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Does KBS Klean Clean and Neutralize Salt Residue?

Yes. KBS Klean is highly effective at cleaning and neutralizing salt residue. It is a concentrated water based cleaner and degreaser, and removing harmful road salts is one of the things it does best. On a frame or underbody that has seen winter roads, this is the step that has to happen before anything else, because salt left under a coating keeps working.

Road Salt Removal: Quick Facts

Effective on: road salt and salt residue
Action: cleans and neutralizes
Heavy contamination ratio: 1 part hot water to 1 part
After rinsing: dry, then RustBlast before coating
Salt has to come off before the coating goes on. Any contaminant left on the surface interferes with adhesion, and chloride residue trapped under a coating continues to drive corrosion from underneath. Rinsing thoroughly is not the optional part of this job.

Why Salt Is a Different Problem From Grease

Grease sits on the surface and blocks adhesion. Salt does that too, but it also draws moisture and keeps the corrosion reaction going after the part is painted, which is why a frame can be coated and still rust from the inside of the coating outward. Getting the chloride off the metal is the point of the cleaning step on any vehicle that has been driven through winter.

How to Do It

  1. Dilute with hot water. A salted underbody is usually the heavily soiled case at 1 part hot water to 1 part KBS Klean, or 5 to 1 for moderate accumulation. See the dilution ratios.
  2. Shake well, apply liberally, and wash for 5 to 10 minutes or as long as needed. Use a bristle brush on caked areas.
  3. Work in sections so nothing dries. Do not allow KBS Klean to dry before rinsing.
  4. Rinse thoroughly with water. On a frame, rinse more than you think you need to; salt hides in seams, box sections and behind brackets.
  5. Let the surface dry completely.

KBS Klean may be used in power washing equipment, which is worth knowing for an underbody where reach is the hard part.

Then Etch, Then Coat

Metal surfaces cleaned with KBS Klean should be treated with RustBlast before painting to ensure proper adhesion. On a salted frame with rust already started, that is the normal sequence anyway: KBS Klean to clean, RustBlast to etch and leave a zinc phosphate base, then two coats of RustSeal at 2 mils each.

Protective Equipment

Wear protective rubber gloves and safety glasses at all times when using this product. Underbody work means working overhead, so eye protection matters here more than on a bench.

Frequently Asked Questions: KBS Klean and Road Salt

Does KBS Klean clean and neutralize salt residue?

Yes. KBS Klean is highly effective at cleaning and neutralizing salt residue. It is a concentrated water based cleaner and degreaser and is excellent at removing harmful road salts.

Usually the heavily soiled ratio of 1 part hot water to 1 part KBS Klean, or 5 parts water to 1 part for moderate accumulation. Hotter water improves the cleaning action at any ratio.

Any contaminant left on the surface interferes with adhesion, and salt residue trapped under a coating keeps drawing moisture and driving corrosion from underneath. Cleaning it off is what makes the coating worth applying.

Yes. The directions state that KBS Klean may be used in power washing equipment, which helps on an underbody where reach is the difficulty.

If you are coating the metal, yes. Metal surfaces cleaned with KBS Klean should be treated with RustBlast before painting to ensure proper adhesion.

More thoroughly than a flat panel. Salt collects in seams, box sections and behind brackets, so direct the rinse into those areas rather than just over the visible surfaces, and let everything dry completely.

Still have questions about removing road salt with KBS Klean? Contact us for help.

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