Winter car care can feel like a full-time job. It requires extra effort to keep your vehicle looking its best inside and out. The addition of winter-related tools and supplies takes up space in your automobile that once was empty. Weather conditions are often less-than-satisfactory to drive in, too.
To prevent unnecessary wear and tear to your vehicle, we recommend upping your car care game. Below are five great tips for keeping your car clean this winter.
Park in the Garage or Under a Carport
Doing so keeps rain, sleet, and snow from beating down on the vehicle. It also makes it easier to start it up in the morning because you don’t need to defrost or scrape frost or ice from windows. Parking under trees with branches that have become heavy with snow is the worst option you have, so look for covered public parking or a spot without trees, if possible.
Keep Winter Emergency Supplies Stored Together in a Bag or Container
There are things that every motorist should keep in their cars during winter. Among those items are blankets, jumper cables, flashlights, thermal gloves, and water. That way, if they do get stranded, they remain safe until someone comes to rescue them. Keeping these items together in a big duffel bag or plastic storage container ensures that you’re never without them when you’re in a bind. It also keeps your car cleaner by having emergency supplies stored together.
Replace Worn Wiper Blades
If there is one thing that you do, make sure that the blades responsible for keeping your windshield clean are in excellent condition. If you do, you won’t run into obstacles in adverse weather conditions while driving that can’t be handled by the windshield wipers. Checking them routinely to make sure that the rubber doesn’t show signs of damage helps tremendously.
Switch Carpeted Mats with Rubber Mats
You won’t track mud, dirt, and snow into the carpeting. Instead, you’ll have the rubber mats you can take out and wash off between drives. It’s a small price to pay to have a cleaner interior. You won’t be stuck spending a great deal of time and money steam cleaning dirty carpeted mats.
Pay Close Attention to the Undercarriage
If you plan on using sealant on it, make sure that it’s not applied to rusty areas. If it is, it can accelerate rusting. If you don’t want to go to great lengths to prepare the undercarriage for winter, you can always spray it off occasionally to remove salt and other debris that has built-up.
Take Charge of Caring for the Interior and Exterior of Your Vehicle This Winter
It may seem impossible to keep your car clean with it raining, sleeting, and snowing. Even the salt put onto roadways and parking lots can take its toll on the exterior of your vehicle. By putting the tips listed above into action, however, you can keep the outside and inside of your car looking nice throughout the coldest weather months of the year.