It’s important to upkeep the maintenance of your car at all times, but even more so when the winter months arrive. One of the main reasons for this is the salting of roads, which melts the ice that causes slippery and dangerous conditions during freezing temperatures. Although this is good for your safety, the salt is not good for your car as it causes corrosion and rust. Luckily, there are a few simple steps you can take to counteract these unwanted effects.
Wash Your Car Regularly
Although it’s always advisable to wash your car regularly, you should be especially vigilant in doing so during the winter months. If possible, aim to wash your car at least once every two weeks to prevent the onset of corrosion. Here are a few tips you can follow to obtain the best results:
- Rinse first: It’s important to rinse your car thoroughly with fresh water before washing. If you apply soap water directly to dry paint, you may end up grinding the salt into your car’s paint finish and scratching the surfaces.
- Use car shampoo: Use two buckets during the washing process and fill one with a wash solution and the other with fresh water. Wash the car from the top down with a mitt, which you should rinse in the bucket with fresh water before dipping it in the wash solution again.
- Dry the car: As the last step, use a microfiber towel to dry all the areas of the car thoroughly to ensure that no parts freeze overnight.
Wax Your Car
Waxing is one of the most effective ways to prevent corrosion and damage to the paint finish of your car. Although you should ideally apply wax to your car’s exterior about three to four times a year, the most important time to do so is just before the onset of winter.
As a first step, go over the exterior with a clay bar to get rid of any bonded contamination on the paint’s surface that the wash did not remove. If your car’s paint finish is scratched or a bit damaged, you can apply a polishing compound to smooth out the surface. Finally, apply the wax, using gentle overlapping motions.
Pay Attention to the Undercarriage of Your Car
Apart from tires, a car’s undercarriage is the part of a vehicle that’s most susceptible to corrosion and rust as it’s close to the road surface. The undercarriage of a car mostly consists of unprotected metal components that can quickly become rusted or damaged. This can cause mechanical issues in the long run. Although it does help to regularly rinse the undercarriage with a hose or a pressure washer, you should also have this part of your vehicle properly cleaned and sealed by a professional car cleaner at regular intervals.
You may not be able to prevent all the wear and tear on your vehicle during the winter months. However, these three simple steps will go a long way in ensuring the longevity of your car.
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