How To Protect Your Car's Exterior In Winter

If you live in a wintry region, you are all too familiar with the effects the freezing cold can have on your skin, leaving you feeling chapped and raw on exposed parts like your face and hands. And the snowing and blowing can also damage your home, weathering your paint job, collapsing your roof, and seeping in around the seams. So it should come as no surprise that your car’s exterior is also at risk when the weather outside gets frightful. When inclement weather rolls in, it could be to the detriment of your car. Not only could harsh wind and freezing temperatures strip away coating that protects your paint, exposing your car’s body to rust, but you could end up with dry, cracking weather stripping around windows and doors, as well as brittle windshield wipers. And freezing water could leave you with cracked glass. Hail could cover your car in pockmarks.

There are some things you can’t do much about – after all, no one controls the weather. But you can certainly take measures to protect your car exterior from the ravages of winter weather. You should, for example, keep your car as clean as possible. It’s unlikely that you’ll head out in the freezing cold with a bucket of suds and a shammy. But whenever the weather permits, you should hit up a local carwash to scrub away any chemical de-icers, gravel, or salt that have muddied up your panels and undercarriage since these can all exacerbate the damage inherent to winter weather.

You can do a lot more, though. Before winter strikes in full force, you can have your car professionally detailed to enhance the protective coating that keeps all kinds of weather from permanently damaging your vehicle. A good buffing and waxing will help to keep your paint in shipshape and you should make sure to apply Armor All (or a similar product) to your all-weather radials, supposing you’re not switching to studded snow tires for the winter.

Even better, take the time to clear out some junk in your garage to make room for your car. Keeping your vehicle out of the cold can not only ensure that the engine starts when your put the key in the ignition, but also that the body is sheltered from the freezing rain, sleet, and snow that could damage it. If you have no choice but to park your car outside, however, at least cover it with an appropriate car cover for the season. These simple steps can have a big impact when it comes to protecting your car’s exterior during harsh weather conditions.

However, you might want to go the extra mile, especially if you’ve experienced winter weather damage in the past. In this case you should consider products offered by a vendor like Clear Bra Ohio, which manufactures paint protection film that puts an extra layer between your car and the weather attacking it. If you want to winterize your car, a coat of wax simply might not be enough. By adding this practically invisible layer to various parts of your car you can get the ultimate protection you need to see your vehicle through every season and keep it looking like new.