That white powder on this SUV is a mix of  road salt and dirt. Bringing your car to a  McHenry carwash will do more than make your vehicle look better; it will also slow the oxidation process that harms your vehicle's finish.

If you think that winters in McHenry often present us with environments that can send cars slipping and sliding, you’re right. But it’s not as bad as it might be since we use road salt to melt the snow and ice on the road. Clearly, this time of year, road salt is essential to safe driving.

Of course, there is a down-side to the road salt if you consider what it does to your car. McHenry drivers would do well to consider the effects of road salt.

Road salt will cause corrosion to the metal parts of your car that are exposed to the element, especially when mixed with water. And the water comes from the sky in the form of rain, sleet and snow. It also finds its way into the undercarriage of your car when your tires, and the tires of other drivers, fling it up from the road and across your vehicle in a fine chemical mist. The process that takes place when this salt-enriched moisture comes into contact with your vehicle is called “Oxidation.” 

Oxidation is the same process by which your car’s paint fades if you leave it under the UV rays of the sun for too long. The process of oxidation causes a chemically heated reaction. It dries out the paint causing it to lose its sheen while reducing the effectiveness of the paint as a shell to protect the metal underneath. 

That moisture loaded with road salt also carries other contaminants, such as particles of dirt, rust, carbon powder and other chemicals picked up from the roadway. With the oxidation, this will leave a chalky film on the surface of your car. In the meantime, the paint is beginning to dissolve. 

If you poured some water in a coffee can full of metal nuts and bolts, you would later find the parts coated with rust. This is the process of oxidation on metal. This is what oxidation is doing to metal parts under your car. This is also why the body metal of cars eventually rusts through.

You’ll notice, on cars with rust spots, the rust appears where the mixture of water, salt and other particles collects inside the body of the car. Overtime, if you don’t take steps to slow or stop the process, oxidation will cause metal parts to deteriorate until they no longer function as intended.

Oxidation does more than dull and diminish the finish of your car, or eat at metal surfaces; oxidation deteriorates the value of your investment in your car. 

So, what can you do about it? 

Take your car through the carwash. Whenever you see that chalky finish on your paint, take that as a sign and hit the carwash. You’ll have the satisfaction of driving a shiny car for a while and you’ll preserve that finish, and the value of your car, in the process.