Roadway Salt Brine Solution

The salt/brine is a REAL big "problem" here in Wisconsin. Last year the county road crews used a beet-sugar processing by-product to work with the salt in an attempt to melt the snow and ice at lower temperatures (10°F to -15°F) which is suppose to be much less corrosive that the calcuim chloride used previously. Unfortunately it's about twice the cost of calcuim chloride, so it was dropped.

If you drive your car in the upper Midwest all year long, it WILL rust due to the use of road salt. Unless you are willing to wash the under-carrage and wheel wells on a daily basis and dry it in a heated garage, your car will notice the rust on the wheel well lips in about 5 years. Todays cars are much better because of factory-applied rust-proofing and anti-corrosion coatings applied to sheet metals used on car bodies, but it doesn't last forever.

The heated garage is another issue. It's nice to have, but it does accelerate the corrosion process. Here in Green Bay, WI, it's against a city ordinance to have a garage drain connected to the municipal water-and-sewer treatment system because of oil-and-gas runoff from your car. This is just not logical because that same runoff from the thousands of cars on the streets ends up in the runoff from the rain and snow going into the curbs, which is treated in the municipal water treatment system anyway. Go figure!! That makes it kind of "challenging" to wash a car in a heated garage, which is one reason why many garages are not heated around here.
 
the best thing to do is use a high Ph Soap to neutralize the Road salt I work for Zep and we sell a road salt neutralizer that helps with this

The only drawback is that the wax will be stripped from the vehicle

I have an 06 WRX that I use everyday and hit the underside with the salt neutralizer and there is no corrosion on my car.

you can also use Castrol Superclean or something similar at a higher dilution

The castrol super clean has a PH of 13
 
I have been using ONR, single bucket method, but with this brine solution I tried a two bucket method, and I still had problems with the solution removal from the vehicle. I would wash and dry, with everything looking great, and minutes later a white haze would appear where the product either hadn't been fully removed or been reactivated by contamination in the drying towel or cleaning MF sponge, i can't tell.

I also thought about pre-soaking with an ONR Quick Detail mixture and then wash off pre-soak with a two buck ONR process? I also ordered DP's waterless wash, which states it works on road salt, and though I might try after the pre-soak and wash process.

I am trying to minimize the process to keep client costs down, but it looks like the salt solution is adding about .5-.75 hours of additional time.



Thank you for all your comments and I am glad that I am not alone in this brine issue.
 
TNWIII said:
I have been using ONR, single bucket method, but with this brine solution I tried a two bucket method, and I still had problems with the solution removal from the vehicle. I would wash and dry, with everything looking great, and minutes later a white haze would appear where the product either hadn't been fully removed or been reactivated by contamination in the drying towel or cleaning MF sponge, i can't tell.

I also thought about pre-soaking with an ONR Quick Detail mixture and then wash off pre-soak with a two buck ONR process? I also ordered DP's waterless wash, which states it works on road salt, and though I might try after the pre-soak and wash process.

I am trying to minimize the process to keep client costs down, but it looks like the salt solution is adding about .5-.75 hours of additional time.



Thank you for all your comments and I am glad that I am not alone in this brine issue.
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That's exactly the problem I have, but I do not use ONR. I use the Zaino car wash and a MF to very gently wash the car. Basically, I do three passes...the first to remove the majority of the grime and sand, the second to get what I missed, and the third to remove the brine film.



My car is protected with 915 and Z-8, and so far, this seems to do the trick. I am mostly worried about the underside and other places that can collect the silt and then rust. Rust has really taken hold of my other two cars, which makes me sad...
 
sportbike1006 said:
the best thing to do is use a high Ph Soap to neutralize the Road salt I work for Zep and we sell a road salt neutralizer that helps with this

The only drawback is that the wax will be stripped from the vehicle

I have an 06 WRX that I use everyday and hit the underside with the salt neutralizer and there is no corrosion on my car.

you can also use Castrol Superclean or something similar at a higher dilution

The castrol super clean has a PH of 13
Click to expand...



Is the road salt neutralizer better than Superclean? I just want to use it under the car, so stripping wax is not a concern. Maybe I could get a pump sprayer with a wand and just spray the bottom of the car and then hose it off..?



Would it be a good idea to buy the spray-on rust proofing that AutoZone sells, and just coat the entire underside and fender wells?
 
Rob Tomlin said:
:nana:



.....
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Makes me wonder why I live here. :think:



They use the same stuff on the roads in MA and NH. Though I've never noticed any issues with it building up on the surface. ONR wash takes care of it, I guess.
 
harold97 said:
Is the road salt neutralizer better than Superclean? I just want to use it under the car, so stripping wax is not a concern. Maybe I could get a pump sprayer with a wand and just spray the bottom of the car and then hose it off..?



Would it be a good idea to buy the spray-on rust proofing that AutoZone sells, and just coat the entire underside and fender wells?
Click to expand...



That would be your best bet put the super clean in a pump up sprayer then spray it on if you can foam it that would be even better

I have not seen the product that Autozone sells
 
sportbike1006 said:
That would be your best bet put the super clean in a pump up sprayer then spray it on if you can foam it that would be even better

I have not seen the product that Autozone sells
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It's just Duplicolor undercoating. It looks like the stuff the factory sprays in the wheel wells.
 
I've been stuck behind those spray trucks twice now, it is the best thing ever! I love seeing my black truck turn white, right before my eyes!
 
As previously stated, I am grateful to know I am not the only one dealing with this problem. Also stated in an earlier post, I recently purchased DP's Waterless Wash to give it a try.

Using ONR and/or the DP product, can anyone offer a recommended process or steps using the products mentioned?

Thank you..
 
I live near an Interstate in PA, and half an hour from another. I'm on both of those roads fairly often.



On my Focus, I've been using the wand wash at the coin-op, which has a pre-soak setting. I think I will start to use the touchless auto wash, so I can do a better job on the undercarriage.



The Opti-Seal on the car does seem to be hanging in there. I seem to be able to get the brine off without too much hassle.



I gotta admit that there is no more discouraging sight than seeing the "brine tracks" on the roadway before an upcoming snow or ice event.
 
Hey said:
I gotta admit that there is no more discouraging sight than seeing the "brine tracks" on the roadway before an upcoming snow or ice event.
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Boy do I hate that feeling! I get kinda sick to my stomach.
 
Showroom Shine said:
They put that mess on the roads here in Ohio too. I hate it. At one time they were even using beet juice here. When I had a black seville,it always looked gray in the winter. The only thing I can do is go to a self serve wash,spray on their pre-soak.then rinse thoroughly. Preferabally with hot water.I think the whole idea sucks and it verges on criminal. I feel like someone is getting their pockets lined for this one! I try to get a couple good coats of sealant on before they start the mess! :angry :angry
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You can always come down to Mount Sterling when I'm home, I live outside of town, have a heated shop with water and drains, it's not the cleanest in the world (it's a farm shop), but I've done many a winter clean ups in it...
 
sportbike1006 said:
the best thing to do is use a high Ph Soap to neutralize the Road salt I work for Zep and we sell a road salt neutralizer that helps with this

The only drawback is that the wax will be stripped from the vehicle

I have an 06 WRX that I use everyday and hit the underside with the salt neutralizer and there is no corrosion on my car.

you can also use Castrol Superclean or something similar at a higher dilution

The castrol super clean has a PH of 13
Click to expand...

Going to the coin op wash to clean the underside should do the same thing, right? It's not like their pre soaks or wash soaps are anywhere near ph balanced :confused:
 
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