Look After Your Car in the Winter: De-Icing and Keeping It Clean

Winter is brutal on cars. Ice, road salt, grit, and melting snow cause long-term damage if ignored. British drivers face daily de-icing battles and interior chaos from salty slush tracked inside. Proper winter car care prevents costly repairs, keeps you safe, and maintains your vehicle year-round

The combination of winter conditions creates a perfect storm for vehicle damage. Salt corrodes your paintwork and undercarriage, while snow and slush tracked inside damage your carpets. Grit embeds itself into fabric fibres, causing long-term wear, and dirty windows reduce visibility. Neglect leads to expensive repairs and even mould growth in your car's interior.

When faced with a frozen windscreen on a dark winter morning, it's tempting to reach for shortcuts. Don't. The worst thing you can do is pour boiling water over your windscreen – the thermal shock can crack the glass, and the water will simply refreeze immediately.

Start your engine and turn your wipers off to prevent them straining against ice. Direct warm air to the windscreen and switch on your rear window heater. Turn on your air conditioning as well – it removes moisture from the air and prevents the glass from fogging up as it warms.

While the car warms up, brush off any snow from the windscreen, windows, and roof. Then use a proper ice scraper and de-icer spray to clear the glass. Work methodically and be patient – trying to rush by scraping too aggressively can scratch your windscreen.

The inside of your car takes just as much punishment as the outside during winter. Every journey brings in snow that melts into your footwells, leaving puddles that soak into carpets. Salt doesn't just disappear when it dries leaving crusty white stains and continues to attract moisture.

Grit gets tracked in daily, grinding into carpet fibres with every press of the pedals. Traditional household vacuum cleaners are too bulky and awkward for regular car cleaning, especially when you're already cold and pressed for time. So the mess accumulates, the damage worsens, and by spring you're left with a car interior that looks (and smells) tired and neglected.

Staying on top of winter car care doesn't require hours of work – just consistency.

Vacuum your footwells and boot thoroughly. The key is removing salt and grit before it embeds itself into the carpet fibres. Pay special attention to areas under the pedals and along door sills where debris accumulates.

Clean up immediately. The longer melted snow and salt sit in your carpets, the more damage they cause. A quick vacuum after snowy days prevents staining and moisture buildup.

Wipe down hard surfaces where salt accumulates – door panels, dashboard edges, and around the pedals. Use a slightly damp cloth to lift away salt residue before it becomes crusty and difficult to remove.

Winter car cleaning needs to be quick and easy, or it simply won't happen. That's where a cordless car vacuum makes all the difference. No dragging heavy equipment outside in the cold, no hunting for extension leads, no excuses.

The Gtech Multi Platinum is purpose-built for this kind of regular maintenance. Its motorised brush head tackles embedded dirt and grit that winter weather grinds into your carpets as the kind of stubborn debris that ordinary vacuums just push around. Keep it in your car or garage so it's always ready when you need it, and winter cleanup becomes a five-minute job instead of a major chore.

Taking care of your car through winter doesn't just keep it looking good. It protects its value, prevents costly damage, and makes every journey safer and more pleasant. A little effort now saves a lot of hassle later.

Of course, winter isn't the only time your car interior needs attention. From sticky fingerprints on the dashboard to stubborn stains on the upholstery, there's always something that needs a quick clean. For a comprehensive guide on tackling everything from leather seats to cup holders, check out our detailed article on how to clean your car interior. You'll find step-by-step tips for keeping every part of your car looking its best, whatever the season.