Washing your car in the winter is almost more important than in the summer.
When freezing temperatures hit, salt is spread on the roads to melt the ice, and salt is also known for its ability to corrode metal. Large temperature fluctuations and humidity add further threats to your car.
The Finnish winter is one of the toughest times for a car's paintwork and undercarriage. So, how can you keep your car in the best possible condition throughout the winter?
How to prepare for winter?
Changing to winter tires and putting an ice scraper in the car are part of every driver's basic routine. However, preparing the car's exterior against salt and frost is often forgotten.
When it is not yet -20 °C and 30 cm of snow outside, it is a good time to protect the car's paintwork while changing your tires. The best way is to clean the surfaces thoroughly and protect them with a high-quality coating or wax. See also our checklist: Getting your car winter-ready.
When changing from summer to winter tires, wash the wheel arches thoroughly and check the condition of the parts. For example, Fure Snow Foam is suitable as a cleaning agent. Once the surfaces are clean, it is easy to spot if any part has started to rust or if, for instance, the brakes need servicing.
Once this is taken care of, you can install the winter tires and move on to the paintwork. You can find instructions on how to wash your car properly in our article: Thorough car washing. After washing, it is worth protecting the car with high-quality wax or a professionally applied coating. If you are wondering which protection would be best, contact us or our retailers and ask for a suitable wax for your specific car!
How do I maintain the car throughout the winter?
As mentioned, washing your car in winter is almost more important than in summer. To ensure that the work you did in the autumn does not go to waste, it is worth washing the car regularly during the winter as well.
If winter grime is left to sit on the car's surface for a long time, it adheres strongly to the paintwork, and washing it off in the spring becomes a real challenge. A common problem is where to wash the car in the winter when the weather outside is so bad you wouldn't even want to go fetch the mail.
There are many DIY wash bays in Finland where you can wash your car in the warmth without the detergents freezing on the paint surface. If you don't want to wash the car yourself, look for the nearest company that offers detailing services.
How often should you wash your car?
There is no fixed interval, as it depends a lot on your driving habits and how dirty the car gets. However, we recommend washing the car at least once a month during the winter.
Why aren't automatic car washes enough?
This is a debated topic. Automatic car washes have their pros and cons. Washing is easy, and you don't even have to get out of the car.
The car gets about 90 percent clean, and for some, that is enough. But think about the thorough cleaning you did in the autumn and the wax you applied to the surfaces. Automatic car washes use strong chemicals to remove all dirt – no one would use the machine if it left streaks of dirt on the paintwork.
However, these chemicals also tend to remove the wax from the car's surface. In addition, door jambs and wheel arches remain uncleaned. A lot of salty dirt accumulates in them during the winter, which can become ingrained and start causing rust if it is not cleaned off regularly.
In a DIY wash bay or at a local detailing shop, these areas get cleaned and dried, so you don't have to worry about them. Read also: Washing the car's undercarriage.