What are the most common environmental elements which can corrode and damage my vehicles paintwork?
“By far, salt is the biggest car culprit – it can attack even the toughest paints and finishes if not washed off consistently,” explains Mark Thorsby, executive director of the International Carwash Association (ICA). Drivers should be wary of the following car culprits, says the International Carwash Association: • SALT. Most icy roads are treated with a corrosive mixture of sand and salt often in the form of sodium chloride. In recent years, another corrosive salt mixture – sodium magnesium – has been used on roads, which some experts say is even more corrosive. Some transportation departments have even stopped using it due to its harsh impact on cars. Whichever mixture is used, salt caked on the undercarriage can promote rust, especially in older vehicles. It can also affect how well the car drives. • ACID RAIN. According to studies compiled by ICA, it is critical to wash a vehicle immediately after a rainfall. As rain falls, it collects pollutants from the air, a concept commonly r
