12 Steps of Christmas Detailing

Detailing your Porsche during the winter months or during cold weather requires special considerations. Different environmental conditions need to be considered such as snow, salt, and other harsh conditions that can affect your vehicle’s exterior and interior surfaces. Harsh road salt can quickly degrade protective waxes or sealants and can also negatively impact ceramic coating, particularly on the lower areas of your car.

Here are some tips for effectively detailing your Porsche (or any other car) during the winter months:

1. Choose a controlled environment
Ideally – if you can detail your vehicle indoors that would be the optimum solution – such as in a heated garage, however this is rarely available to most people reading this. Detailing inside during extremely cold weather prevents freezing temperatures from affecting the chemicals used for detailing the vehicle and helps maintain a consistent environment for the detailing process, however we understand this isn’t an option for everyone.

If your Porsche is garaged keeping it in the garage before detailing is a good idea.
DO NOT attempt to detail your car if the temperature is below freezing.

2. Consider starting the vehicle
Start the car and let it tick over on idle and turn the temperature up to heat the surfaces (heat rises). Temperatures must consistently be above freezing to ensure the water and chemicals do not freeze on the vehicle surface. Ideally 3-4 degrees Celsius is good. If temperatures drop mid job then rinse all areas worked on to that point and cease work and reschedule to another time for the safety of the vehicle and yourself.

3. The all-important Pre-Wash
Before beginning the detailing process, give your car a thorough rinse to remove any loose dirt, salt, and debris. This helps prevent scratching the paint during the contact wash process. After rinsing down the vehicle with water apply a blanket of snow foam or an alternative chemical such as an automotive citrus based cleaner as a suitable prewash, let dwell and rinse thoroughly.

Chemicals have much longer dwell times available during colder temperatures as they won’t dry out as quickly compared to the warmer summer months. Longer dwell times means that you are letting the chemicals do the heavy lifting in the cleaning process. Let the surfactants emulsify harsh winter contaminants and help you get the job done safely.

4. Clean the wheels and underbody first
Your wheels are one of the dirtiest parts of your car and break dust is extremely abrasive (unless you have PCCB). Winter Road conditions can lead to a buildup of salt and grime on the wheels and undercarriage. Make sure you thoroughly clean these areas to prevent corrosion and rust.

5. Two-Bucket Wash Method
When washing your car, use the two-bucket wash method to minimize the risk of scratching the paint. One bucket contains car shampoo/soapy water, and the other contains clean water for rinsing your wash mitt. If you have access to warm water, then use this to fill your buckets.
6. Dry Thoroughly
After washing, use a soft drying towel and/or warm forced filtered air to carefully dry the car’s exterior. This prevents water from freezing on the surface.

7. Interior Cleaning
The interior of your car can also take its toll during the winter. Vacuum the carpets and upholstery, clean the dashboard and other surfaces with appropriate interior cleaners. Be aware that the shampooing and wet extraction of fabric surfaces will take a great deal longer to fully dry in colder temperatures and so it may be that this type of work is best scheduled during a warmer period/season.

8. Glass
Ensure that all windows, mirrors, and headlights are clean and free of smudges and debris for optimal visibility. Use an appropriate glass cleaner and dedicated glass cloths, to clean these surfaces.

9. Tyre & trim care
Apply tyre/trim dressing to the tyres and trim to enhance their appearance and protect them. Take care during colder temperatures to dry tyres and trim prior to applying any protective dressings or sealants. Consider using a tyre serum that nourishes and protects the rubber rather than a silicone shiny dressing.

10. Regular Maintenance
Throughout the winter, perform regular maintenance to keep your car looking its best. Remove snow and ice promptly and consider periodic top ups of your chosen protection to maintain any protective waxes or sealants.

11. Final Touches
Inspect your work for any spots you may have missed and stand back and admire your freshly detailed Porsche!

12. after your own wellbeing
Wrap up warm, layers are good. Wear a warm beanie or hat. Think about a hot drink at an appropriate stage in your detailing process to keep warm. If using cold water, then take a look into neoprene wetsuit material type gloves to stop your hands and fingers from going numb when continually submerged in cold water.

By following these tips, you can keep your Porsche looking it’s best even in the challenging winter conditions.

If you have any questions, product recommendations, advice or just want to check what you are doing is safe and appropriate then we are here to help all WCPDC members. Drop us an email or WhatsApp/SMS and we will be delighted to help.