Before the salt season (October–November)
- Protect the paint while it is clean and dry: a sealant with a Full Exterior, or a ceramic coating if you want it to last several winters.
- Rubber or all-weather mats in the car before the first storm. They keep slush off the carpet.
- Touch up rock chips. Bare metal plus salt is where rust starts.
During winter
- Rinse often, especially the underside, including after a storm when roads dry and brine turns to white film. A wash with an underbody spray is worth more than a wax in January.
- Knock the salt out of the mats when they are dry. Do not let the white crust build up for months.
- Skip brush car washes if the paint is coated or dark; they add swirls.
After winter (March–April)
- Full Interior with hot-water extraction to dissolve and pull salt out of the carpet. A dry vacuum leaves it in.
- Decontaminate the paint: wash, iron remover, clay. Salt season leaves embedded grit you can feel with your hand in a plastic bag.
- Re-protect with sealant, or check how the coating is holding up.