Winter can be brutal on your clothing. Salt combines with snow melt and rain to create some really nasty staining materials. “Salt is everywhere,” says Kermit Engh, owner of Fashion Cleaners. “It’s on the car door, the floor mats, it gets on everything.” The good news is that there is something you can do when road salt splashes on your clothing.

Minimizing salt damage

“Salt is corrosive and can literally eat away at the fabric fibers,” says Engh. “It also affects dyes, generally wrecking havoc with our clothing. If you know your clothes have come in contact with salt, the most important thing to do is let the area dry, then brush it off before cleaning. And make sure your cleaner is aware of the area that had salt on it.”

Cloth isn’t the only material affected by salt stains. Shoes are the most common casualty of salt damage. “Salt will leave a nasty white ring on leather that is very difficult to polish out,” says Engh. “As soon as you get home, use a cold, damp cloth to dilute and wipe off any salt residue that might have gotten on them.” The pervasiveness of salt slush means that leather garments are also susceptible.

“Salt continues to absorb moisture from the atmosphere,” adds Engh, “and can keep the stained area damp.” Salt staining may be invisible prior to cleaning and generally is not removed by regular leather cleaning procedures. When the jacket undergoes normal drying and finishing after cleaning, the salt-stained areas can shrink, stiffen, and sometimes even crack the leather. “If you know your leather garment has come into contact with salt,” says Engh, “you can minimize the damage by wiping it down with cold water. Then let it air dry. Be sure to point out the stained area to your cleaner.”