How to Prevent Rust on Your Car

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Keeping your car rust-free prevents serious damage and maintains the look and value of your car. Here are 6 detailed steps and a few extra tricks for preventing rust on your car.

Steps

1. 1
   Wash your car every two weeks; once a week if it is wet with salt on the roads.

   
   
2. 2
   Wax your car once every four months.
3. 3
   Keep the inside clean as well, being sure to clean up after any spills which can start rust from the inside.
4. 4
   Salt speeds rust, so be careful to keep your car clean if you live by the ocean or in the winter when there’s salt on the road.
5. 5
   Clean the underside of your car and your wheel wells when filthy or at least once a week during the winter when salt is out.
6. 6
   If your car is seriously at risk for rust because of regularly exposure to salt, etc. you can clean it and then spray it with a lubricant appropriate for cars (we recommend Jig-a-loo, of course!) or even paint it with a proper coating for the surface (this should be done by a professional).
7. 7
   Know that if you are in a very salty climate or are already fending off rust problems, you may want to consider coating your car with a rust-preventing spray (like Jig-a-loo)
8. 8
   Key is to keep metal surfaces dry- whether you wipe them off after use, or protect them with paint, lacquer, lubricant or wax.
9. 9
   Learn that if you are going to spray your car with anything flammable. make sure the engine is cold and give it some time for the vapors to clear up before you fire it up again. Try to avoid spraying on your exhaust or mufflers so they don’t get too smelly when hot.
   
   
   • Before any long periods on inactivity, wash and spray down a rust-preventing spray.
   • Drive further behind other vehicles to prevent nicks from pebbles they kick up.
   • Cover your car with a car cover whenever possible.
     
     
10. 10
    Examine your car for rust often. External painted parts will show rust when the paint bubbles or blisters up. On other metal parts, just look for the beginnings of rust.
11. 11
    Know that there are 3 areas to look for rust: the engine and trunk, the undercarriage of the car and the external painted parts.
    
    
    • Fix small problems in the paintwork quickly.
    • If you have existing rust on the underside of your car, you will need to remove it. There are sprays that do this.
    • Treat any rust that pops up immediately and aggressively.

    
    

Tips

• If you choose to try us, Jig-a-loo, as part of your car maintenance routine, you can find out where to pick up a can here: http://www.jigaloo.com/us/e_store_locator.ph.

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