Winter in the Midwest brings snow, ice and plenty of road treatments to keep drivers safe. While these treatments are essential for public safety, they’re also highly corrosive to vehicles. Over time, without a proper cleanup routine that includes a salt neutralizer, businesses and municipalities face expensive fleet repairs and safety hazards for their teams.
Why is road salt so damaging?
Road salt and liquid deicers cling to metal surfaces and accelerate corrosion. Undercarriages, brake lines, oil pans and exhaust systems are among the most vulnerable components. According to AAA, rust damage caused by deicing methods costs U.S. drivers an estimated $3 billion annually.
For businesses and municipalities that invest heavily in their fleets (trucks, buses, transport vehicles or snowplows), damage can add up quickly. In a single season of exposure, vehicles can be left with extensive corrosion if not regularly cleaned, causing expensive downtime and repairs. Even facility floors and untreated concrete surfaces can deteriorate when vehicles track in salt-laden snow and slush.
Why won’t water solve the problem?
It’s a common misconception that rinsing vehicles or equipment with water will wash away corrosive salt and chemicals. In reality, water reactivates the calcium chloride used in deicing solutions. Without detergent or a high-pressure undercarriage application, the chemicals settle into small crevices and hard-to-reach spots. As the weather warms, melting moisture reactivates the chemicals, allowing them to pool. Once the destructive oxidation process kicks in, rust begins to take hold.
Salt neutralizers, unlike water, don’t simply wash away residue; they chemically alter the solution, rendering it inert and stopping corrosion in its tracks.
How do salt neutralizers work?
Salt neutralizers are specially formulated cleaning solutions that break down and counteract salts and chemicals used for deicing roads. When paired with a pressure washer, they reach hard-to-clean areas and flush out damaging buildup.
Hotsy Cleaning Systems neutralizers are engineered to withstand hot water, high-pressure cleaning, and harsh conditions that can cause other soaps and detergents to lose effectiveness. In addition, Hotsy equipment solutions include rust inhibitors for added protection against future damage.
Best practices include:
- Applying neutralizer regularly during the winter months, ideally after each time your vehicle or equipment is out on the road
- Using undercarriage cleaners to safely reach areas difficult to access manually
- Considering a preventative application before heading out to create a protective barrier
What are the long-term benefits of neutralizing salt?
Incorporating salt neutralizers into winter maintenance delivers measurable results for operations of all sizes:
- Extended equipment lifespan: Vehicles and equipment stay in service for years longer. When the city of West Des Moines came to Hotsy Cleaning Systems, its brand-new trucks were losing oil pans within the first year. After implementing a cleaning protocol, the city has seen trucks last 10 years without issues.
- Lower maintenance costs: Fewer repairs are required for undercarriages, brake lines, oil pans and facility floors, reducing long-term maintenance and replacement costs.
- Safer operations: Well-maintained vehicles are less likely to experience dangerous breakdowns, and with the right Hotsy equipment in place for easy cleaning, overall daily operations are safer.
- Improved appearance: Clean, rust-free vehicles present a professional image for your business and team.
Recommended Hotsy equipment
Hotsy Cleaning Systems offers solutions designed to make winter cleanup easier and more effective.
- Salt Lick: This combination detergent removes ice-melt products that adhere to vehicles — everything from construction equipment to cars. Salt Lick breaks down the crystalline structure of deicing products and prevents them from re-forming on the surface.
- Undercarriage Cleaner: Save your back by staying on your feet. Simply connect your hot or cold pressure washer to the Hotsy Undercarriage Cleaner and start rolling. It removes road salts, fuel/oil contaminants, road grime, snow sludge and ice from the bottom of your car, truck, tractor and other equipment.
- Undercarriage Cleaner + Water Broom Combo: The A+ Undercarriage Cleaner quick-connects to your existing wand for easy cleaning under your vehicle. Flip it over and the Undercarriage Cleaner converts to a water broom to clean facility floors, driveways and sidewalks.
Using Hotsy equipment like the Salt Lick detergent and the Undercarriage Cleaner — or the Undercarriage Cleaner and Water Broom Combo — makes cleaning safer and more efficient. Rather than crawling under vehicles with high-pressure equipment and chemicals close by, operators can stand upright and work at a safe distance while washing away buildup.
Protect your equipment this winter
Salt and deicing chemicals may be unavoidable, but the damage they cause doesn’t have to be. A regular cleaning protocol with neutralizers and high-pressure systems protects your investment, reduces repair costs and keeps operations running smoothly all season long.
Connect with Hotsy Cleaning Systems today to find the right winter cleaning solutions for your vehicles and equipment.
