Most people don’t think about detailing their cars during the winter months since the car will be covered in snow and dirt anyways but that is the reason why car detailing is even more important. During the snowy months, the roads are covered in salt, dirt, and rocks. If you’re car’s paint is not protected, you’re at higher risk of getting rock chips, clear coat damage, and rust. Even if you don’t drive the car a lot and it’s parked outside, the body of the car can still rust and drastically reduce its value.
Here are some tips on keeping your car clean and protected during the winter months:
1. Go Waterless – If there is snow and ice on the ground, chances are that your water hose is frozen. You can either go to an automated car wash every other day and risk getting your car damaged from the harsh brushes. If you have a dark colored vehicle, swirl marks are almost guaranteed after a car wash.
You may have heard about a waterless car wash system. The question you may be asking is if it actually works. If done properly, the answer is YES. My personal favorite product is the EcoSmart Waterless Car Wash & Wax. This allows you to wash and wax a dirty vehicle without the use of water and leaves no scratches or residue. In one simple step, your car is clean, waxed, and you helped save about 40 gallons of water per car wash.
2. Sealant – After a car wash, most people follow up with a wax. That’s good and all but only for a few weeks or so. Unless you want to wax your car every month, your best option is to use a sealant. I personally like JetSeal 109 from Chemical Guys. Not only does it give your car that wet, glossy look, but also protects the paint from the elements for 8-12 months.
3. Paint Protection Film: There’s nothing worse than getting rock chips on your new ride. In the past, people used the black leather bras on the front of their cars. Seemed like a great idea at the time but what we’ve found is that dirt still found it’s way underneath the cover and ended up doing more damage to the paint. Not only that, but it was difficult to put on and looked really ugly.
Now, you can put a nearly invisible protection film on the front of your car which protects against rock chips, bugs, UV rays, etc. 3M and Xpel film have a clear coated top layer so it can be waxed with the rest of the vehicle. It is also widely recognized by insurance companies so if by any chance your car is ever at the body shop, that’s all covered as well.
All of the things I have described above can be done at the comfort of your own home but sometimes having a professional doing the work is also recommended.
If you have any questions feel free to contact us! Chotime Vehicle Wraps is the Poconos premier location specializing in vehicle film protection and styling. Located in Stroudsburg, PA.