Expert Tips On Quick, Easy Car Care For January

Stop-and-go driving. Slushy streets. Road grime. Sleet. Give your vehicle a little extra care to start out the New Year.

“Sometimes you need to change the goal of car care,” says Mike Pennington of Meguiar’s, a leading manufacturer of car care products. “Winter car care is about preservation not beautification.”

The trick is keeping your vehicle from getting damaged during the harshest winter months. Using a bucket and a hose on the driveway during a frigid winter day usually is not an option.

“Protecting your vehicle in winter makes it easier to beautify your vehicle come spring,” Pennington said. “Don’t forget the Golden Rule when it comes to protecting your vehicle: frequent car care is easy car care.”

Pennington suggests what he calls “a preservation scenario.” Visit a coin-op self-wash to rinse off dirt, caked-on mud and grime.

Can you still see a filmy haze on surfaces after using the coin-op? Take your vehicle to a tunnel drive-through wash for more extensive cleaning.

“Then apply a spray-on wax, “ Pennington says. “You can mist and spread and wipe it off quickly.”

Spray-on wax provides a layer of protection between the surface of your vehicle and de-icing treatments used on roads. It helps prevent staining and corrosion on wheels, undercarriage and painted surfaces.

“Salts can get inside a paint chip and cause permanent damage,” Pennington says.