Removing Road Salt

During the winter months, it seems like there is nothing that is more difficult than keeping your car or truck clean. In areas where salt is used to help improve driving conditions, then chances are you can multiply this difficulty level by a factor of ten or so.

Road salt is something that needs to be removed from your vehicle as often as possible. Unfortunately, this is not something that is done regularly, and vehicle owners are constantly surprised when springtime rolls around and suddenly they see spots of rust or damaged paint where previously there was a pristine paint job. The reason for this is fairly simple in that salt—particularly the salt that is used on roadways—is a caustic substance that can eat away at other substances over time. If salt is left on a car, or even on the upholstery of a car, then there is going to be noticeable damage.

Though cleaning is not something that anyone really looks forward to, removing road salt is something that anyone can do with just a little time. Properly removing all the road salt that seems to accumulate on your car during the winter months is easy if you simply use these guidelines. Doing so you are going to greatly increase the life of your car's exterior and interior.

• Exterior. Probably the single easiest task when it comes to cleaning your car. During the winter months you want to keep an eye out for ways to work smarter, not harder. To that end, you really should take advantage of those automatic car washes. These are going to remove the vast majority of the road salt from your exterior. The best part of this is that you won't run the risk of hypothermia when cleaning! On average you should get your car washed within three days from any salting to cut down the risk of rust and paint damage. Doing this is also going to help protect your undercarriage and wheels, since many automatic car washes also get these portions of the vehicle at the same time.
• Leather Upholstery. If you have leather upholstery, then you are going to need special care. During the winter months you are going to want to take the time to regularly clean anywhere that road salt might come into contact. Use a soft-bristled brush to remove any loose salt and grime. Use some leather cleaning solution (similar to the kind used for soft leather boots and shoes) and a soft white cloth to apply it. Rub gently but firmly till any stains are removed, and then you need to apply leather protectant. Again this is going to be similar to the ones used for leather boots or shoes. Allow your leather upholstery to dry, keeping it warm enough to dry and not freeze.
• Fabric Upholstery. Probably the best way to clean road salt from fabric upholstery is going to be similar to what you do for leather. First you are going to need to dry brush all the loose gunk off and out of the car. For floor mats this is going to be particularly easy since you can lift them up and out. Once you have removed the loose stuff, it is time to work on the ground-in junk. The best way to get rid of this stuff is to use a 50/50 solution of white vinegar and water. Apply with a sponge and wipe away. The vinegar is going to simply dissolve the ground-in junk and clean the stain at the same time.