Hello to all, I would like to take a few moments to go over some proper tactics for snow removal from your vehicle. Ice buildupIce can build up in numerous places such as your headlights, impairing visibility, your roof and hood, which can cause a hazard to other drivers when on the highway, big chunks can come flying off. Windows are the most prone to icing because of the temperature differnce between the inside and outside of your car. So here are a few ways to deal wtih ice removal properly so you can keep yourself, others, and your cars paint/finish ok.1) If there is ice on your hood, let your car warm up, it will melt the bottom layer and make it easy to remove instead of having it fly off your car. Ice on the roof is a little different as it is not as easy to just melt off. Taking a snow bristle brush and gently tappin on the ice will help to break it free. Do not slam or hit hard as you will end up scratching your paint underneath. The light shocks will break it up and make it easy to remove. If you can, pick the pieces off by hand.2) Ice on your headlights and windows is something very easy to overcome, letting your car warm up is key to keeping a car running good. It allows the engine to warm up, your oil to warm up, and when you start driving, take it slow for a little bit so that your tranny fluid can warm up as well. Those with standards know what I mean, shifting can be a hassle at first. Putting everything on vent will allow the ice to melt down and become easy to remove with a bristle brush. One place people often forget to clear it the space where your wipers are attached, right between the windshield and the hood in that plastic vent area. Clearing this off will help a lot as the intake vent for your HVAC is located here, it will breathe better and put less stress on the blower motor. If all else is not an option, you can resort to the good 'ol scraper.Now if your not up for waiting, there is a product made by Prestone called De-Icer. It runs about $5 a can or less and is a remarkable time saver. Keeping a can in your hatch for the season is a good idea. It sprays in a strem and once it contacts, it melts the ice off immediately. It also works very well on headlights, taillamps, foglamps and mirrors to keep your visibility at a maximum. Snow RemovalThe common standard for snow removal is the bristled snow brush. It's rough, harsh and can cause more harm than good when dusting off your car. Leaving swirls and scratches galore. What you need to invest in is a product called the Sno-Brum made by AngelGuardProducts. It comes in many styles such as retractable or wood/metal poles. It is basically a special foam rectangle that is also available with a rubber squegee edge that is super easy to clean off your car with. It does not harm the finish, leave swirls or scratches, and can really push a good amount of snow in one shot, taking up to half the time to clean off your car as a traditional brush could. It also has a greater reach making sure you stay clear of the snow being pushed around and keeping you from leaning over to reach the tops of the roof. I bought one for my fiance as well so she could easily reach the top of her Jeep. It runs anywhere from $15+ and is available through their website.
http://www.angelguardproducts.com I would give it a look as there is tons of other nifty things available as well.Wheel WellsPlease stop kicking your side panels and bumpers to remove snow. You are not helping the finish. Instead, take your snow bristle brush and use the handle end. Poke it into the wheel well and get that slush and stuck ice out. Kicking never led to any good and it kills me when I see people doing it. Keep your shoes and pants clean and poke around.stay tuned as I throw out another post about winter washing techniques.