ISHPEMING -- Kicking snow off of your shoes before entering your car may be something that comes naturally to many people. But what you may not know is it does double-duty damage to your car if allowed to accumulate inside.
"We've seen, over the years, massive amounts of corrosion caused by too much moisture being left on the carpet," said Steve Bartanen from Bartanen's Auto Body. "It not only damages the appearance, but it actually damages the integrity of the automobile."
Snow buildup cannot only harm your vehicle's body, but it can also slick your shoes' soles, possibly leading to disaster.
"There's always the possibility that you're going to have a foot slipping when you're either going to accelerate or going to brake," Bartanen said.
Other than knocking the snow from your shoes, there are other ways to prevent the dangers of significant snow accumulations in your car. In fact, Bartanen has worked on a lot of older cars and says that one of the first places he looks for rust is on the floor of the driver's side.
"Having rubber mats, especially on the driver's side, that you can actually pull out of the car, shake it out, and put back in the car will eliminate a lot of that problem. And it's going to make your spring cleanup job a lot easier," Bartanen said.
Having excessive snow or ice in the car can cause moisture to frost the windows.
"The best thing to do for that moisture situation is to allow yourself a little more time in the morning to put the defrosters on a mix of defrost and heat because if you put the defrost and heat on, you will be drying the floor," Bartanen explained.
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