Car Washes Warn Folks To Clean Vehicles After Driving On Salted Roads

After the snow and ice melted, salt still remained on the roads and people's cars. 

As temperatures crept above freezing, some car washes were able to open, but before one wash let cars roll in, there was some work that needed to be done. 

Hunter Crain hammered away at the ice that filled some of his bays at Crystal Clean Car Wash.

"A little while ago, I guess a customer came in while it was still below freezing. They moved the cone out of the way and caused this huge ice mess here and in the next bay over," he said. 

Crain wanted to make sure the wash was ready to go so folks could get their cars nice and clean.

"My job is to get it broken down and cleaned up so that way whenever we do open up, there is not a slipping hazard because that is not good for business," Crain said. 

He said it isn't just parts of the car that you can see that need to be cleaned, but also the parts you can't see that need to be cleaned, too.

"It's very important because just the mixture of the minerals in the salt plus the deicer that's in the salt can actually cause the clear coat on your vehicle to break down, as well as once it gets up on the frame, it can cause the frame to rust," Crain said. 

That's why Terri and Glenn Patrick were first in line to get their car sparkling again, "I normally try to do that at home, but it's just too bad right now," Glenn said. 

The Patrick's bought their truck in 2009 and said they'll do everything they can to keep it in good condition.

"We're just the kind of people we like to keep our cars. So, if you're going to do that, you've got to work on them. You don't want salt on your car," Mr. Patrick said. 

Crain said if you come across a closed car wash, don't try to use it because it can damage the wash's equipment, your car, or even cause harm to you.