Winter Blast Sends Green Country To Car Wash Lines

The Green Country weather has turned warmer and a lot of people have taken it as an opportunity to hit the car wash.

But drivers should know the winter weather doesn't just get your car dirty -- it actually can cause damage.

After a winter blast, sunshine and dry streets mean a mad rush to the car wash, and lines all over the state stretched long on Saturday.

"I just want to get it all cleaned off you know so it doesn't damage the paint job."

And it doesn't just affect your paint job. Michael Hartman with Firestone Tire and Autocare said the salt and sand can cause even more problems.

“You've got a lot of rust that's starting to build up and it's eating away at the steer suspension component, which of course, that affects steering suspension, tire wear, even breaking,” he said. “The road salts, sand and debris get up into the tire well and into those components. It increases your wear, squeaks and rattles and even causes things where we can't repair them and we have to replace them."

And the corrosion isn't the only thing left over by the storm.

Chunks of concrete loom in the middle of lanes.

Cracks in the pavement gape wider and potholes seem more abundant.

All things made worse by snow and ice, and all things that can cause damage in an instant.

“A pothole can easily damage a tire or wheel and you may not even sometimes feel it," he said.

Causing dents in the wheel, stability problems and even major blow outs.

Drivers like Nikki Carr are hoping to avoid those issues with a good wash.

“This car is my pride and joy so I want to take good care of it,” she said.

Make sure you wash your car well by getting all the salt off the body -- the wheels and underneath the body.

And, of course, avoid pot holes and make sure you get your tire pressure and condition checked regularly.