2023-12-16 16:23:00
Winter is not the best time to keep your car clean. Dropping temperatures, salt on the roads, mud and dirt, nothing spares our vehicle. Fortunately, there are a few tips you can easily implement to clean your car as best as possible during this season. Benoît Dossche, director of the “Cocoon Car” mobile aesthetic center, knows his stuff well. An entrepreneur at heart, he created his cleaning and aesthetics company more than twenty years ago. He gives us his best advice on how to best maintain your vehicle.
When should you clean your vehicle?
Ideally, consider planning exterior cleaning every two weeks. Mainly to remove salt. You should know that this one is very alkaline. Ultimately, it risks attacking all the small chrome elements of the vehicle as well as metal parts such as brake discs or rims. Also, it is important to schedule interior cleaning once a month. “We spend a lot of time in our car, which does not escape bacteria and microbes,” explains Benoît Dossche. Cleaning items such as buttons, plastics and screens makes them easy to remove. Also remember to clean your interior windows with a suitable product. “The dirtier the windows, the more fog tends to remain; which increases the lack of visibility,” he adds.
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Pay attention to temperatures
“It’s forbidden to clean your vehicle outdoors if temperatures are below three degrees,” says the entrepreneur. “The water on the ground might freeze and become a real ice rink for the user. In addition, the seals on the doors might freeze and tear when they are opened.” It is therefore better to opt for indoor cleaning if temperatures remain low. Above three degrees, you can opt for home cleaning if you have the possibility.
The essential equipment
“With a simple bucket of lukewarm water, suitable microfibers and vehicle soap, you can already have a good result,” explains Benoît Dossche. If you have a pressure washer, even better. Be careful, however, not to approach the jet too closely, otherwise you risk damaging the paint. A pressure of 100 bars is more than sufficient. “A little tip, if you have a leaf blower, use it to dry your vehicle,” murmurs the boss. Finally, the ideal is to have a professional soap for the bodywork, one for the rims, a specific cleaner for the windows and microfibers suitable for vehicles. “We especially avoid kitchen sponges with a scratchy side, because we have already seen customers use these and then they come to us with a vehicle scratched all over,” says Benoît. Equipping yourself with good products remains a certain cost, but one that can pay off in the long term.
What regarding electric vehicles then?
“To say that electric cars don’t like water is a myth,” says the entrepreneur straight away. However, he adds that particular attention should be paid to load access. It is important to clean them frequently so as not to see dirt or mud accumulate which might freeze and block the charging port. “Be careful not to direct the water jet directly towards the charging areas,” he specifies.
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The different prices
The cheapest will always be “self-made”, that is to say, doing it yourself. You will only have to count the purchase of the products, around 30 euros depending on the range chosen. In a self car wash, prices vary from 4 to 8 euros depending on the time needed for outdoor cleaning. Concerning the classic automatic car wash or hand wash, the prices vary from 10 to 20 euros depending on the program chosen, and this is always for exterior cleaning only. For professional interior and exterior cleaning, for example at “Cocoon Car” in Nivelles, it costs, for a city car, 50 euros excluding VAT. Finally, for the director, “cleaning your vehicle yourself gives you exercise!” And, in addition, being good for your health is also good for your morale. You will feel better traveling in a clean vehicle!
Now you know what to do this weekend…
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