March 25th, 2022 by Sarah Miles

If you are meticulous about keeping your car clean, in great condition, and expertly detailed you will no doubt know a lot about how to clean your car, but how much do you know about when to do it? The best time of the day, the things you need to do according to season, the impact of temperature and weather on your car cleaning routines etc?

Here’s a round-up of all things related to the best times to wash your car.

In the summer, wash when it’s cooler

Washing your car is the perfect summer’s day leisurely activity for many but if it’s a really hot day, it’s best to wash your car early in the morning or late afternoon, when the temperature is cooler. There are a couple of reasons for this. Firstly, it can cause the shampoo to dry on the paintwork before you have had a chance to rinse it. This can leave a film on the surface and cause smearing, which really defeats the object. Secondly, if you plan to use snow foam as a pre-wash, you may find that it just doesn’t cling to the car properly, which it needs to do to capture the dirt and grime. That’s because the heat can cause the bubbles in the snow foam to pop, inhibiting its ability to grab the surface.

Cleenly Bubblegum Snow Foam 2 x 5L

Price: £25.96

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In winter, wash when it’s warmer

Conversely, in the winter it’s best to wash your car in the middle part of the day if it’s very cold. That’s because you run the risk of cracking your windscreen if you use warm water on a frozen car. Cold weather can also make it harder to dry the car off and this can lead to streaking.

In winter, wash your car more to protect against salt corrosion

Washing your car in the cold winter months is not quite as pleasant as it is in the summer but it’s really important to do it regularly at this time of year, especially if there has been some very cold weather. When the temperature drops, salt is applied to roads to melt the ice and create safer driving conditions. Unfortunately, the downside of this is that the salt splashes onto cars and oxidises with water, which is corrosive and can cause rusting if you don’t wash it off in a timely fashion.

In summer, look out for tar spots

The risk of salt corrosion is lower in the summer, but warmer weather can cause tar spots to appear on your car. This is road usage-related as well. Warm temperatures cause the tar in the road to soften and can splash small drops of it onto cars as they drive over it. These stick to your paintwork and dry hard, bonding to the metal. You can’t wash this off through conventional cleaning, but you can buy tar spot remover which will do the job very effectively. Incorporate it into your summer car washing regime.

In summer, protect your car from UV rays

The UV rays of the sun can be harmful to the car paintwork, dulling it over time. You can add some protection by waxing your car and simply using a car shampoo that includes wax means there’s no additional work involved. Just think of it as sunscreen for your car!

5L Cleenly Car Wash & Wax with Carnauba

Price: £15.95

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Beware of rain all year round

Living in the UK, we’re used to rain all year round and it’s probably impractical to wash your car after every shower but if there has been a lot of rain, it’s a good idea to wash your car when you can. That’s because rain contains various pollutants that won’t do your car’s paintwork any favours such as acid, dirt, and pollen (especially in summer of course).