Should I Wash My Car When There Is Still Salt on the Road?
That white dust coating your tires and lower panels may seem like a harmless side effect of winter driving. But in truth, road salt can lead to corrosion, rust, and long-term damage if left untreated. You may feel that washing your car before all the salt is gone from the roads is redundant. But is that really the best approach? In this article, we break down why washing your car during winter is important.
Why Salt Removal is Necessary
Road salt’s ability to lower water’s freezing temperature fights icy road conditions and therefore makes winter driving safer. However, moisture is drawn to the salt collected on your vehicle, especially in hard-to-clean spots. The combination of moisture, salt, oxygen, and metal creates rust.
Salt aggressively corrodes unprotected metal. Prolonged exposure may lead to rust on body panels, damage to the undercarriage and frame, and deterioration of the brake and fuel lines.
Furthermore, waiting until spring to wash your car won’t repair existing damage.
Does It Matter If I Wash My Car While the Salters Are Still Out?
Preventing road salt buildup is the most important way to avoid damage.
Salt damage is cumulative. The longer it sits, the more damage it creates. Prevent corrosion by regularly washing your car to avoid heavy buildup.
You may see surface grime disappear with snow melting off your vehicle, but salt can still remain: salt sticks to textured surfaces such as undercarriages and wheel wells. Nature’s cleaning is not as thorough as proper washing.
How often should you wash your car in winter?
Aim to wash your car every two weeks. This helps maintain your car’s cleanliness and shields it from damage, particularly winter road salt. Wash your vehicle as frequently as every 7–10 days if you drive on salted roads daily, park outside, or notice visible damage.
How to Wash Your Car When There’s Still Salt on the Roads
The importance of washing your car continues even in winter. This method is both efficient and safe for your vehicle:
- Use a car wash with undercarriage spray: For a drive-through car wash, choose one offering an undercarriage rinse. This will target areas prone to salt buildup and subsequent rust. To prevent paint scratches, use a touchless or soft-touch car wash.
- Pick a warm day: Only wash your car outside when the temperature is above 0 ˚C. This helps prevent the water from freezing into tight spots and possibly causing damage.
- Rinse first: Before applying soap, rinse your car with a hose or pressure washer. Inspect the tires, the wheel wells, and the lower parts of the doors. Salt accumulates most heavily in these areas.
- Use only car-safe soap: Don’t use dish soap or household cleaners to wash your car. This will damage your paint. To wash your car, use car-safe soap and start at the top, working your way down to prevent dirt and salt from spreading to clean areas.
- Rinse again and dry: Completely rinse and dry the car with a clean microfiber towel. Open the doors, trunk, and hood so any water trapped in the seals can dry. Also roll down the windows part way. Make sure to dry any exposed surface you can safely reach, switching out wet cloths for dry ones as needed.
- Add protective wax (optional): Applying a quick wax or sealant after drying creates a protective layer for your car, preventing salt and water from sticking.
Why You Can’t Rely on Weather to Wash Away Road Salt
It’s reasonable to expect that rain, snowmelt, or other precipitation will clean the salt from your car. While helpful initially, that’s not enough to fully protect your vehicle against salt. Here’s why.
Spring Rain Can’t Reach Hidden Areas
Salt doesn’t simply accumulate on flat surfaces. It also gets trapped in hard-to-reach areas like your vehicle’s undercarriage and wheel wells, which can’t be flushed by the weak pressure of rain and puddles. A professional car wash uses car-safe soap, high-pressure water, and friction to remove salt.
Salt Sticks
Salt doesn’t act like dirt that blows away. Even after snow melts, the chalky white residue of salt stays stuck on your vehicle’s paint, wheels, and frame until actively scrubbed or rinsed away with pressure.
Warm Days Activate Salt
Warmer temperatures might make you think that road salt isn’t a concern for your car. In reality, the warmer temperatures will cause the moisture in the air to combine with the salt left on your car. This produces a corrosive saltwater solution which will make your car rust quicker, even more so than in cold conditions.
Just think of a glass of water: salt dissolves must faster in warm than in cold water. Road salt behaves the same way.
Salt Doesn’t Disappear
The snow may be gone from the roads, but the salt remains. Residual winter salt coats roads, often persisting in grit and even dry road dust. Despite its reduced size, the road salt is still hanging out, waiting for unsuspecting undercarriages and wheel wells to sneak into.
To truly protect your car during and after winter, regular washes, including the undercarriage, are essential to reduce the chances of corrosion and rust forming.
Don’t Wait
It’s smart car maintenance, not wasteful, to wash your car while there’s still salt on the roads. Washing for 10 minutes will save you on later repairs. Your future self and your car will be grateful if you do.
Need advice on preventing road salt damage to your car? Visit your local NAPA AUTOPRO service centre and chat with one of our friendly technicians.