During the coldest months of the year it's not unusual for local authorities to spread salt on the road.
The salt works to lower the freezing point of water to prevent hazardous ice from forming and reduces the risk of accidents.
But it also poses a potential impact on vehicles. The salt also rapidly accelerates the process of rust, particularly when metal is wet.
READ MORE: The 14 new Highway Code driving rules that come into force today (Saturday, January 29)
So, cleaning the exterior of your car isn’t enough to ward off long term damage, according to vehicle hire firm Select Car Leasing.
The company advises drivers to clean the underside of their car at least once a week when there’s grit lingering on roads, using either a hosepipe or pressure washer, to get rid of that destructive coating of road salt.
Managing director at Select Car Leasing, Graham Conway, said: “The vast majority of motorists understand they need to clean their cars more often through winter in order to combat the effects of road salt.
“You really need to keep on top of your cleaning regime throughout this time in order to protect your car’s paintwork and exterior appearance from the harmful effects of road grit.
“But the underside of your car is a potential weak spot that you’re simply ignoring - because too few of us actually spend quality time cleaning this area.”
Road grit can linger on roads for days at a time once it has been spread, especially if it doesn’t rain.
Mr Conway said: “A build-up of salt, when combined with moisture, can really sink its teeth into some of your car’s key components, particularly the brakes, exhaust, the low-slung parts of the engine and even, crucially, the car’s frame.
“Bear in mind that replacing all four brake callipers on your car could, depending on the model, cost well in excess of £1,000, while new exhaust components are not cheap, either. To protect the longevity of your car, I’d recommend getting into the habit of always giving the underside of your car a good rinse when you wash the rest of your car. A hosepipe is great, a pressure washer is even better, provided the pressure isn’t too great that it damages components.
“And through the winter you do, ideally, need to be washing your car every week to prevent road salt from overwhelming your vehicle.
“You should also bear in mind that a lot of dedicated car washes, the type where you park up and let the automated foam rollers do their job, also have an ‘undercarriage wash’ option. If you can pay a little extra to get the benefits of that, it will save you money in the long run.”
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