Can You Wash Your Car In Winter?

By John Funk, November 30, 2021

With the autumn season coming to an end, get ready for colder temperatures, hot cocoa, snow, and family reunions! The winter season can be loads of fun, but it also comes with its fair share of challenges, especially for car owners.

With the extremely cold weather, how can you possibly wash your car in the winter? It’s literally freezing outside in many parts of the globe, so it must be a bad idea, right? Well, think again. The answer might surprise you!

Should you wash your car during the winter?

Freezing temperatures mean freezing water, so why should you even consider washing your car? Wouldn’t it do more bad than good? While it seems like the idea is totally pointless, this isn’t the case at all. During the winter, it’s actually a good idea wash your car. Here’s why.

When it snows, the roads are covered in salt to make them less slippery. However, road salt can be extremely detrimental to your car in more ways than one.

When road salt sticks to your car and is left on for too long, it can cause rust. Salt can be especially dangerous to the car’s undercarriage, especially in parts where metal components are less protected. Apart from making your car look bad, rust may affect your resale value should you decide to sell or trade your car in the future, and if left unchecked can actually damage its integrity.

Washing your car during the winter also ensures road safety. The windshield takes a serious beating during the winter from all that snow and fallen leaves. This results in impaired visibility, especially when you’re driving in the low winter sun. Moreover, sun dazzle is more likely to occur when driving with a dirty windshield, so make sure that your windows are always clean and streak-free.

How often should you wash your car in the winter?

Now that you know the importance of washing your car during the winter months, do you know how often you should actually do it? This actually depends on a number of factors, including the following:

Where do you live? The first thing you should consider is your area. If you live in an area that applies road salt during the winter, consider washing your car every week or at least once every two weeks. However, if you live in an area where road salt isn’t necessarily a requirement, you can go a bit longer without a wash.
Don’t go without washing your car after a big snowstorm. If you want to get salt and debris off your car to reduce the risk of corrosion and damage, this is definitely the most effective way to do it.
Parking space. If you park your car indoors, you should wash your car more often. Frozen slush melts faster indoors, and when it comes into contact with salt, it speeds up corrosion.

How to wash your car in the winter

Know when to wash. Schedule the wash when the temperature is over 40 degrees Fahrenheit. You wouldn’t want to wash your car when the water is freezing, right? If your area has a long spell of sub-freezing temperatures, start up your car and drive around for a while before washing. Additional tip: Wash your car during daylight hours so the sun can help dry the car.
Use the right tools. Spray off loose dirt and salt using clean water and use a high-quality car wash detergent dissolved in water to completely clean off your ride.
Start washing your car! After each swipe on the dirty car, rinse your sponge or microfiber cloth in a bucket of clean water so you can get rid of all the grit and salt, before dunking it again in the soapy water.
Dry your car. Use a clean microfiber cloth or water scraper in drying your car. Be sure to keep your windows smear-free!
Don’t neglect the interiors. Clean the carpets and upholstery using a vacuum cleaner. When necessary, use a specialized carpet and upholstery cleaner to get rid of any deep-seated dirt and stains.
Use a car cover. Once you’re done and your car is completely dry, consider covering it with a high-quality car cover. Using a car cover, whether you’re parking indoors or outdoors, can adequately protect your car from the elements, including moisture, snow, leaves, and tree sap.

Additional tips to consider

Do you want to have an easier and stress-free winter car wash experience? Consider these tips.

Manual vs drive-through. Which carwash provides a better experience? While some car owners may have their own opinions and prefer one over the other, it honestly doesn’t matter. Just remember that when you’re washing your car manually, pay special attention to the car’s wheel wells and underside, since that’s where salt and dirt most commonly hang out. If you go to a drive-through carwash, ask if the service includes an undercarriage wash.
Wax it. Applying a layer of protective wax keeps dirt and the elements away from the paintwork and makes the car surface easier to clean.
Clean ASAP. Clean your car as soon as possible after a snowstorm or when you accidentally drove through muddy puddles. You don’t need to do a thorough clean, though. A quick blast with a hose or pressure washer will do the job. As always, remember to pay special attention to the underside and wheels!

Keep Your Car in Great Shape with Regular Washing and Seal Skin Covers

Regularly washing your car can preserve its appearance and performance, but why stop there when you can still provide added protection without necessarily breaking your budget? At Seal Skin Covers, you can get a high-quality Seal-Fit cover to help keep your ride in excellent condition.

We offer superior quality Seal-Fit car covers at a price that’s hard to beat. Be prepared to be pleasantly surprised since we can surely surpass your expectations.

Are you ready to make a purchase? Or would you like to know more about our products and exchange and refund policies? Pick up that phone and call us at 800-915-0038 so we can help you find the right cover that fits your budget. We’re open Mondays to Fridays from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM EST.