Dealing with road salt is a necessary evil if you live in an area that experiences winter weather. Rock salt makes roads less slippery and salt brine is used to treat roads before a storm. They are both cheap and effective. Unfortunately, they can also corrode your car. Follow these tips to prevent road salt from damaging your vehicle.
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Prevent Buildup
The best defense against road salt is to keep a good layer of wax on the exterior. The wax will form a barrier between salt and your paint. It will also make cleaning snow off much easier.
Even if your vehicle is waxed, you should wash it after a big storm. Salt is going to stick to your car, and wax can only do so much. Make sure to scrub the wheels as well, where salt is likely to build up. Dry it off, especially if it is winter. Finally, apply another coat of wax.
Protect the Undercarriage
It’s difficult to clean the undercarriage of a vehicle yourself. However, this is where salt can do the most damage. Car detailing Maryland will clean out all the nooks and crannies underneath the automobile where salt splashes. If you live in an area with a lot of snow, then you should get it detailed every winter.
Some car washes offer undercarriage steam cleaning. A simple spray will not do much to dislodge stuck-on salt, but steam will do the trick. Do this periodically to remove salt from the undercarriage until you make it to the detail shop.
Remember the Interior
Although you don’t have to worry about salt corroding anything on the interior of your vehicle, it can still stain your carpet. Salt travels inside your car on the bottom of your boots. You may think it isn’t hurting anything, but salt stains are notoriously difficult to get out. Luckily, you only need to remove your floor mats and give them a good shake to prevent stains from happening.
