Car washing is becoming a weekly routine for many car owners across the Midwest this winter. It’s been an unusually cold and snowy February so far across many parts of the country — and that weather takes a toll on automobiles. The cold temperatures make it worth frequently checking tire pressure and anti-freeze levels. If you’re idling your car more to warm it up before you drive, it’s also a good idea to change your oil sooner than you normally would. But the thing that hurts your car the most is the salt that road crews pour on the road when the snow start falling. Jason Baird of Gratiot, Ohio, put it this way:

“I keep my car as clean as I can,” Baird said. He was having his car washed at one of the Go Kleens in Zanesville. “With all the salt lately, I wash it at least once a week.”

“Wash your car as needed, and try to be preventative,” he said. “Salt is very corrosive to the underside and paint, and could do some serious damage to the support structure. An underbody wash is very important, and wax is important to maintain the clearcoat finish.”

Ty Hankinson, owner of Go Kleen Car Wash, explained other effects salt can have on vehicles.

“It can tarnish rims, chrome and eat away at anything,” he said. “I’ve even seen it happen to new cars that weren’t even a year old. The sooner you get the salt off the better you are.” [more...]