Winter isn’t over. Unfortunately, Nebraska is known for dragging out the cold weather as long as possible. With winter comes ice and with ice comes salt. Road salt can be one of this season’s biggest dangers to your paint job and as much as we love our customers, we want to save you a trip to the body shop all together. These tips will help keep your car intact.
Start the season with a wash and wax
Properly washing and waxing your car is the first line of defense against corrosion-inducing salt treatments. Washing and waxing can protect your car for up to 8 weeks and keep your car’s finish looking pristine.
Don’t forget the undercarriage
Thanks to modern technology, a car’s finish is much more resilient to rust and corrosion than before. Unfortunately, the most often overlooked part of your car is the undercarriage. Things like your brakes and transmission lines are extremely vulnerable. These are important parts of your car and are vital to your safety. Many places you go will have an undercarriage wash option and it’s not a bad idea to do that this time of year.
Wash your vehicle regularly as it gets warmer
Luckily the salt damage to your car is lessened at freezing temperatures. The problem is when it gets warmer out, the salt takes its toll on your car. As the season gets warmer, you won’t want to wait more than 10 days to get a car wash.
Use the DIY car wash
You might be seeing a trend here, but the best way to prevent salt damage is to keep it off your car in the first place. The problem is, most car washes will recycle the water that is used to wash all of the cars that come in. The same water that washed all of the previous car’s salt off will put all that salt on your car. Not to mention the sand, that accompanies the salt, will scratch up your paint leaving you more susceptible to future paint damage.
Avoid deep snow and puddles
Deep snow and puddles in the road offer their own unique dangers to you and your car. While getting stuck in snow is something to worry about, deep snow can also push moisture and salt into your undercarriage, increasing the chance of rust. It’s the same with puddles. The salt melts the ice on the roads and the water splashes up and delivers the salt right to the most vulnerable parts of your car.
Try to take care of dents and paint chips prior to the season
Preparation is always the best way to handle winter weather. Taking care of problems like scratches and dents can save you a lot of damage down the road. Your paint is like a shield for your car’s body. A scratch, no matter how minor is a place where salt and eventually rust can work away at the metal on your car. It’s good to take care of the small scratches early before they turn into larger issues.
To learn more about road salt and brine, read our blog about Road Salt.
Those are just a few tips to help you keep your car protected from one of the many hazards in the winter. The fact of the matter is, it might be too late to prevent damage and if your car’s body needs some work, we can help! If you are in need of any auto body repair, feel free to get a free estimate from us and we’ll help you prepare for next winter.