21 Nov The importance of washing your car in winter: keep your vehicle in optimal condition
- Winter represents a challenging season for car maintenance. Low temperatures, salt on the roads and dirt make it essential to wash your car more frequently, as this is the only way to protect the paint and other components from corrosion.
- Products such as those from Ibercompound, specially formulated for these conditions, allow drivers to keep their vehicle clean and functional.
The cold winter months can represent a particularly difficult challenge for all components of a car. Conditions such as low temperatures and high humidity are capable of not only affecting driver comfort, but also testing the durability and functionality of essential parts of the car. From the battery to the lighting system, each component of the vehicle is impacted by the cold in a different way:
- Battery: the cold reduces its efficiency, causing its charging capacity to decrease. The additional demand for energy for heating and other systems increases the risk of failure.
- Tires: they tend to lose pressure when temperatures drop, affecting the traction and control of the car.
- Oil: with the cold, it loses viscosity and takes longer to properly lubricate the engine parts.
- Lights: humidity and cold can fog up the headlights, reducing visibility, something especially critical at a time of year with fewer hours of natural light.
The importance of washing in winter beyond aesthetics
Risks that can only be avoided by carrying out preventive maintenance on the vehicle. An activity, that of maintenance, which in the collective imagination is usually associated with actions such as checking levels or changing fluids, but in which we tend to forget what is perhaps the most fundamental step when it comes to maintaining the physical and aesthetic integrity of a car: washing.
And the fact is that, in winter, humidity, the possibility of constant rain and low temperatures can cause many people to neglect regular car cleaning. Thoughts such as “it’s going to get dirty again” discourage a large number of drivers from washing their vehicle as frequently as at other times of the year when, in reality, it is precisely during the winter that this frequent washing is more necessary than ever:
- Salt on the roads: in areas with snow, roads are usually treated with salt to prevent the accumulation of ice, but this salt is highly corrosive and, when it accumulates on the bodywork, it can damage the paint and encourage the appearance of rust.
- Dirt and grime on wet roads: with wet and puddle-covered roads, the car is exposed to mud, dirt and contaminants that stick to the paint. This dirt, when frozen on days with low temperatures, hardens and can damage the surface if not cleaned regularly.
- Avoid the accumulation of contaminants: contamination adhered to the bodywork becomes more difficult to remove over time, affecting the aesthetics and deteriorating the paint.
Specific products for winter: Ibercompound solutions
Due to this greater exposure of the car to corrosive and polluting substances, the importance of maintaining a cleaning routine is evident. Performing a weekly or biweekly wash is the only way to protect the paint and exposed parts from these external agents. A purpose for which the use of specific products that facilitate the cleaning of the car during the winter and protect its components is essential.
Ibercompound, a specialized company that has been developing solutions adapted to these needs for more than 40 years, has a portfolio of products that are always available, both at the main service stations and in the homes and trunks of any responsible driver:
- NanoGlass – SoliGel/Karkimic: a windscreen wiper formulated with nanotechnology, designed to remove mud, grease and wax stains. Thanks to its water-repellent effect, it repels water and improves visibility in adverse conditions. In addition, being a depressor of the freezing temperature, it helps prevent the formation of ice in the windshield wiper ducts, guaranteeing optimal operation even in extreme cold conditions.
- Anti-Ice: this product facilitates the removal of layers of ice accumulated on the windshields without the need for mechanical scraping, which prevents scratches on the glass. Its formulation allows for a quick and effective removal of ice, ideal for cold mornings when a quick solution is needed.
- Antifrost -10ºC: a windshield wiper formulated to thoroughly clean the windows and remove grease, mud and wax residues, this cleaner contains alcohol, which allows it to dry quickly and prevent the liquid from freezing in the windshield wiper circuit. Thanks to its low surface tension, this product provides excellent cleaning power and is particularly effective in removing typical summer dirt, such as insect remains, adapting to any time of the year. Recommended for use at all times of the year.
- Anti-frost Plus -18ºC: windscreen wiper designed to thoroughly clean the windscreen and prevent freezing down to temperatures of -18°C. Thanks to its anti-freeze action, it not only keeps the surface clean, but also prevents ice from forming in the ducts, ensuring good visibility in severe winter conditions.
