Current Colorado Snow Removal Products
In winter, that grayish, gooey substance that sticks to your vehicle during cold weather is some form of magnesium chloride and should be washed from your vehicle, including the undercarriage, to prevent corrosion of electrical wires, nuts, brake shoes and even ball joints.
CDOT has an excellent document that explains the different forms of de-icers and anti-icers. The bottom line is that they work much better than the sand/salt mixture and are safer for the environment. Sand/salt mixtures used in the past can be more damaging to aquatic life as large amounts of silt are washed into streams. These newer products do not add air pollutants to the environment and improves air quality by offsetting usage of sanding material. Since using liquid anti-icers and de-icers there has been a large reduction in the number of days state highways are closed due to bad weather. Less damage is caused to windshields and paint. Most importantly, these newer products keep us safer on slick and snowy roads.
Washing your vehicle from time to time during winter is a small price to pay for all these benefits.
Happy and safe winter driving.
