The time has come when the average temperature drops and, yes, more rain falls than in the beautiful summer months. The likelihood of more white stuff is upon us, but should we need to do anything different to ensure our cars are winter ready?

Bodywork Protection

For us, we need to keep our big cats in pristine condition all year round, and at the moment we are starting to prepare them with extra detailing.

All our materials are purchased from our preferred supplier The Clay Cloth Company, who we fully recommend (we are not sponsored). They can advise on the different types of polishes and waxes that would be more suitable for the paint type on your car.

The process for us all kicks off with a clay cloth treatment after washing the car as normal using CCC Ocean Jade pH Neutral Vehicle Shampoo.

The reasons for using a clay cloth are below:

Removes bonded contaminants
Before polishing provides a clean canvas
Prevents dragging particles across the panel

Once the paint surfaces have been fully clayed, rinsed and dried off using micro fibre drying towels, the next stage is applying the polish.

Car polish is a product that uses fine amounts of abrasive compounds in order to remove very very fine layers of the top coat to flatten out the surface to ensure an equal reflection of the light, thus producing a highly polished look.

Currently, I use Killerwaxx #3 Final/Swirl Remover Light compound which is an extremely fine, non-diminishing abrasive polish is designed to remove light buffing marks and swirl marks while creating a high-gloss finish. Recommended as a Machine Polish/Glaze after compounding, or as a stand-alone for light cut polishing needs, outstanding results are realised on all types of paint/clear including OEM and customs without dusting or swirling.

For waxing I use Killerwaxx Blue Dream Carnauba Paste Wax

Wax in its natural form can come as vegetable waxes, carnauba, animal and bees wax to name a few. It's these natural properties of some of these waxes that make them ideal for use in car waxes, with the most popular for use in the automotive industry being carnauba wax.

Blue Dream repels water, dirt, dust, oil, and resists smudges and fingerprints, allowing dirt to slide off the paint. Incredible sheeting action cuts your drying time in half and leaves the paint spotless.

Applied with a Flexipad Pro Applicator Pad, the wax goes on like butter and comes off just as easy without leaving any white residue!

There is no requirement to rub hard like other waxes on the market, just allow to haze over and buff off with a quality microfibre cloth or 'Big Orange' Microfibre Drying Towel Dual Pile from the Clay Cloth Company for the ultimate deep glossy shine!

Maintenance

Servicing & Tyres

It is always best to ensure your car is fully serviced, which includes having the air conditioning serviced, as well as checking the wiper blades and cracks in the windscreen.

High on our list is also exchanging our summer tyres for winter ones. Since using winter tyres, we have noticed a marked difference in the level of grip especially during snow. That said, unless the journey is absolutely essential, advice is always to not drive in heavy snow or icy conditions.

Obviously throughout the year, it is important to ensure your tyres have the correct pressure in them and also the correct depth of at least the UK minimum of 1.6mm, which not only improves road handling, but also save on field economy in some cases, by 20%. Because one day I can be taking a single passenger, and later in the same day, I could have 4 passengers, and for this reason I have our tyres inflated ready for a heavy load all the time.

Needless to say, having the correct pressure, means that we are not damaging the environment as much as otherwise. Every little helps doesn’t it?

Ready for Snow

When we take on a client booking during snowy conditions, our first consideration is safety and if we believe the roads are not safe we will advice the client accordingly.

It is a Highway Code requirement to ensure that all windows are completely clear before setting off on a journey. It also states that any snow built up on the car should be removed before setting off.

When embarking on a car journey particularly a long one in the extreme sub zero temperatures, it is advised to have with you de-icer, ice scraper, blankets, coats, snow shovel, hot drink flask, snacks, first aid kit and a fully charged mobile phone.

Of course, the above is sound advise for driving yourself, but the other option is to allow us to take all the stress and strain of getting you to your destination on time and in a clam and relaxed environment. We would be very happy to discuss this with you, and now as a member of the Guild of Professional Chauffeurs as well as an IAM Roadsmart Advanced Masters driver, you can be assured of our guarantees that travel with us is safe and comfortable and that we operate legally and are reliable, which helps to ensure that we do the waiting so you don’t have to.