The way our roads are treated in Iowa in the winter certainly helps keep the roads safe, but it can sure cause damage to our vehicles. Components such as our car’s suspension, underbody, and the overall body of the vehicle are vulnerable to sediment and debris on our roads. During the winter months, it is extremely important to keep your vehicle washed at least once per week, possibly even more if the roads you drive on are consistently treated with brine. When brine or salt mix with melted ice and snow and get left on your vehicle for a period of time, they become corrosive and that is when the rust really starts to take action. 

Why wash your car when it’s going to get dirty again? It’s an understandable question for sure, it might seem pointless. But, the more we can keep our vehicles clean, the better we’re able to protect from rust. When you choose a carwash, make sure that you select one that does an underbody spray. That is extremely crucial since that’s where most of the salt and brine will stick. A few other ways that you can manage the salt and brine on your vehicle is to have it completely undercoated with rust protection. It is best to do this when the car is brand new, but as long as the rust hasn’t started to spread already, you can still do this and make it effective. 

Not only is rust on your car certainly not the best sight to see, but it actually can do more damage than just being an eye sore. If it’s left without repair, rust can eat away at your car’s structure, and even get into your engine bay, which can cause issues with the vehicle's performance. It’s best if you can get out ahead of this damage and keep up with your maintenance in the winter.