Tough on the Outside: Winterizing the Exterior of Your Car

Living in an area with cold and snowy winters can take a massive toll on your car. Different temperatures, precipitations, and chemicals used to melt the ice on the road can shorten your car’s lifespan by affecting the paint, windows, wheels, and more. Luckily, however, with a bit of preparation, your car will get through the winter just fine and look just as good in March as it did in October. Here are the main exterior parts that need to be prepared for the winter.

The Car’s Body 

The car’s paint is usually the most affected after a long winter. The main reason for that is the salt that is commonly used to de-ice the roads, which can also ruin your car’s color. Luckily there are ways in which you can protect the paint, such as applying a paint coating. It will last up to two years and protect the paint job without any additional maintenance when applied properly. The only downside is if you want the paint coating to work as it should, the body needs to be prepared and polished beforehand.

A quick and easy alternative is using synthetic paint sealants. They last up to half a year, so applying a coating of paint sealant before winter will be enough, and they are much easier to apply than paint coating.

The Windshield and Wipers

Driving on a snowy winter day and not being able to properly see through the car windshield is not only annoying but also potentially dangerous. Luckily there are ways in which you can keep your windshield clean and your wipers working as they should. Having a good ice scraper is crucial for any driver living in an area that’s affected by snow every year and special de-icer sprays can penetrate and break the ice, making it quicker and easier to remove it before heading out on the road.

Of course, after cleaning your windshield, you will need to make sure it stays that way. The only way to do that is by using special anti-freeze windshield wash, allowing you to clean your windows without the washer fluid instantly freezing on the windshield and wipers.

The Tires and Wheels

Although the car’s body and its windows need to be protected from the harsh winter, it’s the wheels and tires that do much of the work. The rubber form which the tires are made from tends to get harder in the winter, so applying a tire coating before the cold season will keep them flexible and as adherent as possible. It’s also important to remember that cold weather reduces air pressure inside the tires, so you will need to make sure they are properly inflated to provide maximum grip.

Cold winters can be difficult, for both cars and people. However, a bit of preparation beforehand can turn a cold and dark few months into a special time of year. So make sure you follow these simple steps for keeping your car looking great all year-round.

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