Winter Detailing Can Be Brutal

Especially for the mobile valeters and detailers trying to make a living who can't leave it until a nice day comes.

I would always suggest stopping entirely in sub zero temperatures, it's dangerous and products will freeze. But there are some ways to improve your results and make it easier on cold days.

I won't bore you with warm water in buckets and gloves, that's obvious. I'll leave some tips below that I find useful.

Pro Tips

 

1. Try working in smaller areas to reduce the chance of products freezing on the car.
2. Switch the car on for a short period to make things like glass cleaning easier.
3. Keep extra microfibres to hand for moisture and streaking. The increased humidity will cause products to streak, particularly on the bonnet and roof.
4. Practice open hose drying.
5. Try using a shampoo with protection to save the hassle of protecting after the wash.

1. As soon as you start cleaning your car in lower temperatures you'll be creating an ice rink at your feet and products can freeze on panels. Work smaller areas to help reduce this and use water sparingly. Having some salt to hand to create a safe path around the car can be handy.

 
2. A lot of your detailing products leave the finish they do because the solvent element flashes off or evaporates at the ambient temperature. When a panel is particularly cold it can't do that. A little heat, not much, but so it's not freezing to the touch can help clean glass properly in cold temperatures. This is especially handy for companies offering a mobile valeting service or washing vehicles outdoors.

 
3. As well as the cold stopping products flashing off it also raises the humidity (the moisture in the air). This causes condensation to grab onto large flat panels and glass especially. So as well as introducing a little heat, having a good few extra microfibres ready to shift the moisture will save you looking around later.

 
4. When rinsing a protected car with low pressure water the hydrophobic nature of the product should help it sheet off. This leaves less water on the car and makes drying quicker and easier. Practice doing this in good weather so it's easy when you want to minimise the amount of water around the car.

 
5. Using something like our Ceramic Shampoo will instantly add protection and hydrophobic water behavior to your paint. No faffing about with all the extra steps...it's just done. For the enthusiasts this saves time but for the professionals time is money. Half an hour less spent removing streaks on one car could mean squeezing in an extra safe wash that day. Half an hour saved on every car....well you can do the maths. You make more money! Set up your trade account here.

Treat yourself to

MonsterShine Ceramic Shampoo

for a gamechanger!

Instant Hydrophobic Water Behaviour & Protection

No more streaks and condensation blooming in cold conditions. AND...it saves a whole step of the process! Only £12.00 Click here to read more! P.S. Try spraying some glass cleaner on an icy windshield and see how much faster it clears.