Many are not aware of the toll that winter has on your car’s exterior. During winter, rain, falling leaves, and harsh weather can damage your car’s exterior, leaving your car’s paint job rather worse for the wear.
However, with a few simple steps, you can protect your vehicle from dings and dirt no matter the weather. Here are our best tips on how to protect your car paint during the colder months.
1. Wash Your Car
This seems almost too simple to be true, but washing your car is a crucial first step to protecting your paint. Keeping your car clean helps to prevent debris from building up and corroding the paint. The best time to do this is before it gets too cold, particularly if you are using an old-fashioned bucket and soap.
Washing your car is time-consuming but not complicated. Rinse the vehicle, then wash the body using car shampoo. If there are stubborn stains on the paintwork even after you wash it, you can remove them with a clay bar. To use a clay bar, spray the surface with a lubricant, detailer spray, or even just water. Then, rub stubborn stains with the bar and they will go away.
2. Touch up the Paint
Take a closer look at the body of your car. Are there any existing dents and blemishes on the paintwork? If there are, it’s time to get that sorted. Covering up blemishes is not just important from an aesthetic point of view. Chips and dents could penetrate the first layer of paint and corrode your vehicle, so you want to cover them as soon as possible.
You could consider getting a paint matching kit to try and touch up the paint yourself, but the best solution is to visit an automotive repair company and leave the job to the experts. A reputable vehicle repair company will have the necessary experience and paint matching technology to ensure that paint repairs are done correctly and professionally.
3. Finish with Polish and Sealant
Once you’ve washed your car and touched up the paint, you want to make sure that your work lasts as long as possible. Adding polish on top of your car brings out the smoothest finish. It can also get rid of marks left by the clay bar, swirl marks, and tiny scratches on the surface of the paint.
Instead of polish, you can finish your car wash with wax or sealant (you can also use either of these products after polishing your car). These two substances are thicker than polish. In addition to adding a smooth finish to your car, they form a protective barrier between your paint and debris.
Both sealant and polish take a lot of effort to apply. However, the extra effort is worth it when it comes to protecting your car from winter damage; alternatively, you could get this done professionally instead of doing it yourself.
4. Protect Your Wheels
When preparing your car for winter, many people forget about their wheels. However, your wheels are more exposed to damage from wintery conditions than other parts of your car. Road debris, splashes from water and slush puddles, and brake dust are all possible issues that could negatively affect your wheel’s finish and corrode valuable parts.
Protect the alloy part of your wheels such as the hubcaps by washing off dirt when you finish washing the rest of your car. Once your wheels are washed and dry, apply wheel wax to protect the metallic finish.
5. Take Precautions While Driving
You can continue protecting your paint finish every time you get behind the wheel! As you drive during winter, take extra precautions to avoid skidding on the road and kicking up more debris.
Leave extra distance between yourself and the car in front of you. This is important for your safety so you have space to brake if the car in front has an issue. This will also protect your paint from splashes and debris that the tyres of other vehicles kick up on the road.
Trust The Professionals At Brighton Panel Works
If you’re on the hunt for hail damage repair, car smash repairs or car paint matching services, simply contact the experts at Brighton Panel Works today. For over 50 years, the specialist team has been servicing all prestige car models, including Range Rover, Audi, Volkswagen, Lexus, Volvo, Porsche, Mercedes and BMW. Our clients come from all across Melbourne, including Hampton, Glen Iris, Toorak, Armadale, Malvern, Brighton, Elwood, Elsternwick, Bentleigh East and more.