It is time for your vehicle's Winter Prep!

[Greg@DetailedImage]

The winter time is often when your vehicle can take the most abuse from harsh weather conditions. Detailing in the winter can be difficult so it's important to provide maximum protection during the fall months when it's easier and more comfortable to detail. I'm going to list out some areas of the vehicle below that I care for before the winter and some of my favorite products used during these steps. Remember taking the time to protect your vehicle now will save you from fixing problems in the Spring.

Carpets and Mats
Your vehicle's carpets and mats can get really beat up during the winter months. I tap my shoes together before entering the vehicle but it seems inevitable that you track in large amount of moisture and salt on top of the regular road grime. It is important to protect your carpets from these build ups and make future cleanings easier. I recommend cleaning your carpets first with the 303 Cleaner and Spot Remover. Mist the cleaner on any fabric surface and spray the cleaner more directly on stains. Then agitate the surface with a damp soft bristle brush. The brush is often your best tool towards removing stains and embedded contaminants. After you are done cleaning and the fabrics are dry protect the fabrics with the 303 High Tech Fabric Guard. This is a really strong form of protection that seals the fibers but still allows them to breath and stay flexible. It will help force moisture to bead up and prevent road salt from bonding to the carpets. Simply just spray the 303 Fabric Guard on the fabrics and you are all set.

Interior Glass
During the winter months I moisture will often cling to the windshield which blocks my vision. This is very annoying because then I have to shift the air flow towards the glass and off my cold hands. The simple solution is to apply a coating of the Glass Science Fog Clear on my windshield. Just put a nickel sized drop on an applicator for each half of the windshield. I buff it on with a clean applicator and remove the excess residue with a clean microfiber towel. The Fog Clear will seal the pores of the glass and make it nearly impossible for fog to cling to the glass. This makes driving much safer and my hands stay warm!

Exterior Glass
Deep cleaning your glass and a coat of sealant will make driving in the winter months much safer and easier. I highly recommend you use the Glass Science Rain Clear Kit which includes the Rain Clear Gel and Glass Scrub for only $5.99. Your exterior glass has tons of micro pores where contaminants settle which causes smearing and hazy looking glass. Regular glass cleaners help but the Glass Science Glass Scrub really deep cleans the glass. It pulls out the contaminants and really leaves the glass squeaky clean. Now seal the pores with the Rain Clear Gel. Just apply buff on a nickel sized drop to each half of the windshield with a clean applicator and buff off the excess residue when you are done. The Rain Clear Gel forces moisture to bead up nice and tight and roll off the glass with ease. It works great in rain, snow, sleet, etc and truly makes driving safer and easier. We also recommend cleaning your wiper blades every 1 - 2 months with the 303 Wiper Treatment. Removing contaminants helps your wiper blades make solid contact with the glass and it helps prevent the addition of ultra fine scratches.

Rubber/Leather/Vinyl and Plastic
I know it's getting cold outside for most areas of the country but you should still protect your vehicle's interior and exterior trim from harmful UV rays no matter the temperature. Protect your vehicle's vinyl, plastic, rubber and leather from UV rays with the 303 Aerospace Protectant. A light coating of the Aerospace Protectant will protect your vehicle and make those surfaces look bold, but with no oily or greasy feeling. I can't begin to explain how much I use this product, here are just some of the areas I use it on: console, dashboard, seats, doors, trim, arm rests, rubber moldings, exterior trim, engine bay casings, tires and so much more. I especially like to put it on the tires during the winter because it does a good job of repelling moisture and keeping the tires protected. Just spray it on a clean towel or applicator and wipe the desired surface.

Exterior Paint - Cleaning and Prepping
Caring for the exterior is perhaps the most obvious step but there are so many options out there, so it can be difficult to choose the best options. Before applying protection it's important to get the paint as clean as possible. Cleaning your paint with a thorough washing is a great beginning. For a more thorough cleaning we recommend pre-treating build ups with a degreaser (P21S Total Auto Wash) and using a clay bar. The clay bar helps deep clean the micro-pores of the clear coat so the sealant or wax can bond directly to the clear coat. Polishing is also another great step because it helps create an extremely smooth surface that allows a tight bond between the sealant or wax and the clear coat. Sealants have a more difficult time bonding to a surface that has tons of swirls and other ultra fine scratches. Using a clay bar and polishing are not mandatory steps but they really help improve the overall shine and increase the durability of your sealant.

Exterior Paint - Protecting and Shining
Sealants and waxes provide a barrier between your paint and the environment that will help prevent rust. Both options will help moisture roll off the paint much easier which also helps prevent rusting and prevent micro-scratches. After completing those preparation steps we recommend sealing the paint first. Sealants are essentially artificial waxes made in a lab that last far longer. Natural carnauba waxes generally last about 2 - 6 weeks where as a sealant will generally last about 3 - 6 months. One of the best sealants we have ever used is the Chemical Guys Jetseal 109. It looks exceptional on any color, applies with ease and is a very strong form of protection. If you need the best value for sealants try the Chemical Guys M-Seal, which costs much less and still works great. Waxes are an even stronger form of protection but they just don't last nearly as long as a sealant. However for maximum protection and shine you can layer a wax over a sealant. There are many amazing waxes from Dodo Juice that will help protect your paint and really enhance the shine. One of my other favorites is the Chemical Guys 50/50 Limited Edition Wax and for an outstanding value try the Poorboy's World Natty's Red or Natty's Blue Paste Wax.

Undercarriage
The undercarriage of your vehicle often receives a lot of abuse due to it's proximity to the road and exposed pieces. Caring for the undercarriage can seem difficult but the Chemical Guys Bare Bones product makes it much easier. Simply spray it on sub frame, springs, wheel wells, fender wells, etc. and walk away. It provides valuable protection that helps repel build-ups so your undercarriage stays cleaner for longer.

Wheels
Your vehicle's wheels can often take a lot of abuse because they have to defend themselves from moisture, salt, road grime, brake dust and more. Protecting your wheels with a quality sealant is a great way to protect them. The Poorboy's World Wheel Sealant is my product of choice for this step. Unlike other sealants the Wheel Sealant is only concerned with protection, not shine. This allows the formula to provide an extremely durable form of protection that can repel high temperature break dust and salt that can rust wheels. Just buff it on with light pressure and buff off the excess residue and you are all set. Your wheels will stay cleaner for longer and they will also be much easier to clean.

Thank you for taking the time to read over this winter prep article! We hope you were able to find out some good information and recommendations about how to protect your vehicle. If you have any questions please let me know.

Greg @ Detailed Image

[MadMan77]

Hey Greg, what exactly does the Chemical Guys Bare Bones product do? Does it leave a film on everything you spray, is it a cleaning agent as well as a protectant? Also, is it a petroleum based product that will leave an oily residue on everything?

[Greg@DetailedImage]

The Bare Bones is a protectant that leaves a light layer of protection. It helps block UV rays and other road grime. It makes future cleanings, but it's certainly not a miracle product that will prevent any possible problem. It's a very popular product and especially for professional detailers. It's not petroleum based so it's not very slick at all. Let me know if you have any other questions or if you would like any other recommendations!

Greg @ Detailed Image

[MadMan77]

Thanks for the info there Greg. If it not a petroleum based product am I correct to assume that it is almost like a dry film lubricant which leaves a thin layer on things to separate contaminants from the parts?

[Greg@DetailedImage]

Originally Posted by MadMan77

Thanks for the info there Greg. If it not a petroleum based product am I correct to assume that it is almost like a dry film lubricant which leaves a thin layer on things to separate contaminants from the parts?

Correct! It's a nice product because it's not thick or oily, yet still quite effective. Let me know if I can help you with any other part of your detailing needs.

Greg @ Detailed Image

[thesmokingone]

hey greg what are you using to clean the break dust. i dont care how much it costs b/c im having to scrub the wheels every 2 days...would like something i could just spray on and wash off

[Greg@DetailedImage]

Originally Posted by thesmokingone

hey greg what are you using to clean the break dust. i dont care how much it costs b/c im having to scrub the wheels every 2 days...would like something i could just spray on and wash off

Brake dust can be difficult to remove because the high temperature with which they hit the wheel. I clean, polish and protect the wheels when I want to make them look the best. I recommend cleaning the wheels with the P21S Wheel Gel or the Chemical Guys Sticky Gel Wheel and Rim Cleaner. They are both strong gel based cleaners that help safely remove contaminants. They are safe on all wheels and are easy to use. For really stubborn contaminants and built up brake dust I sometimes polish the wheels with a two sided microfiber polishing towel. This combination does an excellent job removing contaminants, oxidation, etc. and restoring a really clean and deep shine! After this step I highly recommend protecting your wheels with the Poorboy's World Wheel Sealant. This barrier of protection will make future cleanings much easier and help prevent brake dust from bonding to the wheel.

If you do those three steps the wheels should look fantastic and stay clean much longer. If you have any other questions of if you would like other recommendations please let me know.

Greg @ Detailed Image