Operation: Salt removal

This year has been one of the worst winters I've ever seen in middle Tennessee.  It seems like we've had snow once a week since Christmas!  The snow usually starts as a beautiful white wonderland.  Soon, however the salt trucks hit the streets.  You know what comes next.  Our cars are covered in a gray film of thick salt and brine.  I have new for you, my friends:  it's worse than it looks.

It's so important to remove that stuff as soon as you can.  That corrosive sodium chloride is not a good match for a glossy paint finish.  Over time, it can dull and corrode your finish.  The solution?  Not-so-complicated.  A simple thorough wash does wonders.  Of course, I don't mean a drive through gas station wash.  Those will likely leave you unhappy, and your car even more so.  The thing about that salt that coats your car is that what you don't see is just as important as what you do see.  That salt solution has a way of caking up on the undercarriage, around the frame rails where it can promote rust. It can work its way into the seams where the body panels meet up on your vehicle.  And don't get me started on the wheels, wheel wells, and the rubber trim that surrounds your windows!


A hand wash with some high pressure (like what you might find at Details To Go ;) is the answer.  This is only the first step.  A premium polish and wax is next.  This will revive your paint's finish and provide protection for the next few rounds of winter weather.  The other thing that's crucial is a discerning eye that can spot paint chips that have occurred over the winter.  Left exposed, those paint-less freckles on your car's finish will quickly turn brown with car-cancer.  It is not uncommon for us to offer a paint touch-up to "heal the wounds" from rocks and other debris that have marred a car's finish.  We recommend forking over the unreasonable prices for the dealer's matching paint, and then we'll apply it for you.  (What can I say, they just match better.)


That's all for now.  The weather forecast is for a week of sunshine.  I have a feeling there is a line of cars forming down Columbia Ave. right now....