How to Remove Snow From Car Without Scratching? (4 Ways)

Most can agree that snow accumulation on a car is annoying. But it can be more annoying when you clean off the snow and get scratches on the vehicle, which would be costly to repair.

That’s why it’s important to know how to remove snow from car without scratching it. And this article will educate you on the process.

Here, you can also learn how to get rid of snow fast for when you’re in a hurry as well as how to protect your car from the snow and snow removal damage.

Ways to Remove Snow From Car Without Scratching

What to Prepare

May include one or some of these depending on the severity of the snow:

Step 1: Safety First: Check the Tailpipe for Snow Accumulation

Apart from damaging the paint, getting toxic carbon monoxide fumes in your car is another problem you wouldn’t want to happen when you get snow off car or basically whenever your car is running. The latter can occur if the vehicle’s tailpipe has snow in it.

So for safety, always ensure the tailpipe is clear of snow. If you see any inside, scoop it off to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.

Step 2: Use the Heat in Your Car

Some heat can be useful for your car snow removal process. Bring up the heat in your car to help soften the hard snow by letting it run with the highest heat setting and with the defrosters on.

Step 3: Clear Away the Snow With the Appropriate Tools

If there’s only light snow on your car and you need to remove it fast, just skip this step and proceed to step four.

If you’re thinking about brushing the snow off, don’t do it. It’d be better to do without a brush, as abrasive tools are to be avoided to prevent scratching.

In order to clean snow off car without scratching it, you’d need to use the proper snow removal tools and techniques. See your different options for tools and how to use them properly below.

 01 Soft Foam Broom

The best way to remove snow from car without damaging paint, especially if the snow is very heavy and hardened, is to use a soft foam broom for clearing snow off vehicles.

The best example of a soft foam broom is the highly-rated SnoBrum. It’s designed with a flat, non-metal, high-impact faceplate covered with a crosslinked polyethylene foam and a long handle.

With its flat faceplate and long handle, you can easily tackle great amounts of snow. Its foam is durable but gentle on paintwork and can also safely remove snow from car windshield. It has a 4-piece handle, which can extend from 28 inches to 63 inches.

There are also other varieties of SnoBrum. Such as the SnoMaxx has a stretchable handle that can extend from 40 inches to 72 inches.

There’s also the RoofBrum with a 6-piece handle that can extend to an even greater distance of 22 feet, which makes it an ideal snow brush for trucks, trailers, and vans.

• • To remove snow from a vehicle, scrape it off carefully using light strokes with the soft foam broom at least a quarter of an inch away from the car’s exterior. Don’t let it touch the surface.
  • Don’t apply too much pressure to avoid damaging the paintwork. Especially as there might be road salt, dirt, and sand among the snow on your car, these contaminants may also be ground on the surface and cause scratches.
  • Move the soft foam broom in straight lines when scraping the snow.
  • Start from the upper parts of the car going down.

 02 Regular Car Brush Wrapped With a Microfiber Towel

You can only use a brush with a microfiber towel wrapped around it that’s secured with elastic bands. The towel will prevent the brush from inflicting scratches on the surface.

To use it, just follow the same instructions stated above for the soft foam broom.

 03 Your Own Hands

Even with just your hands, you can also take snow off your car. This method requires more effort and does not allow as far of a reach as the snow foam brush method, but it still works.

Remember to protect your hands from the cold snow with thick, waterproof gloves or leather gloves. Once your hands are equipped and ready for snow removal from the car, stretch out your arms as far as you can and push off as much snow as possible.

 04 Ice Scraper

It’s important to get snow off windshield for the sake of safety for you and others on the road. The best tool to thoroughly clear the snow off the windshield without scratching or chipping it is an ice scraper for vehicles.

But you don’t have to scrape all the way to the edges either, as you have to be careful not to damage the rubber moldings and plastic trims around the edges of the window. As you scrape away, leave behind just a small border of the snow to avoid hitting and damaging the moldings and trims.

Step 4: Blow off the Snow With a Leaf Blower

Sometimes, when there’s only light snow on your car, there’s no need for any scraping. You can just remove snow quickly and easily without worrying about scratches by using a leaf blower, preferably a cordless one.

But sometimes, using a leaf lower would be your finishing step in removing heavy snow from a car. Once you’re done scraping off the big bulk of snow on your car, you can blow the rest away with a leaf blower.

Tips to Protect Cars Against Snow Removal Damage

1. Keep Your Car Clean

It’d help to ensure your car is clean before the winter comes and also keep it clean as much as you possibly can during winter. That’s because dirty cars are the most prone to damage during snow removal.

Any dirt, sand, and road salt among the snow on a car can be dragged and scratch the paintwork as you scrape away the snow.

2. Apply a Coat of Protection Before Winter

Protective coatings such as wax, sealant, and nano-ceramic coating can also help reduce the chances of scratching a car when removing snow.

3. Avoid Using Tools That Are Too Abrasive

Examples of abrasive tools to avoid are the shovel, nylon brush, cattail brush, corn-straw broom, yard broom, etc. Even a snow brush can also leave scratches on paintwork.

Other Ways to Keep Snow Out of Car

1. Park Indoors

A surefire way to keep your car snow-free is to park indoors. But if you don’t have a garage, you can safeguard your car in an indoor parking facility. Or just look for a covered area that can keep the snow away from your car.

2. Use a Polymer Paint Sealant or Wax

If you have no choice but to park outside, you can still protect your car from the snow by using a polymer paint sealant or wax. Applying either of these protective coatings will keep snow off car by making its exterior slick enough for the snow to slide off easily.

3. Use a Car Snow Cover

Using a car cover is a more effective way of keeping snow off your car outdoors. It would shield your car from the snow and its adverse effects on the car’s exterior and delicate electrical parts. To ensure that you get the best protection for your car, the cover should be:

Related guides you may be interested in:

• Cleaning Salt Off Car in Winter/Snow
• How Often Should You Wash Your Car in the Winter?

FAQS

Does Wiping Snow off Your Car Scratch It?

Yes, it would most likely scratch your car due to friction, especially when there are abrasive contaminants present among the snow.

What Is the Easiest Way to Remove Snow From a Car?

Among all the methods for removing snow from a car, using a leaf blower is the easiest, and it’s also the safest and fastest way. However, a powerful leaf blower with a flow rate of 600+ CFM would be required for heavy snow.

With a leaf blower, you can just turn the machine on and let it do the snow removal for you. Moreover, the absence of manual scraping makes this method least likely to damage your car.

However, this method might not work well with very heavy snow. That would still require the use of a soft foam broom.

Conclusion

Using the proper tools and techniques for how to remove snow from car without scratching it will give you the best, damage-free snow removal results. Even better, you can practice preventive measures to protect your car from the snow and avoid potential damage from snow removal damage.