1. Hand Wash Your Car
While you may only think about washing your car in the warm summer months, it's even more important to keep it clean during the winter. You don't want to let that salt and sand sit on your vehicle for long. To minimize the amount of damage from salt and sand, you should wash your car at least once a month, but preferably more if possible. It's also important that you wash your car by hand because: 1. The automatic car washes can use too much pressure, leading to damage of your vehicle wrap, 2. They often use re-purposed water that could have salt in it, and 3. The automatic car washes only cover the general area and may not get all the gunk off your vehicle.
2. Avoid Driving Through Large Snow Piles or Puddles
Be careful about where you drive in the winter months. Try to stay in the flat, center part of the road to keep your vehicle as clean as possible. Not only will driving through puddles make your car dirty, it can also coat your vehicle with excessive salt and sand. Puddles are like traps for the salt and sand that gets carried away as the snow melts. In addition to the puddles, try to stay away from large piles of snow. While your vehicle may be more than capable of plowing through the snow, doing so could cause snow, salt and sand to get trapped in the undercarriage of your car, causing future damage.
3. Stay Off the Roads Immediately Following Storms
Right after a big snow storm hits is when the road crews head out to start putting down salt. While you're not going to be able to completely avoid salt from getting on your vehicle, you can reduce the effect by waiting to take your car out. Avoid hitting the road immediately after a storm so that you don't drive through piles of salt and sand. By waiting a little bit, others will have cleared the way for you, allowing you to get more traction and less salt and sand on your vehicle.
If you're conscientious about your driving habits and clean your car regularly this winter, you can protect both your vehicle and your vehicle wrap from the salt and sand. For more information about caring for your vehicle wrap, check out some of our previous blogs: 6 Tips on Caring for Your Vehicle Wrap and Vehicle Wrap Maintenance. At ProDezigns, we want to help you make your vehicle wrap look good and last as long as possible!
If you can drive it, ride it, pull it, fly it, or lift it, we can wrap it!
Pro DeZigns
36 Scrivner Road
Eldon, Missouri 65026
P: (573) 392-0500
F: (573) 392-0094
E-mail: jim@prodezigns.com
