Salt stain solutions
How to get those stubborn salt stains out
GERMANTOWN - All this snow means plenty of salt on the roadways that accumulates on your car which can be damaging. The best thing to do is take it through a car wash. Auto Spa Owner Tom Tavolier tells TODAY’S TMJ4’s Jesse Ritka this is the worst time of the year for cars.
“You're looking long term damage to your car, especially the bare metal underneath," said Tavolier. "The warming and the thawing and the melting, so to speak, is going to really advance that process as well, so getting that corrosive material off is really critical."
If you prefer to brave the colder temperatures and wash the car yourself, a soft, wet sponge will do the trick. But don’t use soap in the winter months, the chilly temperatures will cause clouding on your vehicle.
Getting the salt off your car is a much easier task when you compare it to getting it out of your clothes and shoes. But Wisconsin Mommy blogger Maureen Fitzgerald has the solution for when stains are so bad a washing machine simply won’t do.
“The best thing that I've found to use is just a mixture of vinegar and water. Just your plain white vinegar and tap water,” Fitzgerald explains.
She recommends a ratio of one part vinegar, three parts water mixed together in a spray bottle. Before applying the mixture, let the material dry, brush away any dried salt residue and then use the vinegar mixture.
“Spray it on, and you can see the salt start to disappear, work it in a little bit and hopefully when it dries, you'll see that the salt is gone, if not you can repeat, adding a little bit more vinegar each time,” she added.
Maureen swears by the mixture and has used it for clothes, shoes and even carpets. For leather, she uses the same mixture but makes sure to wash all of the vinegar off and dry the leather away from the heater.
And anything waterproof or water resistant she just uses water and a microfiber cloth, which she uses on wooden surfaces as well. The tricks work for Maureen, it just takes a little extra work.
“I'd rather they put the salt down and we all drive safely so we just say that's the cost of doing business in Wisconsin,” she chuckles.
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