October 25th, 2022 by Sarah Miles

5 top tips for cleaning your car during the coldest months of the year

Winter weather obviously has an impact on driving conditions, but did you realise that it also influences how and when you should be washing your car as well?

Here are 5 tips for keeping your car clean in the winter:

1. Beware of salt corrosion
   
   Salt corrosion is a particularly troubling winter challenge as it’s caused by the salt that is added to roads to prevent them from freezing in very cold weather. The salt that is applied as brine or in grit mixes with water and splashes onto cars as they drive. The salt and water combination then causes oxidisation, and this becomes corrosive, which will ultimately result in rust.
   
   The best way to prevent this is simply to wash your car more regularly. If you keep on top of the cleaning, it will wash the salt away and no harm will be done. You don’t need any specialist products; just regular car shampoo will do the job. If you use a wash and wax shampoo, the wax will add a little protection to the paintwork as well.
   

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2. Don’t wash your car when it’s wet
   
   Obviously, most people would choose to wash their car when the weather is dry, but you should also make sure the car is dry too if you plan to use products like snow foam. That’s because snow foam won’t cling to the paintwork properly if it’s wet, it will just slide off. Without a period of contact, it can’t grab the dirt and it won‘t work properly.
   
   Obviously, this means allowing it to dry (or dry it off manually) after rainfall but also morning dew or melted frost.
    
3. Don’t wash your car when it’s very cold
   
   Just as you shouldn’t pour hot water onto frozen windscreens to de-ice them, due to the risk of cracking, the same applies to washing very cold cars with warm water. The difference between the two temperatures puts the glass under too much pressure too quickly and this is why it can break, especially if there are any points of weakness, such as scratches or chips. Cold temperatures can also affect the performance of snow foam.
   
   The warmest part of the day is usually in the middle of the day so during a very cold spell, try to clean your car then but still check that it’s well above freezing.
    
4. Extra dirt particles increase the risk of scratching
   
   Winter weather, generally makes everything dirtier. Wetter conditions mean that dirt is splashed onto cars from the roads and dirt particles tend to stick to paintwork more. Washing it off is essential but just be careful not to rub those dirt particles across the surface as this can cause micro scratches to the paintwork.
   
   The safest way of avoiding this is to use snow foam first. This is a pre-wash treatment that you spray on with a pressure washer. It’s a thick foam that clings to the surface and ‘grabs’ the dirt. You don’t use contact cleaning at all at this stage, just rinse it away and most of the dirt will come away with it before you do any wiping or rubbing. It’s also a good idea to use a microfibre cloth rather than a sponge as sponges can collect dirt particles in the holes and move them across the car.
   

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5. Increase the frequency of washing
   
   Because of all the things we’ve mentioned so far; salt corrosion, bad weather, increased dirt etc, you will need to wash your car more regularly during the colder months. As well as salt and dirt, more rain can mean more acidic content, and this won’t do your paintwork any good if left in contact for a while.