Chemical Guys – Prepare Your Car For Winter!

The Corona Virus is really bad, but everything bad has always something good. This new situation saves time for things that often are left behind or postponed. CarCare and Detailing are a part of this.

Now you have the chance to make your car ready for Winter and together with MCG Autos you are sure you start with a SMILE and end with a SHINE!!

With the recent Introduction of Stage 5 Lockdown, now is the perfect time to wash and protect your car.

The colder and wetter seasons bring rain, dirt, frost and salt. All not very good for unprotected paint and bodyparts of your car. In this blog we give you some tips and tricks on how to prep your car for the Winter Season.

 

When car is storaged;
1 Wash and clean the car inside and outside. Birdpoop can etch into paint or chrome / aluminium trim,
breadcrumbs in and under the seats doesn’t need to be there. Make sure all surfaces, seams and
panelgaps are cleaned, rinsed and dried.
2. Ideally choose a well ventilated area to park.
3. If a car is inside for a long time (non daily driver) connect the battery to a maintenance device (CC24)
so the battery and infotainmentsystems stays in top shape,
4. If a car is inside for a long time, change the engine oil and oil filter.
5. If its a convertible with a fabric (not vinyl) thats staying inside for a long time we advice to release
the convertible top lock and with that create less tension on the convertible top.
6. Protect tires with increasing tire pressure 0.5 – 1 bar for the daily driver or when a car stays inside for a
long time use special shaped tire molds that protect tires from deforming from standing still for a long time.
7. Use a dehumidifier in the cars interior to prevent moisture and mold if a car is standing still for a long time.
8. Use a carcover with a soft inside to protect the car against dust, particles and sometimes animals.
9. When a car is standing still for a longtime don’t just start it and let it run, we advise to take it for a trip
every once and a while to warm up all components properly instead of only letting the engine run in neutral.

When car is Daily Driver

1. Wash away the Summers dirt. Make sure to have a high pressure washer, specialized cleaners like
All Purpose Cleaner, Degreasers, Wheelcleaners, clean Wash Mitts, Buckets, Brushes and
Microfiber Towels on hand.
2 When you have stubborn oxidation and contamination on your car you might want to consider using
a claybar and lubricant to remove this.
3. When cleaning pay attention to gaps (and seals) between the bonnet, doors etc, this should be cleaned
rinsed and dried. All dirt and sand need to go out. The same goes for wheel arches, dirt, debris can
nest here and cause future damage when not cleaned in time. Make sure to have a good
All Purpose Cleaner, clean Brushes and Microfiber Towels on hand to get this clean.

4. After cleaning, plastic and rubber parts need to be finished with a (oilbased, lasts longer) dressing of choice
for appearance and protection.
5. In case of scratches on the car’s paint its time for polishing, if you feel like doing check our tutorial videos
on polishing or visit the shop for a demo to consider if this work suits you…
Paint correction is addictive, once mastered you will see swirls everywhere.
6. Almost done? NOPE, after polishing we wipe down with Wipe Out or IPA to prepare for our favorite layer(s)
longlasting sealant or ceramic coating for added shine and protection.
Make sure to have clean Applicators and Microfiber Towels on hand to apply and remove this safely.
7  Before the exterior is done we check up on our work and use a Quick Detailer and a clean Microfiber Towel
to remove evt streaks, dust, fingerprints, to make it perfect.
8. Protect tires with increasing tire pressure 0.5 – 1 bar for the daily driver, due colder temperatures
existing pressure will get lower then in Summer.
9. If you have a daily driver be sure to behave according the (in many countries) Winter Tire Act, this means
be equipped and setup accordingly to weather – circumstances as in Autumn – or Winter.
This can include screen washer fluid, wiperblades, heater and also winter tires.
10.How to recognize winter tires? These are marked on the side of the tire with an alpine – symbol
(older ties with M+S which stands for Mud + Snow)

Its not over yet, the Autumn Cleaning continues in the interior.

11.  Remove all floor mats for a good vacuuming.
12.Vacuum the complete interior, under the seats, in the trunk, also under the spare wheel – compartment)
If so, pls remove Summer ballast like water bottles, beach towels etc free the trunk from unnecessary items.
13.Wipe down doorpanels and dashboard with an Interior Cleaner to remove dust, fingerprints
and shoe – streaks.
14. Windows need to be cleaned streakfree inside and outside with a glasscleaner and 2 waffle weave towels..
15. In case of stains its time to use special cleaners like Lightning Fast Stain Remover and Brushes.
Always rinse and dry afterwards.
16  Also clean and vacuum the interior filter (often behind the dashboard) and spray this with your favorite
car air freshener.

Don’t forget when all is Done & Dusted, make sure to apply a sealent to your paint work to help protect it from the tough Winter Elements!! The extra effort, care & preparation before Winter will mean you have less work to do on your paintwork for spring. Here @ MCG Autos we stock their range of Sealents Incl:

– Hydrocharge Ceramic Spray Coat Sealent
– Jetseal
– Activate Shine & Seal Spray
– Max Coat Wheel Guard Wheel Sealent
– Vitalize Sprayable Sealent

Note proper Detailing takes a lot of time, which is cool since in these circumstances you have time.
The cool thing is you will encouter new situations, learn as you go and achieve results on your car that you held for impossible.

Winter is here, you love your car, always drive clean and enjoy detailing, let’s Protect it & Get that Winter Shine!!

Blog Content with thanks to @ChemicalGuys.EU