Winter salt removal in Burlington.

Road salt is sodium chloride and brine. On its own it does little to paint. Mixed with moisture and left on steel, it speeds up rust, especially on exposed seams, brake components, exhaust and the underbody. On paint, it dries to a hazy film that holds dirt and dulls the finish. Inside, it tracks onto carpet and dries into white rings.

This page is for anyone who has driven through January and February and watched the doors, rockers and rear bumper turn white. If your carpet looks tide-marked, see the interior side of this too.

Our guide on how to remove road salt from your car covers what you can do between visits.

The Halton pattern is familiar. Salt trucks run on Lakeshore Road, Brant Street, Appleby Line and Trafalgar Road well before a storm, and highway crews on the QEW and 403 lay brine early. Vehicles pick it up from every road, and it dries in the lower third of the car where your hand cannot see it.

Salt removal is Exterior Revival with the winter salt add-on, which adds time for the lower body and hard-to-reach areas where salt hides.

1. Rinse thoroughly from the top, paying special attention to rockers, bumpers and wheel wells.
2. Clean wheels, barrels and tires, where brine mixes with brake dust into a hard paste.
3. Rinse door jambs, trunk and hood edges and fuel door area, where salt collects out of sight.
4. Foam and hand wash the paint.
5. Remove iron and tar, then clay the paint.
6. Dry carefully, including door jambs and seams, to avoid leftover moisture.
7. Dress tires and trim and do the walk-around with you.

We rinse what we can reach. We do not sell rust treatment or undercoating, and we will say so if we see rust that needs a body or rust shop.

The door jambs matter more than people think. Salt collects in the sills and drains, and if it stays there it can stain the sill plates and attack bare metal at edges. A quick wipe-down of those hidden areas is part of the process, along with the area under the fuel door and around the trunk seal.

Expect 2 to 3.5 hours. A vehicle that has been washed recently is quick. A truck with a crust from the Escarpment run through to Milton takes longer.

Winter conditions affect the schedule. We need above-freezing temperatures for exterior wet work, or a heated garage. In deep cold, we move the job to a garage or reschedule free of charge. For more, see our winter car care checklist for Ontario.

If your car is parked outdoors all winter, one mid-winter visit on a mild day is often more useful than a single spring visit. It stops the film from building up for months. A second visit after the last big salt of the season clears what is left.

Exterior details start from $103 $129. The winter salt add-on is +$40.

• Winter salt mess +$40.
• SUV +$30, truck +$40, van or minivan +$50, exotic +$60.
• Interior salt stains: add Interior Restoration, or book The Full Detail.

If you want a more protective result, our winter protection package adds a sealant or ceramic. Quote it on the booking page in about 60 seconds.

For example, a sedan with a crust on the lower panels pays the Exterior Revival price plus the +$40 salt add-on. An SUV adds +$30 on top. Because the add-on is fixed, you know the number before the day.

You cannot avoid salt in Ontario, but you can stop it sitting.

• Rinse the underbody and wheel wells on warmer winter days.
• Avoid parking in a heated garage with wet, salty paint. It speeds the chemistry.
• Use all-weather mats and shake them out regularly.
• Do not leave a crusted car sitting for weeks.

In spring, our spring detailing guide gives a post-winter reset plan.

Another small tip: do not let snow sit on the car for days. As it melts, it carries salt into the seams. A soft snow brush, not a hard scraper, helps clear it without scratching. If you have a garage, wash a salty car at once rather than letting it dry in a warm space.

Self-serve bays freeze in winter and drive-throughs often skip the wheel wells. We bring our own water, power and lighting to your driveway in Burlington or Oakville, and we can work in a garage when it is cold. See the local pages for salt removal in Burlington and salt removal in Oakville.