Why you shouldn't wash your car in cold temperatures?
There are many opinions on winter car maintenance. Honest advice varies from suggesting that you wash your car as often as possible during the winter, to the idea that you should avoid automatic car washes to preserve the color.
In principle, just as often as in the summer. Even in winter, wash your car when you feel that washing is good for your vehicle.
Yes and no. The statement that winter dirt – aggressive, salty slush – has an extremely corrosive effect on paint, meaning it should be removed as often as possible, only applies to surfaces that have previously been damaged by scratches or paint cracking. However, intact paint surfaces can easily withstand dirt deposits.
The car's underbody usually doesn't have problems with corrosion: with fabricated seals, improved underbody protection, and the use of galvanized metal, this is only a bigger problem for older cars.
In extreme temperatures below -10 degrees Celsius. You need to avoid thermal shock if the water from the automatic car wash, which is 10 to 30 degrees Celsius, hits parts of the car that have just been exposed to the cold. In the long term, damaged paint surfaces face increased thermal stress.
Before entering the automatic car wash, it is necessary to remove all traces of snow and ice. Because scratching the ice can damage the car's paint!
The same applies in winter: in principle, a simple and inexpensive wash is good and sufficient – it is important to rinse the car well first to remove dirt and prevent paint damage from brushes. Additional and expensive programs with warm wax or underbody protection are not necessary from the car's perspective. But, of course, everyone can decide for themselves how they want to treat themselves and their car.
The most important thing is to have your car checked by a specialist from time to time. Before and after the winter season, damage to the underbody protection can be detected and repaired on a lift platform – in that case, rust doesn't stand a chance.
