With winter just around the corner, you may find that in the newspapers or on television, someone will do an article telling you to prepare your car for winter. Usually this involves checking the washer bottles and topping up with antifreeze.
What is seldom mentioned is that winter is the time that most damage and corrosion happens to your car. Your car ages in winter. In fact, we estimate that the majority of the wear and tear of a car’s aging happens in the winter.
It’s hardly surprising when you think about it. The roads are wet most of the time and coated with salt and grit and all this sprays up and sticks to your car, harbouring pollutants such as metals and acids.
It’s not just your exterior which suffers from the winter. Moisture, dirt and salt gets into your carpet, adding wear and tear to the carpeting and promoting mold and mildew growth. Not only does this look and smell bad but can be harmful to your health.
Detailing your car before winter sets in can protect it from the worst of the damage. We begin a detailing by using a pressure washer which blasts dirt and grime from all the little nooks and crannies. This dirt harbours all the nasty stuff which causes corrosion and rust and it is essential that it be removed. Regular washing by hand just can’t get to it, and automated car washes tend to add to it by pushing dirt into the hard to get areas.
Next, we attend to stone chips and scratches because these break the paintwork. The paintwork is not just there to look pretty, it’s the last line of defence against rust… and unless you apply a good quality wax or sealant, it’s the only line of defence. These protect your paintwork so that your paintwork can protect your bodywork.
Then we shampoo and/or vacuum the interior. The less dirt in your upholstery, the less the abrasive effects. Keeping the levels of dirt down will extend the life of your upholstery. Adding a protectant such as Scotchgard will also further protect the fibres because it is a coating.
All of the above are a worthwhile investment because they will protect your car, helping it to maintain its value and stay younger looking (despite being asked, our treatments only make cars look younger, not people).
There are other detailing services we can provide which will make the winter pass more easily. Rain X and Aquapel glass treatments will repel water from your windows, increasing visibility and an air freshener helps keep that damp smell at bay.
