The question of whether today's unusually persistent winter traffic is caused by a new road surface or some other environmental change has been raised in both the motoring community and the media.
We went to find out and it turned out that the old practices regarding road maintenance had not been changed. The same type of dirt has been a problem for motorists for a long time, only the amount of dirt can vary seasonally depending on the average winter temperature and the amount of snow. A new, more environmentally friendly road salt may have been tested in some areas, but there is no research evidence of a different effect of the new salt on car dirt. There are, however, a few points to consider when it comes to removing heavy winter soiling from car surfaces.
-
- Removing a perfectly normal winter car wash, especially when washing with a relatively active wash cycle, is not typically a problem - especially if the car has been stored outdoors. Humid and cool air keeps the dirt layer moist, so it comes off easily.
- is an excellent choice for this type of car maintenance.
- When the dirt has not dried and hardened on the car's surfaces, no separate solvent is needed, simply spraying or foaming the car's surfaces with an alkaline detergent is sufficient. For example, the wax-safe Swan-labelled Pineline Active Foam is an excellent choice for the maintenance of such a car.
- Keeping your car in a heated garage or car park is a pleasant option for car surfaces, but in such conditions a layer of dirt will harden and dry on the car's surfaces quite quickly. Just storing the car in a garage overnight is often enough time for the dirt to adhere more firmly. This means adding one more washing step to the car wash routine. The spring sun also heats up the car's surfaces strongly, drying out the dirt and causing a similar washing challenge to storing the car indoors.
This creates the need to use solvents or solvent-based prewash chemicals (microemulsions). The type, concentration and duration of action of the pre-wash chemical become important when it comes to removing asphalt or salt deposits from car surfaces, for example. Lock pickling is a typical type of winter dirt that cannot be cleaned with alkaline detergent alone. Micro-emulsions or raw solvent are needed.
Pineline Power Cleaner is as effective as a crude bio-based solvent as hydrocarbon preparations on the market, but as a hydrocarbon-free product it is much safer and more convenient to use. Pineline Power Cleaner 0.5 L is packaged in a spray bottle, making it easy to dispense directly into problem areas.
Power Cleaner is easy to rinse from car surfaces after a suitable exposure time using only water. The product is also suitable for removing diesel and other fuel spills, i.e. many types of dirt that cannot be removed by alkaline detergents alone, even after a longer exposure time.
During the winter, the sun shines low and can glare unpleasantly when reflected from a wet or icy road surface. It is therefore worth considering washing the inside of your car windows as part of your car's maintenance, so that dirt and dirt particles do not further reduce visibility.
Ready for use on car windows Glass Cleaner 0,5L is a good and domestic choice, also ideal for cleaning the dashboard of your car.