Looking after a car near the sea in Kozhikode

What salt does

Salt draws moisture out of the air and holds it against whatever it settles on. On paint it leaves a dull film that a fingertip finds more easily than the eye. On bare metal it speeds up rust: exposed bolts, wiper arms, the edges of stone chips, brake discs and almost everything underneath the car.

The southwest monsoon makes it worse. The wind comes in off the Arabian Sea and carries spray further inland than you might think.

Which rust to worry about

Brake discs on a car parked near the sea often show a film of orange rust after a damp night. That is normal, and it comes off in the first few stops. Rust bubbling under the paint at the edge of a chip, along a door bottom or on the lip of a wheel arch is a different matter, and it only spreads.

Touch up stone chips on the bonnet and the front edge of the roof as soon as you notice them. A small bottle of touch-up paint from the dealer costs very little, and every chip left open is a place where corrosion can start.

A routine for coastal cars

How often you clean matters most. Taking the salt film off every week or two, before it builds up, keeps the paint and glass clear and gives the salt less time to work on the metal. Glass, mirrors and chrome show salt haze first, so they are a fair guide to when the car is due.

A ceramic layer helps here more than anywhere else. Salt has less to grip on a slick surface and comes away with less rubbing, which counts when you are doing it every week.

Be realistic about the underside. Our wash keeps the car you can see clean, but it does not reach the chassis. A car that lives by the sea should have its underbody rinsed and inspected at a service centre after each monsoon.

Coconut palms and bird lime

Much of coastal Kozhikode is lined with coconut palms, and people park under them for the shade. A falling coconut is the bigger worry, but bird lime is the more frequent one. It is acidic, and in strong sun it can begin to etch the clear coat within a day or two.

To remove it, soak a folded microfibre cloth in clean water and lay it over the dropping for a few minutes. Then lift it away without scrubbing, because bird lime usually has grit in it. Take off what remains with a fresh face of the cloth.

Covers and parking

Covered parking does more good than any product. A car cover helps only if the car under it is clean and dry. Put one over a salty, damp car and it holds the moisture against the paint, and a cover flapping in the sea breeze rubs fine scratches into the finish as well.

One more thing. Vacuum the footwells after an evening on Kozhikode beach, because sand works down into the carpet and wears it from underneath.