There are a few key reasons why you should wax your car before winter. First, the weather can be quite harsh on cars in the wintertime. The humidity from snow and ice can damage your paint if not protected. However, there is another deadly paint-killer on the loose during the winter: road salt. Road salt’s highly corrosive nature makes it the most common cause of paint damage during the winter. It can cause your vehicle’s paint to fade, chip, and peel, and in extreme cases, it can even eat through the paint and the metal surface below.

Waxing your car before the winter helps keep your exterior clean and protected from the elements. The wax will act as a barrier between the road salt and snow and the paint, and make it much harder for dirt and debris to stick.

Note to self-waxers: If you plan on waxing your vehicle yourself, you’ll want to do it before the weather gets too cold. Once the temperatures start dropping below freezing, it becomes much more difficult to apply and buff the wax properly. If you wait until winter is already underway, you might not have enough time to do a thorough job. The last thing you want is to attempt to wax your car and damage it in the process.