With Autumn now here we’re all desperately preparing for winter and the cold, wet condition it brings with it. For car owners, this can be one of the more concerning times of the year with frost, ice, and road salt all playing havoc with the appearance of vehicles and also damaging the paint in the long term. Whether your car lives on the drive or in a garage it’s still important to protect it against these elements. In our opinion, applying car wax before winter is just as important as checking oil, tyre pressure, and lights!

Clean the Grime

Before you can apply car wax to protect your pride and joy it’s important to wash away the dirt and grime that has built up since the last wash. It is not simply enough to rinse off loose contaminants as there are some hard-to-see particles that can fuse to the paint and be invisible to the naked eye, which when trapped underneath a wax layer can cause hard-to-repair damage. Start by using a prewash snow foam, before moving on to car shampooing. This 2-stage process will ensure that as much dirt as possible is removed and the car is primed for waxing.

Polish Away

If your vehicle has some surface marks, it’s a good idea to give it polish before applying the car wax. Whether you choose to use a machine polisher or to complete the job by hand, this can be useful for improving the appearance of scratches and surface marks. As you’re completing a whole wash, followed by protection application, it’s a good time to complete this often-neglected detailing task while you’re in the swing.

Apply

Finally, apply your chosen car wax in circular motions, moving panel by panel to ensure an even coverage that fully coats the car. The more uniform the application the better protected the vehicle will be from salt, snow, scratches, and swirls.