Road salt keeps us safe on I-75 and M-59, but it eats at metal, dulls paint and stains carpets. A little prep before the first snow saves a lot of money by spring.
1. Protect the paint before the first snow
A sealant or ceramic coating gives salt brine nothing to grip. Apply it in October or early November while temperatures are still above 50 degrees.
2. Rinse the underside often
Every one to two weeks in winter, rinse wheel wells and the underbody, especially after a storm. Salt does its damage where you cannot see it.
3. Use rubber floor mats
All-weather mats catch slush before it soaks into the carpet and leaves white salt rings.
4. Clean the wheels
Salt and brake dust bake onto wheels. A coated wheel face rinses clean much faster.
5. Book a spring reset
When the salt trucks park for the season, a full detail with an interior extraction removes what winter left behind.
