North Dakota: This Single Winter Prep Tip Matters Most

Over the years, I've learned (the hard way) that there are several things you need to do to your yard and house to prepare for these brutal North Dakota winters.

For example, and you will probably make fun of me for this, but I didn't know you had to disconnect the house from the spigot before it freezes. Well, not knowing this, I left it on all winter last year, and wouldn't you know, a bad thing happened. A bunch of water started pooling on my floor in my utility room. Several hundred dollars later, I had learned a very valuable lesson.

There are tons of things you need to do before winter really sets in. You want to clear your vents, wrap exposed pipes, clean your gutters, look for gaps in windows and door frames, and check your roof for holes that could lead to leaks when the snow melts.

Here's one thing to add to your winter to-do list you might find surprising. As a matter of fact, you might want to do this a couple of times this winter.

Winter Car Care

Cars aren't cheap, so we want to make sure we're taking care of them. I'm sure you've seen cars rolling down the road with holes and rust along the bottom. This happens because of the salt and other chemicals on the road. After a big snow, those chemicals can be very helpful, but also very damaging to your car. The exposed parts weaken and rust. This is called "Salt erosion."

(ALSO SEE: 5 Laws & Rules You Need To Know For Winter)

What Can You Do?

It might seem like a waste of time and money or a lost cause to wash your car in the wintertime. I'm not originally from North Dakota, so I never knew this was a thing people did.

If you're also not from here, trust me, I know how crazy it sounds; you're probably thinking your car will get dirty again from all the slush kicked up and the wind blowing things around.

While this is true, you don't want to leave the salt sitting on your car all Winter. According to  ErieInsurance.com , you should pick one of the slightly warmer days where it's over 32 degrees and head over to the car wash to rinse that salt away. This will help keep your vehicle from rusting.

I hope this helps you keep your car looking shiny and new.