How do I protect my car from road salt this winter?

What does road salt do to your car?

Salt mixed with water speeds up rust and corrosion. It does the most damage to the underneath, the wheels and any stone chips in the paint.

• Paint: salt spray coats the bonnet, bumpers and lower doors and dries to a dull, gritty film. Where there's a stone chip or a deep scratch, salt and water get to the metal, and that's where rust starts.
• Wheels: alloys sit right in the spray. Once salt gets under the lacquer through a kerb mark or chip, white lines appear and the lacquer starts to flake.
• Underneath: the arches, sills, brake pipes and exhaust take the most salt and are the hardest parts to keep clean. Salt packs into the seams and keeps working away while it's damp.

That's why our mobile deep clean covers the wheels and arches, door shuts and engine bay as well as the paint.

Does a ceramic sealant or coating protect against road salt?

Yes, both help. They put a slick layer over the paint, so salt and road grime have less to cling to and rinse off more easily.

Neither one stops salt landing on the car, and neither covers the underneath, so you still need to wash the salt off. The difference is how long the protection lasts and where we do it.

A sealant isn't a coating. A ceramic coating is a bigger job, and we only do it at our unit, where the paint is prepared and machine polished before the coating goes on.

How long does a ceramic sealant last in winter?

Ours lasts around 3 months, so one sealant won't see you through the whole winter on its own.

Put it on in early November and it's protecting the paint through November, December and January. The gritters can still be out after that, so if you want the paint covered into spring, book another exterior valet or deep clean when it's due, around February.

How do I wash road salt off my car safely?

Get the salt and grit off with a rinse and a pre-wash before anything touches the paint, then wash with two buckets and dry it properly. Wiping a salty car with a dry cloth or a sponge drags the grit across the paint and leaves scratches.

1. Rinse the wheels, arches and sills first. That's where the salt packs in. A hose or pressure washer gets the worst of it off.
2. Pre-wash. Cover the car in snow foam or a pre-wash, leave it to work, then rinse it off. It lifts the grit so you're not rubbing it into the paint.
3. Use two buckets. One with shampoo, one with clean water to rinse the mitt each time. The grit ends up in the rinse bucket, not back on the car. Start at the roof and work down.
4. Dry it properly. Use a clean microfibre towel, and open the doors to dry the shuts and rubber seals so nothing freezes overnight.

It's the same pre-wash and two bucket method we use on every maintenance valet.

How often should I wash my car in winter?

More often than in summer, because the car picks up fresh salt every time it goes out on gritted roads.

If you'd rather not do it yourself on a cold driveway, our maintenance valet is a safe wash booked every 4 to 6 weeks, from £55. We start with a thorough pre-wash to lift the dirt before anything touches the paint, then do a two bucket contact wash with careful, scratch-free technique. Between visits, a quick rinse of the wheels, arches and sills after a spell of gritted roads stops the salt sitting there.

“Great reliable monthly detailing service. Always turns up on time, does a thorough job, and leaves the car looking spotless inside and out. Really convenient and good value! Highly recommend.”

When should I get my car protected for winter in Sheffield?

Now, before the frosts set in. The council's gritting season runs from October to April, and the salt builds up once the cold weather arrives. The sooner the paint is sealed, the less salt it sees unprotected.

For winter car protection at your home or workplace, book our mobile deep clean, from £180, or an exterior valet, from £80. Both include the ceramic sealant. The deep clean also gives the inside a thorough clean, which helps with the salt and mud that come in on your shoes. For a ceramic coating, we'll book you in at our unit on Tinsley Park Road, from £500.

We come out to Sheffield, Stannington, Rotherham, Barnsley, Hope Valley and the rest of the areas we cover.

FAQs

How to book

We've been valeting and detailing cars in Sheffield since 2021. We're fully insured and rated 5.0 from 100 Google reviews. To get your car protected before the salt builds up, get a quote or call us on 07379 992852.