Post-Winter Car Detailing: Get Show-Ready with Our Decontamination and Protection Products

Post-Winter Car Detailing: It's Time To Get Show-Ready

As winter quickly becomes a distant memory and the sun begins to reappear, it’s time to prep your pride and joy, ready for the summer show season. 

Months of harsh weather, road salt, grime, and general neglect can leave even the best-kept cars looking lacklustre. Luckily, with the right detailing process and a selection of our Squid Ink Detailing products, you can easily reset your car ready for show season.

In this blog, we’ll walk you through the essential steps to properly decontaminate and protect your vehicle after winter - giving it that glassy, show-ready finish while helping prevent damage in the months ahead.

Once you've completed this winter reset, it will be FAR EASIER to keep your car clean for the rest of the year. 

Step 1: Clean your Wheels

Cleaning wheels first is always a good idea as they are typically the dirtiest part of the car, especially after winter. Also, if you were to wash the whole car first without drying it, you will inflict heavy water spots which are then a royal pain to remove. 

Pre-wash your wheels with snow foam or Citrus. Just be certain to stick to pH neutral products on any delicate finishes, and be extremely careful with bare metal or non-lacquered surfaces which can be extremely sensitive to chemicals.

Use our Blue Lagoon wheel cleaner for the main wash which is pH neutral and safe to use on all types of wheels. It's a versatile product and can be used in a bucket as a dedicated, slick wheel cleaning shampoo, diluted in a spray bottle, or foamed on with an IK Foam Pro or similar.

Blue Lagoon loves to be agitated and will foam up beautifully. It's also arguably the nicest scented wheel cleaner on the market, smelling of Cola sweets, which makes it a joy to use.

Step 2: Always Pre-Wash Your Paintwork Thoroughly

Winter driving means your paint has probably picked up a cocktail of salt, grime, and traffic film. Before you touch the paint, it’s crucial to remove as much of that of this dirt as possible to avoid scratching or swirling it.

Recommended Products:

• Alkafroth Snow Foam - Our heavy hitting alkaline snow foam for neglected cars, where tough cleaning power is required.
• Froth pH-Neutral Snow Foam – Ideal on maintenance washes, or on more delicate finishes such as wraps or ceramic coatings.

• Citrus Concentrate – Fantastic for lower panels and behind arches where buildup is worst. Always take care using Citrus as it is a very potent cleaner, never use it on delicate finishes or in direct sunlight.

Let the snow foam dwell for around 5 minutes, then rinse thoroughly. Don’t rush this part - a good pre-wash is key to safe contact washing.

Step 3: The Main Wash

Use a grit guard, quality microfibre wash mitt, and one of our slick, pH neutral shampoos such as HD Gloss or HD Pure. Work from top to bottom, and make sure you're rinsing the mitt between panels to avoid dragging grit across the paint. Using two buckets is beneficial, but optional if your pre-wash routine is on point.

Pro tip: Our Shampoos can also be applied by foam cannon, which is useful on warmer days for a wide and even coverage. All foam cannons are different, but start at around 30-40ml of product per 500ml water and adjust as needed.

Step 4: Decontamination – Remove the Hidden Nasties

Here’s where the post-winter magic happens. Even after a good wash, your paint will still be contaminated with bonded fallout, tar, and other embedded particles which make the paintwork feel rough to the touch.

Iron Fallout Remover

Use our fast acting Ferrous Xtract Iron Remover on paintwork and wheels. Watch it bleed purple as it reacts with embedded ferrous oxide particles like brake dust and industrial fallout. Don't let it dry on and rinse thoroughly to wash away fallout contamination.

Tar Remover

Winter roads = tar spots galore. Use our dedicated Tar & Glue remover on the lower half of the car and behind the arches. Let it dwell and gently wipe off with a microfibre cloth. Then give the car a good rinse and go over again with shampoo.

Clay Bar or Clay Mitt

For the ultimate clean surface, clay the paint to lift stubborn contamination. You’ll feel the difference immediately - buttery smooth panels that are ready for protection. Clay mitts are far easier to use and cover a much greater surface area compared to traditional clay bars. Mitts can be reused time and time again, and can be simply rinsed if dropped, unlike clay which can't be reused when dirty.

Top Tip: Mix a good glug of shampoo with water in a spay bottle spray to use as a cost effective clay lubricant. Good lubrication will help reduce marring during the claying process.

Step 5: Polish If Needed (Optional But Recommended)

If your paint has light swirls, oxidation, or just looks dull, now is the time to revive it. Use our All in One Cherry Glaze Polish by hand or machine to boost gloss and clarity.

For heavily swirled or scratched paint, consider a more intensive multi-stage correction. For many, a good one-step polish is enough to unleash that Squid Ink shine.

Step 6: Protection – Seal It In

After you’ve gone through all that work, lock in the results with a solid layer of protection. This is especially important as summer UV rays, bird droppings, and rain can all take their toll. This will also make maintaining the finish far easier and quicker. All of our finishing products will add extreme glossiness to your car which will always turn heads:

Paintwork:

• Ultimate Quick Detailer – Quick to apply, hydrophobic, and great for topping up protection before shows.

• Fortress SiO2 Sealant – For more serious detailers who want months of protection, extreme gloss and crazy water repellency.

• Wax – Still a firm favourite for show prep due to the extreme depth of gloss and warmth it delivers to paintwork.

• Pro-Seal Snow Foam Sealant - Quick and easy protection if you're low on time.

Glass:

• Use Crystalline Glass Cleaner, followed by Storm Glass Sealant for clearer visibility and easier cleaning after summer downpours or bug splatter.

Wheels:

• Apply Rim-Guard high-temperature wheel sealant to protect and keep wheels cleaner for longer. Well protected wheels will make removing brake dust much easier which saves time on future washes.

Tyres & Trim:

• Dress tyres with Tyre-Guard to add a highly hydrophobic layer of protection which repels water and helps keep them cleaner for longer. 

• Use Plasti-Guard to effortlessly revive faded plastics after heavy winter exposure.

Bonus: Interior Refresh

Don't neglect the cabin! Hoover thoroughly, clean carpets and mats, and wipe down all plastics with our All Purpose Cleaner. Finish and dress with our Dash Fresh Interior Dressing. Finally spritz the cabin with one of our high strength Air Fresheners to give your car that freshly detailed feel.

Final Thoughts

Prepping your car for show season isn’t just about looks, it’s about reversing winter damage and setting a strong base of protection to make maintenance far easier all summer long.

Take the time now to decontaminate and protect properly, and you’ll be rewarded with a deep, glossy finish that saves loads of time in the future.

Looking for the right products - Check out this MEGA DEAL!

For a limited time, we've carefully selected this HUGE Show Stopper Bundle, which includes pretty much everything needed to prep the exterior of you car. This bundle saves almost 50% OFF THE RRP - click here for details!

Our amazing car care products are trusted by hundreds of professional and home detailing enthusiasts across the UK and Europe.

Our products are designed to leave a lasting impression, so don't be surprised when you walk away as the 'Show and Shine' winner at your favourite car shows this year!