ADAC: Washing the car in winter: What to consider in frost

There are many opinions on the proper vehicle care in winter. The well-intentioned recommendations range from the tip to send the car through the car wash as often as possible in winter, to the advice to give a wide berth to any car wash during this season to protect the paintwork. And if washing is necessary, then a loving hand wash is the only permitted alternative anyway. So who is right? The ADAC provides answers to the most important questions about car washing in winter.

How often should I take my car through the car wash in winter?

In principle, just as often as in the summer months. It is undisputed that a clean car, due to its shiny light reflections, can be seen better and above all earlier in bad weather than its dirty counterpart. However, since the introduction of bright daytime running lights for cars, this advantage is no longer as crucial.

So, wash your car in winter according to your personal sense of cleanliness: whenever you feel that your vehicle would simply benefit from a wash.

Is the car extremely stressed by residual road salt in winter?

Yes and no. The statement that winter dirt—a highly corrosive, salty solution—acts on the paintwork and should be removed as often as possible, only applies to damaged paint with scratches or chipping. However, intact paint surfaces can easily withstand these dirt attacks.

The chassis of a vehicle typically doesn't have corrosion problems either: thanks to factory-applied cavity sealing, improved underbody protection, and the use of galvanized sheets, this is more of an issue of the past.

When should you absolutely avoid the car wash in winter?

When there are extreme sub-zero temperatures below -10 degrees Celsius. Just as human skin reacts sensitively to extreme temperature fluctuations, you should not subject the paint or the rubber and plastic parts of the vehicle to similar stresses.

Avoid the thermal shock when the approximately 10 to 30-degree warm water from the car wash hits parts of the vehicle that were recently exposed to the cold. Especially damaged or repainted paint surfaces, which are not always immediately visible to the layperson, suffer in the long term from the thermal shock.

The risk of door locks freezing or rubber seals sticking is also lower at moderate temperatures.

What do I have to consider before entering the facility?

How to prepare your car is usually clearly stated at the entrance gate. Not always noted, but self-explanatory: close windows and sunroof, lock the fuel cap, and turn off the wipers—especially the rain sensor! If the car has an automatically opening tailgate activated by foot movement under the rear, this function must be disabled. If you have activated the "Auto-Hold function", you must also turn it off, otherwise, the wheels will lock.

And very importantly: be sure to remove all residues of snow and ice before entering the car wash. Otherwise, the brushes will act like sandpaper on the paint—and cause bad scratches!

Which wash programs are recommended in winter?

Even in winter, the rule is: Cheap is principally good and sufficient—as long as a mechanical or manual pre-wash to first remove coarse dirt particles (abrasive effect!) and to gently match temperature differences to the paintwork is part of the wash program.

Additional and expensive super programs with hot wax or underbody protection are not necessary from a vehicle technology perspective. But of course, everyone can decide for themselves what they want to treat themselves and their vehicle to.

More important is the inspection by a specialist: On the lift, damages to the underbody protection can be detected and repaired before and after the winter season—rust then has no chance.