Winter Car Care

Winter is the hardest season on a car: road salt and grit on the paint, frost on the glass, steamed-up windows and wet, salty carpets. This range brings together what we use to get through it, from a de-icer and screen wash that copes with the cold to rain repellents, waterless washes for days without a hose, and sealants that make salt and grime easier to wash off.

Where to start

• Clear glass: SOFT99 Glaco Deicer thaws ice on the glass and leaves a water-repellent coating, and a screen wash mixed at its winter ratio keeps the washers working, such as VP-UK Ceramic Screen Wash at 1:5. More in Screen Wash and Glass Sealants.
• Salt and grime: loosen road grime and traffic film with AutoBead Snow Foam before the mitt touches the paint, or use Infinity Wax Zero Water as a rinseless bucket wash when there is no hose. More in Waterless Wash.
• Protection: seal the paint with AutoBead Spray Sealant, rated for up to 9 months, and the wheels with Dodo Juice Wheeler Sealer before the worst weather, and proof a fabric soft top with Dodo Juice Fabricadabra.
• Inside the car: keep the inside of the glass clean with CarPro Clarify and the FibreKing Gold Label glass cloths to cut misting and glare, and work dried salt out of fabric with Dodo Juice Fibre Reviver and a stiff brush.

Good to know

• Avoid washing in freezing temperatures: water can freeze in door seals and locks. Dry the door shuts and seals before you close up.
• Never pour hot water on a frozen windscreen. A sudden change in temperature can crack the glass.
• Use a screen wash at its winter ratio and never top the washer bottle up with plain water.

What is winter car care?

It is the routine that keeps a car safe to drive and easy to clean through the cold months: clear glass inside and out, washers that do not freeze, regular washes to shift salt, and protection on the paint, wheels and soft top so dirt has less to grip.

Related: Glass Care, Paint Sealants, Wheel Sealants, Carpet & Fabric Cleaners.