heat will burst the bubbles in the snow foam too quickly and inhibit its ability to cling.
  

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  You can still wash your car in the summer, even when we go through a hot spell, but do it first thing in the morning or late afternoon when the day is coolest.
   
• Sunlight
  As well as the temperature of the sun, you need to beware of the UV rays, which can cause your car’s paintwork to fade over time. This is not so much about when to wash your car (though the advice above about sticking to the cooler times of the day is worth noting here) but you should definitely consider using wax or shampoo with wax to give your car an extra layer of protection against the sun.
  

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• Rain
  Rain can be acidic and also carry a number of contaminants such as dirt particles and pollen. These can damage your car’s paintwork. It’s a good idea to wash your car after it has rained to remove these contaminates, however, if you intend to use snow foam, wait until the paintwork is dry as it won’t be able to cling to a wet surface.
   
• Cold
  Don’t wash your car in icy conditions as the differential between the cold temperature of the car and the heat of the water could actually cause your windscreen to crack. It can also make it harder to dry the car off, which can lead to watermarks and streaks.
   

The best times to wash your car according to road conditions

Different seasons bring different road conditions, and these affect your car’s surfaces.

• Salt Corrosion
  Salt corrosion occurs mainly in the winter when icy conditions require salt to be spread on the roads to create safe driving conditions. The salt mixes with water, which gets splashed onto cars as they drive. The salt/water combo produces a chemical reaction called oxidisation, which is corrosive to metal. If it’s not removed regularly, it will result in rust spots. Not only on your paintwork but on essential components underneath the car such as the fuel and brakes lines and chassis. This means you need to wash your car more regularly in the winter.
   
• Tar Spots
  You may not have to worry about the issue of salt corrosion so much in the summer, but warmer weather brings its own road-related issue – tar spots. Most road surfaces contain tar, and this softens in hot weather. This sticky tar is splashed onto cars where it forms a tight bond and cannot be removed through washing alone. Don’t worry though as it can be cleaned away with a tar spot remover product so this should be incorporated into your summer car washing regime.

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