Should I wash your car in winter? And how to do it?
Car Care-an important process, and every driver himself determines for himself what he considers a "clean machine". Someone can not live without daily visits to the car wash, but for someone a layer of dust on the body, this is still not dirt, and so will descend. But if in the summer, the sink still engaged more often, here winter washing causes a lot of disputes. Many argue on the topic: Is it possible to wash the car in the winter? Opinions motorists divided into two camps: some believe that the car in the winter practically does not require cleaning and this should be extremely rare, and the latter with them disagree and contrary claim that the mud in the winter even more than in summer, and washing machine should be regularly
So nevertheless, it is necessary or not wash your car in winter? Let us try to understand in more detail in this issue.
The arguments in favor of the washing machine in winter
In today's urban environment winter frosty weather for a long time we do not associate with the pure white snow, you can often observe the opposite picture-slush and mud on the roads, which is formed due to the active use of various chemicals.
Therefore, supporters of purity in favor of the car wash in the winter often result in some pretty weighty arguments, for example:
- The ride, including winter as machine-groomed and fresh produce, and the driver, and its passengers have all only a pleasant experience in a nice clean car at any time of the year.
- You can not be afraid that if you accidentally touch the body stained clothes.
- It is necessary to regularly get rid of salt and other chemicals, which in the winter is very actively handled in the road that thick can settle on the back of the car along with the dirt, causing corrosion.
The last argument may be considered the most important and significant. Since the washing does help remove corrosive salt mud and thus avoid corrosion. This is correct, as in road formulations typically include technical salt, and it is a very dangerous and aggressive medium for the metal. After mixing with road dirt, snow and salt exhaust products is also able to change its qualitative composition. The result is a very caustic cocktail carcass which destroys rubber, paint body, provokes the corrosion of the metal. All this is a very negative effect on the vehicle's condition.
After a couple of seasons due to constant exposure to chemicals on the body can be detected first small brown dots, which will then grow and grow. In places where there were scratches or chipped even microscopic also formed rust. If time does not take action, then the stains will be to spread throughout the body and the affected area will eventually be very large. Get rid of the rust and corrosion will cost a lot of money as likely to need to completely repaint the car.
In addition, the chrome trim elements, drives, arches and sills, etc. You can also observe a negative effect of salts that are dissolved in the melted water. They usually take the form of dark spots.
Based on the above it can be concluded that the need to wash the car in the winter, at least once a month.
But the opponents of winter cleaning has its reasons, which must also be taken into account. Let's look at there.
The arguments against winter car wash
Among the most common reasons that cause drivers to resist the winter washing can be identified such:
- When sub-zero temperatures, after washing, you can get a frozen lock, frozen door or trunk, as water often falls through the cracks, and wipe dry all very difficult. Minimize the risk is possible only through the use of special tools.
- After washing in cold weather increases the risk of cracking in plastic and rubber elements (esealing of windows and doors).
- Because of the temperature drop during cleaning paint coating can crack, the gap is hammered into microscopic water which is then transformed into ice, which would further fracture the paint on the body surface.
In addition, even with the corrosion is not so clear. When viewed from the perspective of a chemical, the corrosion-a process in which ion exchange takes place between the ions of salts in solution (road mud and slush) and metal atoms of the vehicle body.
And, of course, that the rate of occurrence of such chemical reactions depends on the ambient temperature: the higher it is, the process is faster. That is, in the cold, when it's below zero temperature, rusting cars will be almost no, even if it is completely covered with mud with an admixture of chemicals and salt. This process will be activated when the temperature rises, when the court will start the thaw.
With these factors in mind, we can conclude that in the winter the car wash should be very careful, it is generally not recommended doing at a steady sub-zero temperatures. Since the damage can be applied. But in a relatively warm, above-zero weather, the body is better to keep clean. If you really need to wash your car in cold weather, it is recommended to do it on the washers, which are located in heated areas, such as underground parking lots.
How to properly wash your car in winter?
No matter what part of the drivers did not take the car owner: the supporters of winter washing or opponents, sometimes even in this period, it may be an urgent need still to wash the car. That all went smoothly and did not carry negative consequences for the vehicle, make sure everything must be done correctly, in addition it is important to know at what temperature to wash the car in the winter. Therefore, in the washing machine in cold weather, it is necessary to follow some recommendations:
- To wash the car it is only necessary to use special means, optimally suited quality active foam. It should be applied and for a few minutes left on the body, means will actively work, removing surface layers adhering to aggressive chemical mud.
- Be sure to wash not only the upper part of the car, except paintwork, must be spotless of dirt and other more vulnerabilities: arches, sills and bottom. About the latter is often overlooked, but it is there you can often find a thick layer of salt deposits adhere to it all must have to clean, to avoid corrosion.
- Remember that it is not recommended washing your car in the winter outside in the cold. If the thermometer dropped to -10 degrees or lower, it is better not to hurry up and wait in the street does not become warmer. With a small red car wash machine is allowed, but not outdoors. The vehicle should be driven into a heated garage, where zero temperature. There you can easily wash your car, polish the body, etc.
- it is recommended to use warm water to wash the winter-in any case, not cold, not hot. The cold will quickly become an ice crust in contact with the cold metal and warm can lead to the fact that due to very extreme temperatures begin to crack the paint, or even may break the windshield.
In addition to direct cleaning, it is important to carefully carry out the machine after processing. This will avoid possible problems that may arise due to the water that remains on the surface. After water treatment is absolutely necessary:
- to completely dry the body, as well as spotless all the windows and doors, it is important that the cold did not freeze anything.
- to blow the door handles and locks, as well as the mechanisms of glass lifting and rotating mirrors.
- car body and rubber seals additionally be treated with wax and special protective equipment.
What do I do if the car owner is not a warm garage, where you can wash the car?
In this case, as there are quite a simple solution-dry car wash. The peculiarity of this method is that the water here is not used. Only it is necessary to consider that this option does not help to cope with raids thick mud, it can be used for not very dirty vehicles.
It is best in this case to turn to professionals. In this case, be sure to check that after the procedure, all the movable elements (locks, mirrors, etc.) were treated with a jet of air under pressure, and the body was carefully wiped.
Following these simple rules will help to reduce the negative impact of aggressive chemicals on the body of the vehicle. And it's better than not washing the car. Especially, now the winter frosts are infrequent, but the mud and dirt on the Ukrainian roads is observed for almost all of the winter months.
If you do decide to wash your car in the winter, in our online store you can 130.com.ua buy high pressure washer in Kiev, Kharkov and Odessa, with delivery across Ukraine. This is a very convenient tool, they can collect the warm water and carry out all the necessary procedures. The main thing to follow the rules, and then wash will only benefit.