How often to wash your car during a Nebraska winter

Every January someone at the Dundee counter asks the same question: is it even worth washing the car when it is just going to get dirty again tomorrow? After thirty-some winters on Dodge Street, our answer is yes, and more often than you might think.

The reason is not how the car looks. It is what the city spreads on the road. Omaha, Papillion and Council Bluffs all pre-treat streets with salt brine, a liquid mix that sticks to pavement, and to your vehicle, far better than rock salt. It is great for keeping Dodge Street drivable. It is terrible for brake lines, exhaust hangers and the seams along your rocker panels.

Why brine is harder on cars than rock salt

Rock salt tends to bounce off. Brine is designed to cling, and it gets sprayed into every crevice of your underbody by the car in front of you. When temperatures swing above freezing, which happens constantly in a Nebraska winter, that moisture reactivates and the corrosion keeps going.

Modern vehicles have far better rust protection than the Oldsmobiles we washed in 1987, but brake lines, fuel line clips, wheel wells and the bottom edges of doors and tailgates are still vulnerable. Aluminum wheels can also pit if salt dries on them for weeks.

The schedule we recommend

• Every 7 to 10 days while roads are being treated.
• Within 48 hours after a significant snow or ice storm.
• Any time temperatures climb above 40 degrees after a cold stretch, when salt is most active.
• Once at the start of winter and once in early spring with a hand underbody rinse.

If that sounds like a lot of washes, it is exactly why so many families switch to a membership in November. Four washes a month on Deluxe at single prices is $56. The Deluxe Wash Club is $26.99.

What to look for in a winter wash

An undercarriage flush

This is the non-negotiable part. Our Deluxe package and above run 22 high-pressure jets under the vehicle, followed by a rust inhibitor. A wash that only does the painted surfaces misses the point in January.

Strong, heated drying

Water left in door seals and lock cylinders is what freezes. Our contour dryers push water out of mirrors and trim, and the crew towel dry on Hometown Ultimate gets the door jambs too.

Open and close every door once after a winter wash. It breaks the film of water on the seals so they do not freeze shut overnight.

Is it safe to wash below freezing?

Yes, at a professional wash. Our tunnel entrances are heated and the water is warm. The real risk is at home with a hose, where water freezes on the driveway and in the door handles. If it is below 10 degrees, we recommend waiting for a midday wash so the sun helps finish drying.

Do not forget the inside

Salt tracked in on boots eats carpet fibers and leaves white rings that are hard to remove once they set. Rubber all-weather mats help. Shake them out at our free mat stations every week or two, and consider an interior detail in March to extract whatever made it into the carpet.

Winter is hard on cars, but a little routine goes a long way. Stop by any of our four locations, or ask the crew at the lobby counter which package makes sense for how you drive.

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