Salt Keeps the Roads Safe. It Is Hard on Cars.
Road salt and brine stick to the lower half of the car all winter and keep working on paint, wheels and chips in the clear coat while they sit there. Rinse them off regularly, protect the paint before winter with a ceramic coating or film, and clean the interior when the season ends.
None of this is a reason to avoid salted roads. It is a reason to wash the car more often between December and March than in July.
What Hamilton Puts Down in Winter
City roads
The City of Hamilton lists rock salt, a sand and salt mix called pickle mix, salt brine and a product called Fusion among its de-icing materials (City of Hamilton media release, December 2017).
A November 2018 city winter control update put average use at about 65,000 tonnes of salt and 250,000 litres of salt brine per season, with first priority given to main routes and escarpment crossings.
Provincial highways
On provincial highways, the Ontario Ministry of Transportation says crews plow, salt and sand, and also use pre-wetted salt and anti-icing liquid sprayed before storms ("How we clear Ontario's highways in winter", ontario.ca). Highway spray at speed coats the whole lower half of the car.
Where Salt Does Its Damage
Lower panels and rocker panels
Slush thrown up by your own tires and by traffic ahead lands on the lower doors, rocker panels and behind the wheels. That is where the white salt line shows first, and where it sits longest.
Chips in the paint
A chip that exposes metal gives salt and moisture a way in. Small chips on the hood and bumper are worth dealing with before winter, and paint protection film stops new ones forming on the panels it covers.
Wheels and brakes
Salt and brake dust bake onto wheels. Rinsing the wheels and wheel wells is part of a good winter wash, not an extra.
The interior
Boots carry salt onto carpets and mats, where it dries into white tide marks. Rubber mats in winter and a proper interior detail in spring help a lot.
What You Can Do About It
Rinse often
Rinse the lower panels and wheel wells when temperatures allow, especially after a run of salty days. A touchless wash with an underbody rinse is better than waiting for spring.
Protect before the season
A coating or film applied to clean paint in the fall makes every winter wash easier and keeps grime from bonding. Ask us what makes sense for your car.
Common Questions
How often should I wash the car in winter?
Often enough that salt does not sit on the car for weeks. A rinse of the lower panels and wheel wells after salty stretches helps, even when a full wash has to wait for a milder day.
Is a touchless wash safe in winter?
It is gentler on paint than a brush wash and better than leaving salt on the car. Look for one that rinses underneath the car as well.
Does ceramic coating stop salt damage?
It helps salt rinse off more easily and keeps grime from bonding, but it does not replace washing. Salt left sitting still does harm.
Should I protect the car before winter or after?
Before. Film and coating do the most good when they go on clean paint, ahead of the salt season.
Related Pages
Get the Car Ready for Salt Season
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