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How to Clean Your Car in a Winter Garage

Sister and brother graving a car from snow

Keeping your car clean in the winter can be difficult without the right care routine and equipment. Whether you’re protecting your heavy-duty pickup truck or restored classic car, find out how you can clean your car in the winter in your garage. Protect your vehicle with the best pickup truck cab covers, new floor mats and custom car covers to enjoy a clean, low-maintenance vehicle.

A man cleans snow from sidewalks with a snowblower.

Prepare Your Garage and Car

The first step to professional car cleaning is preparing your workspace. As winter weather hits, your garage may become crowded with outdoor equipment. Clear a large enough space to easily work on all sides of your vehicle. Check that your floor drain is clear and you won’t damage anything when you spray down your car.

Prepare your car by removing everything from the interior. Consider swapping out your carpet floor mats with rubber ones. This will protect your interior from water and salt damage. Consider investing in custom fit seat covers to prevent snow and water from damaging your car seats as well.

Looking to upgrade your garage? Here are some tips to help you decide.

Gather Your Cleaning Equipment

For optimal cleaning, invest in quality cleaning agents for all your surfaces. Tires, chrome, dashboards, windows and other surfaces all have their own specialized cleaning sprays and formulas, which can help improve the look of your car. Here are some basic equipment you need to clean your car in your garage:

  • Buckets
  • Sponge
  • Terry cloth drying towels
  • Microfiber cloths
  • Cleaning solutions
  • Pressure washer
  • Vacuum

Continue to check that your floor drain is working properly and that your pressure washer isn’t getting anything else wet in your garage that is sensitive to moisture. If you’ve been parking your car outdoors, be sure to quickly spray it off once it comes into your garage. Road salts can corrode your paint job, particularly as they warm and the ice and snow begins to melt. A heated garage is an excellent winter storage solution for your vehicle, but be sure to keep your vehicle free from salt to avoid rust.

Keep Your Car Clean While You Drive

After you’ve followed your favorite cleaning routine with all your favorite washing and waxing solutions, follow these driving tips to help increase the time between cleanings. If possible, try to prevent driving through puddles in the winter. Those harmless pools of water and slush typically contain road salts that are used to quickly melt ice off the road. They can quickly cause corrosion and rust to form on your vehicle.

Happy couple are ready to cleaning car from snow

Keep your car’s interior clean by putting down rubber floor mats and seat covers. Try to knock as much snow off your boots and coat as possible before entering your vehicle. Now that you have a clean, open garage bay after cleaning your car, try to keep it parked inside.

Protect Your Clean Car

Care for your car to enjoy long-lasting performance and a beautiful look for years to come. The best indoor and outdoor car covers protect your vehicle from snow, ice and road salt wherever you go. Shop for custom-fit covers today to enjoy hassle-free protection for your favorite ride.