By Evan Griffey / Originally Published December 8, 2014 / Hagerty

Winter roads are tough on wheels. It’s the moisture: Rain and especially snow seem magnetic in their ability to attract contaminants to wheels, and it’s usually the thick, crispy kind of grime that likes to hang around until spring.

Here’s a tip to give your rolling stock a fighting chance during these dark months. Go the extra mile. Follow up your typical wheel cleaning with wheel clay and a paint sealant. The wheel clay makes the surface of the wheels super smooth while the addition of a sealant takes this grime-fighting one step further, making it difficult for the tough stuff to get a foothold.

Once properly prepped, you’ll notice that any dirt with the guts to adhere to your wheels will easily rinse away. You can skip from cleaning to sealing if you don’t want to deal with claying. Also, a carnauba-based wax will work as a protectant but it will not last as long as its synthetic counterpart. Keeping your ride fully dressed and detailed can be trying in fall and winter, but this tip will help tip the scales in your favor.

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