Depending on where you live, winter tends to bring snow and ice. Winter weather conditions can make driving tricky and also put a considerable amount of wear and tear on your car’s exterior. Fortunately, paint protection film, window tint, and windshield protection film can help keep your vehicle looking good while offering UV protection and chip resistance benefits. 

To protect the products that safeguard your car, it pays to be proactive. Get the most from your auto and window film by taking proper care of your vehicle in the winter.

How to Take Care of Paint Protection Film and Auto Window Film in Winter Weather

Paint protection film keeps your car looking new for as long as possible. Windshield protection film keep the glass on your vehicle from getting scratched. To help these products do their jobs effectively, it’s a good idea to shield your car from winter elements, like wind, ice and snow, as much as you can. Here are a few things you can do to protect your paint and windshield film in cold weather.

Keep Your Car Under Cover

Keep your car covered as much as possible. Parking your car in a garage or under a carport will keep rain, ice and snow off of it. While window and paint films can withstand the elements, continual exposure to winter weather can cause wear and tear. 

Another way to protect your car in the winter is to cover it if you don’t have a structure to park under. Car covers consist of weather-resistant materials and keep snow and ice away from the vehicle’s surface, preserving it throughout the harsh winter weather.

Keeping your car covered or under a carport or other type of shelter offers a benefit beyond keeping snow and ice off its surface. It also reduces the time you’d spend removing snow from the car after a snowstorm. You can get on the road more quickly and avoid spending valuable time shivering in the cold as you brush off ice or snow. 

Be Careful Where You Park Your Car

There might be times when you have to leave your car exposed when parking it. For example, it can be more trouble than it’s worth to cover up your vehicle when you’re parking it in the lot at your office or a shopping mall. In those instances, choose your parking spot carefully. Try to avoid parking under trees, which can drip sap onto the car’s exterior. 

After a snow or ice storm, water or snow can fall from the trees onto your vehicle. Try to park in an open area away from anything overhead when you can’t park under a covered structure.

Wash and Wax Your Car Regularly

Paint protection film keeps your car looking brand new, but it needs a bit of help to continue doing its job as intended. To keep your vehicle from looking dirty, wash it often, particularly in the winter. Washing your car in the winter allows you to rinse away any road salt that can accumulate on the surface. Regular car washing also rinses away dirt and road debris, more effectively preventing scratches.

It’s also a good idea to wax your vehicle throughout the winter. The wax coating offers an additional layer of protection, meaning dirt and debris are more likely to slide right off the car’s surface than stick to it and cause damage.

Be Careful With Ice Scrapers on Auto Film

When you do leave your car out in a snow or ice storm, an ice scraper can help you remove any stuck-on pieces of ice from the surface. While auto film provides a protective layer between the car or window surface and the scraper, it pays to be cautious when using this tool. Some types of scrapers, particularly those made of metal, can cause significant damage to the window and the film on top of it. 

Stick to using a plastic scraper to minimize damage to the windshield, such as scratches. Use gentle pressure when scraping the windshield or car surface. Too much force can crack the windshield or scratch the car’s paint.

If you have auto film and defrosters on the back windshield of your car, be particularly careful when using an ice scraper. Your best bet might be to skip the ice scraper on the back entirely and simply let the defroster lines do their job. Otherwise, you could damage the lines if you scratch them with the ice scraper.

Remove Leaves and Debris From Your Car

Fallen leaves look pretty in the autumn and add some color to the surrounding landscape in the winter. However, you don’t want these leaves to accumulate on your vehicle. A pile of fallen leaves on your car’s exterior can damage the paint, and individual leaves can get stuck under the windshield wipers or in the air intakes. 

It’s helpful to get in the habit of walking around your car each evening and peeling off any leaves or other debris that might have gotten stuck to it throughout the day. 

Drive Carefully

Protect your vehicle and yourself by driving with caution in the winter. Driving too fast can cause your car to kick up tiny pebbles and road debris, which can scratch the vehicle surface or cause nicks or dings on the windshield. 

Driving too fast can also be particularly dangerous in wet or icy conditions. You need more time to brake in inclement weather or when the roads are slick to ensure you have enough stopping distance and can avoid skidding. Not giving yourself that extra braking time can lead to collisions and subsequent damage to your vehicle’s exterior. A collision also puts you, your passengers and other drivers on the road at risk of physical harm, which comes with many other consequences.

Protect Your Car With Vehicle Film During the Winter

You’ve invested a lot of money in your car. To keep it looking good and driving well for many more years, do what you can to protect your vehicle. Paint and windshield films provide an extra layer of protection against cold weather, snow and ice.

Madico automotive films both improve your car’s appearance and preserve its good looks. Find a dealer near you to learn more about protecting your car this winter and enjoy the benefits of quality automotive films.