4 Mistakes You Might Be Making This Winter… and why they’ll cost you money this spring.
December 10, 2009
Can you hear it? Winter’s right around the corner and that rustling sound isn’t the last of the fall leaves. It’s dollars flying out of your wallet as the winter takes its toll – with all its rain, mud, snow, ice, road de-icer, gravel and grime – on your car.
What should you do? Let’s think ahead a few months…
Come spring time, when you get around to cleaning your car, here’s what you can do now to make that job much easier and cheaper:
1) Give your car’s paint a fighting chance through the winter with a coat of wax to protect the finish. A good wax is your paint’s best friend when it comes to repelling the nastys of winter. Get your car thoroughly waxed now so you won’t have to pay a detailer extra to polish the oxidation or to remove other stubborn contaminants.
2) During winter your car should be washed weekly, but at least every-other week to prevent the build-up of contaminants on the paint. This is especially true for your wheels. That gray brake dust sitting on your wheels is right now etching its way permanently into the coating. Investing the time and expense throughout the winter will save you even more than if you need to have a detailer clean the stains you just can’t get out.
3) Visibility is very important during the dark, wet winter months. Check your headlight lenses to make sure they’re still clear. If the plastic is fading, hazy or turning yellow you should have them looked at by a professional detailer. If needed, a detailer can restore the clarity of the lenses to maximize headlight output, and at a fraction of the cost of buying new lights. You’ll be much safer during the dark days of winter.
4) Continuing with visibility and saving money, now is the time to fix any rock chips in your windshield. Drastic temperature changes cause seemingly dormant chips to split out into large cracks with no warning. That chip may have sat there all summer and fall just minding its own business. In fact, you probably don’t even notice it anymore. But one of these cold winter mornings when you hit your defroster that chip will scream to life and make a sound, that’s right, the sound of money flying out of your wallet.
Keep your car looking its best during the winter months and your spring cleaning can be a breeze.
Fresh Start Detail's sign, December 2008
