Is winter a good time for mobile car detailing? North York and Toronto area winters can get pretty harsh and proper car detailing is an important part of keeping your vehicle road ready. While it is often recommended that you get your car detailed before winter, that does not mean you should wait until spring just because there is snow on the ground.
Detailing your car in winter can improve safety, your comfort and help reduce wear and tear on your car. In this blog we will look at why car detailing is so important in winter, what you can expect from your winter car detailing and everything you need to know to ensure your car is ready this winter.
In this blog you will find:
- Exterior Auto Detailing: Why is Exterior Car Detailing in Winter Important?
- Interior Car Cleaning: Why Should You Detail the Inside of Your Car in Winter ?
- Benefits of Winter Mobile Car Detailing
- How to Wash Your Car in Winter After Mobile Car Detailing
- How Often Should You Get Your Car Detailed and Cleaned in Winter?
Exterior Auto Detailing: Why is Exterior Car Detailing in Winter Important?
Exterior detailing is especially crucial in winter. The exterior of your car has to put up with a lot during the colder months as a sludge of snow, dirt and damaging road salt all work to compromise your car’s paint job, tires and even the underside of your car. Here are the top reasons for auto detailing in North York and Toronto:
Rust Protection: While new cars tend to be quite resistant to rust, they are not completely immune. This is especially true if your car’s paint is scratched. Salt on the road in winter can cause both scratches and corrosion which promote rust. Thorough detailing helps to get rid of this risk.
Remove Hidden Dirt: While you can wipe down your car and it will look better, you are likely missing much of the most harmful dirt and salt. Salt and debris can get trapped in your wheel wells, door jambs, around headlights and other hard to see and reach areas. Professional detailing is often the only way to remove this all.
Improve Windshield Clarity: You may think your windshield is clean enough but it likely has some dirt buildup. When combined with poor winter conditions, any excess dirt can further impact visibility. Specks of dirt and debris on your windshield can also prove distracting as you are driving.
Improved Traction and Tire Health: One of the most important areas to detail is your tires. Tires perhaps have the hardest job of all during the winter as they have direct contact with the road. Because of this, your tires need all the help they can get to function. Detailing will clear away any dirt that could be reducing traction or causing additional wear on your tires.
Spot Signs of Trouble: One unexpected benefit of car detailing at any time of year is that professional detailers are more likely to spot issues with your car early. They may find scratches you did see, flat or damaged tires, and more. Catching these issues early helps you avoid finding them later on like when you are already on the road.
Interior Car Cleaning: Why Should You Detail the Inside of Your Car in Winter?
Many car owners who have never had their car detailed assume that detailing is more for the exterior of the car. However, though exterior detailing is very important to your car’s well-being in the winter, interior detailing also has advantages in the colder months.
With interior detailing, your car is expertly cleaned in even the most hard to reach areas. Eliminate crumbs trapped in seat creases, sticky cup holders, dirty floor mats and signs of wear on your car’s interior. Detail the interior of your car this winter for these advantages:
Eliminate Odors: Between fabric seat covers and carpeting on the floor or your car, there are plenty of places for funky smells to get trapped. Food smells, smoke and even pollution from the outside air can create unpleasant, stale and musty odors. With a thorough cleaning, your car will be noticeably fresher. Professional grade products are used to safely and thoroughly remove these odors, leaving behind a clean, fresh scent.
Improve Air Quality: Along with removing odors, cleaning your car’s interior fabric can eliminate allergens and improve air quality. This is especially important when you are driving with the windows rolled up to avoid the cold air outside.
Protect Leather Seats: Both fabric and leather seats can take a beating in the winter but leather seats are under multiple attacks. Salt stains, fading from bright sunlight, moisture from snow and general wear can all affect your seats. Cold weather can also increase the chances of your leather seats cracking as the material is less pliable in frigid temperatures. With expert car detailing, your leather seats will be cleaned of stains and a conditioning solution can be applied to help keep them supple and looking nice throughout the season and beyond.
Freshen Fabric Seats: Fabric seats will benefit from odor elimination along with removing salt stains and reapplication of stain guard as needed. This can help to make your interior fabric last longer and be more comfortable.
Clean Carpet and Floor Mats: Winter is especially harsh on the floor of your car. During this season you are more likely to track in mud, snow, salt and other debris. This can make your floor look bad and wear out faster. With thorough mobile car detailing, the floor of your car will be restored to like-new condition. Maintaining this area of your car can help you avoid rips and tears which can lead to even bigger issues.
Benefits of Winter Mobile Car Detailing
For many car owners, one of the biggest barriers to properly caring for their car is that they do not have the time to take their car in. With mobile auto detailing car owners can have the convenience they need while also caring for their cars. Expect these advantages when you choose car detailing in North York and Toronto:
Convenience: With mobile auto detailing customers get the ultimate in convenience. Our mobile car detailers will come to you and detail your car around your schedule.
Safety: During a cold winter, the last thing you want to do is get on the roads. Avoid traffic and poor weather by letting our professional car detailers come to you.
Easy Scheduling: unlike car detailers who only work out of brick and mortar location, mobile car detailing gives you extended hours to schedule your car detailing.
Affordability: Compared to traditional car detailing shops, mobile car detailing is often more affordable since overhead costs are typically lower for a mobile unit.
Quality: Mobile detailing provides the same and better quality for your car compared to traditional car detailing. Because of the ease of scheduling and the fact that a mobile unit is concentrating on your individual car only, you get great attention to detail – and isn’t that exactly what you want in a mobile car detailing? customers can expect their cars to shine even in the harshest winters.
Curb Appeal: We love our cars and we want them to look their best. Car detailing is the best way to accomplish this. Even on the snowiest and coldest days in winter, you can rely on your freshly detailed car to look shiny and new. With winter being such a difficult time, this might be one of the most valuable benefits.
Related article: Is It Worth Getting a Car Detailed?
How to Wash Your Car in Winter After Mobile Car Detailing
Car detailing goes a long way to getting your car sparkling clean but that look can start to fade quickly. To extend the benefits of your car detailing, you should wash your car in between detailing sessions. With the following tips you can reduce damage caused by harsh winter conditions, road salt and other factors by washing your car the right way.
Follow these tips for washing your car in winter:
Wash Your Car on Warmer Days: While warm days in winter may be in short supply, you should take the opportunity to wash your car whenever it reaches above 4°C. Ideally, you will do this at least every other week. You should also aim to wash your car early in the day while the sun is up so it can dry more easily. Washing your car with this frequency will extend the benefits of your car detailings and make your car safer and more comfortable to drive.
Warm Your Car: If you can not wait until a warm day to wash your car, you can help stop ice from forming by turning up the heat in your car. This will give you a slight time advantage as it will slow the water from freezing.
Turn on Defrosters: Along with turning up the heat, you should also turn on the defrosters. This can save you a lot of trouble and frustration by keeping ice from forming on the windows.
Pressure Wash When Possible: Oftentimes washing your car at a self-service car wash is the most effective option. The pressure washing hose can help you blast away salt and clean your tires quickly.
Use Baking Soda: If you can not get to a car wash, a paste of water and baking soda can help you clean stubborn areas including salt stains. Make sure to wash away this solution completely.
Choose Cloths and Soap Meant for Cars: There is no shortage of anecdotal advice recommending plain shop cloths and generic detergent for washing a car, but these practices can often cause damage. Instead, strive to pick detergents and cloths that are specifically for washing your car. All too often coarse shop rags will have metal fibers that can scratch your surface and certain detergents will leave a greasy film.
Clean Your Wipers: Pay special attention to removing ice and other buildup around your wipers. There is a vent near your wipers where air flows into your car which allows your car to use the heat and defroster. A blockage in this area will affect your car’s ability to perform these functions so make sure it is clear.
Dry Your Car Thoroughly: While it is always a good idea to dry your car with cloth after a wash, it is an especially important safety measure in winter. Stray water can ice over locks, handles and other areas which will make them difficult to operate. You should also open and close your doors and locks several times to discourage ice from forming if there is water that is stuck.
How Often Should You Get Your Car Detailed and Cleaned in Winter?
Detailing: For car detailing, North York and Toronto drivers should strive for once every four months. This means getting it done at the beginning of winter will keep your car set for the whole season. It can also be a good idea to time your auto detailing for after any event like an off-roading trip or trek through an area where your car is likely to pick up more dust, salt and debris.
Washing: However, you should also thoroughly clean your car in between detailings to ensure salt and mud do not get caked on. Do this at least once every other week following the guidelines listed above. This will make your car look nicer and extend the benefits of your car detailing. drivers should also wash their car any time there is heavy snow and salt on the road. If the weather is not cooperating with your maintenance efforts, you should still take a cloth and spot clean areas where you see salt.
Schedule Your Mobile Car Detailing
Ready to get started making your car safer, more comfortable and nicer looking this winter? Book your mobile car detailing today with Car Detailing North York and Toronto by calling 416-650-5483.
Related article: How Often Should You Clean Your Car Interior?
