Brine buildup creates smelly situation

CLEVELAND - As we round the curve towards the end of winter, cars in Northeast Ohio continue to roll through slush, snow, salt and brine.

Getting rid of the buildup is not considered normal repair work at Central Cadillac Hummer. Mechanics have been working hard to clean-up liquid deicer, or brine, from the undercarriage of cars.

"It gets on the cars. It gets on the exhaust systems. And what it does is you'll get a rubber burning odor,” Warren McCaskey with Central Cadillac Hummer said. "It’s getting hot on the exhaust system and it crystallizes and creates that odor.”

McCaskey said there is no way to prevent the brine buildup because as long as there’s snow, ODOT will have to put it on the roads to keep them clear.

"We do undercarriage cleanings here, but any car wash, reputable car wash that has an under-body wash, they can take care of that too for you,” McCaskey said.

The average car wash costs about ten bucks, but some places may tack on an extra couple of bucks for washing the undercarriage.

Experts say if any brine is left on the undercarriage, even after a good wash, it will burn off eventually on its own.