How to Store Your Car for Winter

Thoroughly clean your car, inside and out, before storage. The last thing you want to do is put a car cover on a dirty vehicle. Give your ride a good handwash, polish up that chrome and apply a coat of wax to the paint. Make sure to get rid of any tree-sap drops, too.

If there are unpainted metal places under your car that are prone to rust, buy a can of rubberized undercoating and spray on a protective coat, keeping in mind that it needs to be reapplied yearly. Be careful not to spray this coating near any exhaust components that can get hot because products like this can be very flammable. For collectors, if you’re worried about keeping your vehicle in original condition, a coat of WD-40 will also work. You can also stuff a sock in the exhaust pipe so that small animals, like rodents, won’t find a new place to set up camp, but be sure to remove it before you start the car again.

Throw out food wrappers, soda cans and any other trash that may have accumulated in the vehicle’s cabin. If you plan on steam-cleaning the carpet, do that far enough in advance of (or after) storing the car to avoid moisture buildup and mold. For added interior protection, you can buy a set of seat covers. To soak up cabin moisture, purchase a few packs of desiccant from your local dollar store or convenience store to place on the floor of your vehicle.

Mice and other small animals can create trouble if they get inside your car. Even though there isn’t a surefire way to protect your car from mice, there are steps you can take to make your car less appealing to them. “I usually go to the dollar store and buy the cheapest drier sheets I can find, and put those inside my vehicles,” said Davin Reckow, parts specialist for Hagerty Collector Car Insurance. You can also place mothballs in socks and set them both inside and around the vehicle, but you’ll probably need to air out the cabin to get rid of that distinctive smell. Mousetraps work well outside the car, but never put them in your car. The last thing you want to find is a dead mouse on your passenger seat, especially months later. If you are storing your car in your own garage at home, remember that pest poison traps can be hazardous to your pets.