Rinse away the winter blues

Rinse away the winter blues

Winter is not yet a distant memory, but it's never too early to consider showing your car some post-winter TLC.

The winter weather could well be attacking your car. Moist mud and salt accumulations can attack the underside body protection and court corrosion. If you think that modern cars are immune from rust, think again. Even galvanising does not give motorcars immortality.

If you have access to a running water supply, clean out the wheel-arches and the underbody as much as you can, before washing the paintwork. Having a set of drive-on ramps makes access much easier.

When the bodywork has dried, check for any signs of rusting. Light corrosion on suspension castings is acceptable - they are made from thick metal and can shrug off light wear and tear. Yet, vehicle floors, sills and rear panels, are pressed from thin steel and so you should treat any rust as soon as possible.

The task will require you to scrape away any loose paint/sealant (very few modern cars are undersealed), remove as much flaky rust as you can, apply a rust converter chemical and follow up with underseal.

This messy work is not particularly pleasant but doing it at this time of year makes it considerably more bearable. If you do not wish to do the work yourself, consider that there are professional businesses, which will do the job for you.

Read our related blogs:

Bright ideas from GEM for safer winter journeys

Post-winter car checks

Winter car maintenance tips

How to clean your car with an 'air con bomb'

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