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Fed up with wasting time every morning clearing your windscreen of overnight snow and ice come winter? Find out how to protect your car from snow without a garage, and learn one crucial tip which could avoid damage and save you thousands.
Winter is nearly here, the snow is coming, your car is an investment and you will need to protect it from the weather without a garage. Snow and ice can cause physical damage to your car, and you will need to put a few strategies in place to prepare your car for winter outdoors. As the temperature drops, it is even more important to care for your car as you are going to need it to get around. Read on below to find out what you will need to do to be ready for the snow.
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How to Protect your Car from Snow without a Garage
- Keep cleaning your car throughout winter as grit and dirt can eat into the bodywork leading to corrosion.
- Cover the windscreen at night. Do this by purchasing a foil backed blind or even an old thick blanket will do.
- Spread shaving foam on the inside of your windscreen, once it has dried wipe it off with a damp cloth, then your screen will be fog-free when you go out.
- Make sure that your car battery is charged. If necessary buy a battery charger, winter puts more strain on batteries.
- Keep your windscreen washer topped up to help prevent pipes from freezing. Clean your windscreen with the washer at end of the day.
- Regularly use air conditioning to stop filters from clogging up and to keep the interior dry.
- Look after your seats, buy seat covers to protect them.
- Keep all maintenance up to date, check antifreeze, brakes, and oil levels, also check tires regularly.
- Test your antifreeze with a simple, under $10 tester.
- Towards the end of winter consider an upgrade, if you use your car a lot don’t keep it too long, you want it to look good.
- Buy a temporary carport (see our Buyers’ Guide).
Once the leaves start to fall you know that it is time to start to prepare your car for snow without a garage. Make sure that you clean the inside of your car well, and keep food scraps away. Watch out for vermin a mouse family may move in over winter, this happened to an elderly relative and unfortunately, the mice chewed through the wiring of the car rendering it unusable. You will also need to check the underbody as well before winter and decide whether or not to have rust proofing.
You could always think about investing in a car cover, a car tent or a carport – all of which will protect your car from snow.
If you do have a garage, check out our post on how to spot if you may have asbestos in your garage roof, here.
Make sure that your car tires are ready for winter, tires lose pressure for every temperature drop of 10 degrees Fahrenheit and underinflated tires will not be suitable for winter driving conditions.
How to Store a Car Outside for the Winter
Keep a space blanket in the car in case you get trapped in snowy conditions, this could happen if you slid off an embankment. The blanket will keep you warm and would help you to survive. Make sure you have your mobile with you fully charged whenever you leave the house.
To improve safety, wax the headlight lens and buff it up, this leaves it less likely to ice up and allows more light to flow.
Leaving snow on your car means that it can freeze as hard as cement, causing damage to your vehicle, so even when the weather is frightful and it is snowing you should still clean your car off.
How Can I Best Protect my Car from Salt Damage While Living in Snowy Areas?
Snow salt damage leads to corrosion and rust if the car is not properly maintained. Rust will begin forming and start to bubble up if you do not protect your car. The salt is added to the roadways to increase traction and has a lower melting point than water. The break lines under your car can become damaged by the salt, so we have to protect them. You don’t want any risk of rust under the car or anywhere on the car.
Make sure that you wash and wax the car every six weeks as this makes it harder for salt to cling to the car. You will need to use a handwash and undercarriage spray to protect the underneath of the car. Some car washes do specialize in this procedure and charge accordingly, but you may think that it is worth paying for in winter.
How Can I Remove Snow from My Car Without Scratching It?
If you are at home, use the family leaf blower, most people in the cooler climates have one and they are a good investment.
If you don’t have a leaf blower use a soft broom or brush. Don’t use a nylon brush as this will damage the paintwork.
It is important to get the snow off as if it is not removed heavy chunks may ice up and fly off damaging someone else or their vehicle. A foam brush is a good soft, nonabrasive way to remove snow and minimize scratching.
If you cover your car the night before with a proper car cover simply lift it off and shake the snow off the cover, that is the easiest way of removing snow, but the main thing is to remove it.
Protecting Your Car from Snow
If your car is outside all winter you will need a proper windshield snow cover. This will protect your windshield from cracking under the weight of the snow and ice. Below is a typical and highly rated windshield cover. Click on the image to get more detail.
A car cover for snow is also a good investment that will ultimately save time cleaning the car up every morning before work. Select a good brand and this way your car will stay protected and a bit warmer and won’t be difficult to start, starting can be a common problem in winter. Below is a protective snow cover. Click on the image to get more detail.
The cover will form a barrier between your car and the paintwork and will help it to stay looking new for longer.
In general, a good quality car cover would be an ideal solution to the question of how to protect your car from snow without a garage.
Conclusion
How to protect your car from snow without a garage is a commonly asked question and although there is no one method a snow-resistant car cover is a good start. If you have to leave your car outside in winter the car cover will protect the paint and help your car to stay in great condition for longer while saving you more time every morning. To achieve the best protection for your car, though, you’ll need a carport or a garage.
