Getting Your Paint Ready for the Aussie Winter (March 2026 Edition)

Start with a heavy rinse. You want to get all that loose grit and dust off before you even think about touching the paint. If you've got a pressure washer, give the wheel arches a proper spray out, that's where the salt and mud sit and start the rust.

Spray your iron remover on the dry wheels and lower panels. Leave it for 3-5 minutes until it turns purple. This dissolves the tiny metal shards from your brakes that embed themselves in your paint. If you skip this, you're just sealing the rust in.

One bucket with soapy water, one with clean water to rinse your mitt. Work from the top down. If you drop your mitt on the driveway, chuck it in the wash and grab a fresh one. One tiny stone will ruin your whole day.

Once the car is clean but still wet, use your clay bar or mitt with some soapy water as lube. Run it gently over the paint. When it stops 'grabbing' and starts sliding, you're done. This removes the baked-on summer sap and pollutants.

Use a big microfibre drying towel. Don't use a chamois, they're old school and they don't actually pick up dirt; they just drag it across the surface. Ensure the car is 100% dry, especially in the cracks around the mirrors and lights.

In the shade, look for any leftover bird poop etching or water spots from the summer heat. If you find some, you might need a light hand polish before the sealant goes on. A sealant won't hide these; it'll just make them permanent for the next 6 months.

I prefer a synthetic sealant for winter because it lasts longer than a natural Carnauba wax. Apply a thin, even layer using a foam applicator. Less is more here, if you put it on too thick, it's a nightmare to buff off and you're just wasting product.

Read the bottle, but usually, you want to give it 10-15 minutes. A customer once brought in a Ranger where he'd let the sealant dry in the sun for two hours while he went for lunch... I had to practically sand it off. Don't be that guy.

Use a clean, short-pile microfibre to buff off the haze. Use circular motions and very light pressure. Flip the towel often.

Don't forget to wipe down the inside of the door frames. In winter, water sits in there and gets nasty. A quick wipe with a bit of spray wax or the leftover sealant keeps them clean.

This is a big one for Aussie winters. Use a rain repellent (like Rain-X or the Bowden's one) on the windscreen. When those winter downpours hit, the water just beads off, and you'll actually be able to see where you're going.

If you've got fancy alloys, put a bit of sealant on them too. It makes the brake dust wash off so much easier next time you hit the servo car wash.

Slap some tyre shine on, but don't go overboard. Use a water-based one so you don't get that greasy 'fling' all down the side of your freshly cleaned car.