By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
The winter weather has come and gone in Central Kansas. At least the first round. Now the cleanup begins. With more spring-like temperatures in the area to begin February, GB Car Care Co-owner Leon Haselhorst said it's important to wash road salt from vehicles, especially from places like fender wells .
"We always tell our customers, if you don't have time to wash your car, at least just go to the car wash, blast it off, and get the initial road film off," he said. "Just get it removed. You don't have to scrub it down but at least just get it off."
The salt and chemical additives used on roads is good for lowering the freezing temperature of water to prevent ice, but it's also highly corrosive to vehicles. It can erode the protective layers of paint, ultimately leading to chipping, peeling, and rust. The salt can also damage the undercarriage of cars by eroding brake lines and exhaust systems.
"You need to spray down the whole car," Haselhorst said. "Get it off the top, your doors, the sides. It's important to get it off the wheels because the wheels don't have much protection and will get corroded."
According to Maaco.com, avoid parking near or brushing against snowbanks as that can increase the amount of salt on a vehicle's surface. Covering windshield wiper blades can prevent deterioration or scratching of the windshield. Haselhorst said it just comes to down general maintenance.
"If you want to keep your car nice, you just need to take care of it," he said. "Get it detailed every once in a while, get some wax on it for protection, especially on the front end. You have to really be careful about keeping the outside of your vehicle clean since the clear coat is really thin on these new vehicles."