Having been a used car dealer in St. Louis for many years, we’ve picked up all kinds of tips to help people get as much “bang for their buck” as possible. One of those tips that might not seem obvious is to wax your car before the cold winter months set in.

And why? Because waxing your car isn’t just about making it look nice. As a matter of fact, lots of people think that waxing a car just before heading into the slushy, grungy winter months is silly. Why make it look all shiny just to drive it through a bunch of cruddy road mess?

Well the answer is because waxing your car protects it. Over time, the paint of your car can crack and chip. Sometimes you notice it, and sometimes the cracks are so small you can’t see them. But either way, when your paint cracks, the metal below the paint is exposed. And when that metal gets wet, it does what all wet metal does. It rusts.

When you wax your car, you can build up that layer of protection again. The wax fills in the small chips and cracks in the paint, creating a protective layer that keeps debris out. What’s more – it’s a waterproof layer. Wax is naturally water resistant, meaning it won’t wash off in the first slush of the year.

That said, it’s a good idea to wax a few times throughout the winter. It does, eventually, wear off, and to keep your car protected a couple good reapplications go a long way.