As the weather outside finally starts to get colder, your vehicle is most likely one of the last things on your mind. You’re ready for the holidays, and the break from school and work, but the winter can have a really harsh effect on your vehicle on both the exterior and interior. Simple steps can be done to prevent extra wear and tear on your car this Winter and ceramic car coating might be a solution for you.

The most common ailment of the winter is snow/ice and salt. As beautiful as it is, snow can cause damage to your vehicle’s exterior. When snow piles up on the hood of your vehicle, it can clog up the windshield wipers. Protect your wipers by making sure they are raised during a potential snowstorm to avoid freezing them to the glass. Also, snow piling up on the windshield can result in poor ventilation. Adding wax to the head and tail lights of your vehicle will reduce the amount of snow, fog, or ice that would normally build up. This will allow your lights to shine brighter, which is very helpful during the winter, as it gets dark earlier. Any type of sealant or ceramic car coating can protect your vehicle’s paint and lights from the snow and salt (we recommend ceramic car coating! Check out our blog post about it.) We also recommend that you steer clear of using an ice scraper or brush on your paint. It can scratch the paint and damage any existing ceramic car coating (if previously installed), which can eventually lead to rust formation and/or swirling.

Lastly, salt from the roads can get mixed up with snow and find its way into your wheel wells and onto the paint. Salt is the main cause of rust, so it is very important to have your vehicle washed as often as possible to remove salt residue. Generally, a vehicle should be washed once every 10 days during the winter to keep the exterior as clean and problem-free as possible. Clay-barring your vehicle can also help in the removal of any environmental contaminants from the vehicle’s exterior, which can lower the chance of developing rust or dull paint.

As far as the interior goes, the problems caused by the season can often be overlooked. When leather gets cold, it tightens, and it could lead to stretching or tearing of the leather. It’s best before the temperature drops too low to apply a leather conditioner to prevent leather rips. In addition, most people tend to have their windows shut and the heat on full blast during the winter. While it definitely is cozy, the heat can expose odors or bacteria that went unnoticed before, so it is still important during the winter to keep your interior clean (for more information on interior purification, check out our blog post HERE).

Your vehicle deserves some extra TLC during the winter. It’s important to check your tires, your fluids, your windshield wipers, and your battery. Keeping your car detailed and maintained throughout the winter will drastically improve the condition of these things, and it will also make driving in the snow somewhat less stressful (because come on…driving in the snow will ALWAYS be stressful!)