Frequent car washes advised to combat winter salt residue damage

ST. LOUIS - It’s pretty common for streets to have salt residue from mid-to-late December through late March, but there are ways to combat the grime.

Road salt prevents further ice and snow buildup from taking place. While it’s essential for safe driving, de-icers can have a bad effect on your car in the long run if not taken care of or cleaned often.

"One of the things you want to look out for is just the corrosive nature—that salt, brine and road grime. You really want to clean it," Briggs Auto Body and StL Dent Co. owner Justin Maurath said.

"You want to watch out for the undercarriage, especially in the nooks and crannies of the vehicle. Certainly, the surface of the vehicle. but I'd say a lot of time, the salt gets caught up in wheel wells and undercarriage." Maurath explained.

The undercarriage is particularly vulnerable as salt accumulates and remains in contact with metal surfaces over time.

"Yeah, it's not good. Anytime you're talking rust, you're talking significant damage and significant dollars." Maurath continued. "I think the main thing is if you don't take care of your car in a thoughtful way as much as us auto people would like, at least going through a car wash is gonna be a substantial benefit than just letting it sit per se."

The warmer weather to be expected for Thursday and Friday might be encouragement for taking care of the residue covering vehicles.

Frequent car washes once a week, or every other week, reduce the chance of rust buildup from winter grime, which could cost you thousands to repair. 

"I try to wash my car a few times a week, simply to get the salt and grime off, you know. I'm not looking to do a thorough detail, per se, just yet, but I'm definitely looking to at least get the majority of the salt and stuff off," Maurath said.