Winter Salt - More than Just an Eyesore

Have you looked at the outside of your vehicle recently? Maybe you noticed your backup camera was a little difficult to see through when you pulled out of the garage this morning. It could be that there is salt residue built up on your vehicle. But why bother with salt when you drive on the roads later and you’re just going to get more on your vehicle again?

That’s not how you should be tackling this problem. It may seem like this is rather minuscule, and in areas of the world where snow isn’t an issue or salt isn’t used as a deicing agent, we might agree. However, salt and salt brine used to deice the roads lowers the freezing temperature of water. Eventually you will drive through it, thus that lovely gray hue of salt on your vehicle, and if you lean to close, your pants too.

That gray hue of salt left on the paint of your vehicle can be quite the eyesore, worse yet, it rapidly increases the oxidization process, and when metal oxidizes it begins to rust. Rust happens slowly over time, but with an increase in the process, that lifetime is shortened. More significantly, if there are paint chips or areas of the vehicle that are not protected, they are at a higher risk. One of these areas is the undercarriage – it is completely metal, entirely exposed, and takes the most wear from the road during use.

To slow the oxidization process and prolong the lifespan of your vehicle, it is important to take care of it. Cleaning the salt residue from your vehicle can save the paint and undercarriage from a rusty nightmare. A car wash, with undercarriage cleaning, can help to remove the salt from the underbody and areas of road wear like the rocker panel. Washworld touch-free and soft touch car washes offer the Power Tower Wheel Cleaners® specifically designed to remove dirt, debris, and snow from your rocker panels and running boards. Washworld also provides an extra step vehicle preparation, Bug A’Salt™ which targets bugs and salt film on the front of your vehicle, leaving your car cleaner. This feature comes standard on the Washworld Razor and is optional on the soft touch Profile. It is important any time of the year, however, be sure to get your vehicle cleaned up during the winter months to remove the salt, and keep it looking new and running healthy.

There are several weather-related elements that will keep your vehicle from looking new, but salt shouldn’t be one of them.