Road salt keeps winter roads safe, but it is corrosive and the main cause of winter rust. To protect your car, wash the salt off regularly through the gritted months, rinse the wheel arches, sills and underside where salt collects, and keep a layer of wax or sealant on the paint as a barrier. Salt damage is gradual and easy to prevent but expensive to repair, so a little regular attention through winter pays off.
Why road salt is so damaging
Salt lowers the freezing point of water to keep roads clear, but the salty slush it creates is highly corrosive. It sticks to the metal of your car, particularly the underside and arches, and accelerates rust wherever the protective coatings are thin or chipped. Left on the car for weeks, it quietly does damage you will not see until it is serious.
Wash it off regularly
The single most effective thing you can do is wash the salt off often. Through the salted months, aim to rinse the car down more frequently than in summer, especially after driving on freshly gritted roads. You do not need a full valet every time, even a thorough rinse to flush the salt away makes a real difference.
Don't forget the arches and underside
The places that matter most are the ones you cannot easily see. The wheel arches, sills and underside collect the most salt and are where rust takes hold. Direct the hose up into the arches and along the sills to flush the salt out. This is the step most people skip, and it is the most important one.
Keep protection on the paint
A layer of wax or sealant acts as a barrier between the salt and your paint, and helps the salty water run off rather than cling. Going into winter with fresh protection, and topping it up midway, reduces how much salt reaches the surface. It also makes the regular washes more effective.
A professional winter clean
A mid-winter valet clears the built-up salt, including the hard-to-reach areas, and refreshes the paint protection, undoing the season's damage before it adds up. It is worth doing at least once through the worst of the salt. We valet through winter across Derby and the East Midlands.
Want the winter salt cleared off?
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