Jun 27 2020

Protecting your Car’s Paint Job from Road Salt

Lambency Detailing

Various factors can damage your car’s paint job, such as bird droppings and rocks. However, one such factor that you might not have heard of is road salt. Road salt is extremely harmful to both your paint job and your car’s bodywork, it is also really hard to avoid. There are multiple ways for you to protect your paint against road salt, such as car paint protection coating and regular car washes, but the question is, which is the best way to do so?

In the following segments, we will be looking at what road salt is, what it does and our top 4 methods to protect your car’s shiny new paint job from being damaged by it.

So, what is road salt and where do they come from?

Road salt is more of an issue in foreign countries rather than tropical ones as salt is often used to melt snow during the winter season. However, a country such as Singapore gets its road salt differently.

Surrounded by water, sea breeze tends to carry salt particles from the sea inland resulting in a similar issue with road salt as foreign countries.

How do they damage your car?

Salt acts as a catalyst for rusting and corroding. So, when there is a scratch on the bodywork of your car, road salt that is deposited in those scratches can not only be detrimental to your car’s aesthetics but also its general structural integrity, eventually resulting in an unsafe vehicle.

How to protect your car’s paint job:

Now that you know the issues that road salt can cause to your car’s paint and bodywork, here are our top 4 countermeasures that will help protect your car.

No. 1: Waxing

Waxing your car is a cheap and effective way to protect your car from road salt. Wax acts as an invisible sacrificial layer of armour that can keep dirt, grime, road salt and other harmful substances away from your car and its paint job.

With that said, it is important to note that waxing only provides a temporary layer of protection and will require frequent reapplication, otherwise it will fade away.

No. 2: Get rid of dents and scratches immediately

As stated above, road salt can corrode and rust your car’s bodywork, but to do that, first, it has to get through the 3 layers of paint.

However, when there is either a dent or a scratch, part of those 3 layers of paint has been removed, leaving the car’s metal body more exposed than usual. This will make corroding and rusting of the car even more likely to happen. To prevent such situations from arising, it is best that you rid your car of any dents and scratches upon discovery. You can do so by simply spraying on a layer of primer or paint, even a simple magic marker will help. These will help to restore an extra layer of protection between road salt and your car’s metal body.

No. 3: Wash regularly

As with any harmful substance that may be discovered on your car’s surface, washing will help to get rid of road salt. This will help to eliminate the chances of there being any residual road salt that resides on your paint job, slowly working its way to the bodywork of your car.

A tip for dealing with road salt during a car wash is to focus on the underside of the car. Rain puddles on the road are one of the potential sources for road salt. This means that the splash from such puddles can often deposit road salt onto the underside of the car, so it will be beneficial to focus on that area when washing.

No.4: Paint protection:

Even though Do-It-Yourself methods are a great way of fending off road salt, there is only so much that DIY countermeasures can do. To be completely safe from potential corrosions, you could send your car to a detailing store for it to get a coat of paint protection. Professionally done, paint protection coating will ensure that every inch of your car’s paint will be shielded from the natural elements. Furthermore, it will last longer then self-applied measures, making it more convenient for you.

With that, you are now armed with sufficient knowledge to help your car fend off any potential corrosion and rusting via road salt. These 4 tips will help you to ensure a safe and long lifespan for your car and its paint job. However, in the hectic business lifestyle of Singapore, you might not have the time to frequently wax or wash your car, in which case, the best way to protect your paint job from road salt might be to get it a paint protection coating. Lambency Detailing is a detailing store that offers paint protection coating to its customers. At Lambency Detailing, we use only the best, highest quality detailing products to ensure high-quality service at a price that works. We also place a strong emphasis on before and after-sales support, giving you the best possible experience.

Protecting your Car’s Paint Job from Road Salt