If you are living in particularly cold climates, where you see a lot of rain, snow and sleet - chances are you are well-acquainted with rust.

Rust - the proud car owner's biggest enemy. But what exactly is it about rust that sends motorists running for the hills? First of all, rust is especially unpleasant to look at. With the first signs of rust goes the showroom shine you worked so hard to maintain. Worse of all - rust can also damage the longevity and safety of your car. The reason being rust can weaken the structural strength of your car, potentially making it more of a danger in accidents.

The time to prevent rust is during the autumn/winter seasons - when the early signs of rust can start to creep in.

For a beautiful, rust-free vehicle come spring - see these top tips.

Tip #1: Get your car waxed. It's best to get your car waxed during autumn, before the harsher weather arrives. With such a wide and varied range of waxes now available on the market (see - rust proof paint), you can easily find a high-quality car wax that'll not only give your car a beautiful shine, but will give it the protection it needs in time for winter.

Tip #2: Wise up to winter! Once winter hits and the cold, snowy weather comes, extra care needs to be taken to be sure that your car is kept rust-free. During extremely cold weather, never try to wash your car. To start with, who would want to wash their car in sub-zero temperatures? Secondly - the snow and ice on your car is in fact helping to keep grit and salt off the car's paintwork, so you should not remove it.

Tip #3: Keep floors clean. Try to avoid bringing wet or snow covered shoes in the car. Wet shoes and snow will seep through your car's carpets, eventually resulting in rust-covered floorboards. Consider purchasing rubber mats for your car floor and ask other passengers to kick off any snow or slush that's stuck to their shoes.

Tip #4: Park your car outside. Bringing your car in from the cold into a warm garage might seem a logical idea, nonetheless, all this will do is create the perfect environment for rust to develop. A warm garage will melt away any ice on your car, allowing any grit or salt on your car's surface to corrode the paint.

Tip #5: Catch it early. Once you have spotted rust on your vehicle, it'll only become worse. So - if you do spot the early signs of rust, make sure you treat it with a good-quality anti rust spray. With the right product and careful application, you can stop any rust in its tracks - ensuring that your car is kept beautiful and well-maintained all year-round.

For more advice and information on how to protect your car from the damaging effects of rust, see -hand cleaner.