5 Clever Ways to Protect Your Paint Job

There are special sprays and other fragrance products to help you retain that new car smell in your vehicle. But what about keeping the new car appearance by protecting the vehicle’s paint job? Cars are exposed to the elements, making it a real challenge to preserve the integrity of the exterior. Check out this list of five clever ways to shield your car’s painted surfaces so that it maintains its gloss and shine.

1. Park Your Car Under a Structure

When you park your car in a garage or under a carport, you’re reducing its direct exposure to sunlight, rain, and hail. All of these elemental factors reduce the resilience of your car’s paint, leading to cracking and less shine over time. In addition, your car is less likely to collect bird droppings on its hood when it’s protected by a structure. You may not realize that there are chemicals in bird excrement that interact in a negative way with the top layer of paint, typically a clear coat, causing it to break down.

2. Clear Away Debris Quickly

If you do find bird droppings on your car, use a cloth damp with water or detailing spray to gently wipe away the mess. You can also use quick wax on a soft cloth to remove the droppings. Quick removal decreases the chance of damage to your car’s clear coat. Debris from trees such as sap, seeds, and wet leaves can also cause adverse chemical reactions that corrode your car’s paint job. For this reason, it’s best to avoid parking under a tree or near any plant that may put debris on your car.

3. Use Only Auto Cleaning Products

Who doesn’t remember squirting liquid dish detergent into a bucket as a child to create a sudsy wash for their parents’ car? Best practice is to use only cleaning products that are specifically formulated to clean a vehicle’s exterior. These cleaners have a combination of surfactants, solvents, and other chemicals that are selected because they won’t damage your car’s paint job. The chemicals in household cleaning products may or may not meet the standards for cleaning your car’s exterior.

4. Park Far Away From Crowded Areas

One easy, clever way to protect your car’s paint job is to park farther away from stores and restaurants. This reduces the chances that someone will park beside you and slam a door or other object into your car. Knicks, chips, and scratches compromise the appearance of your car’s paint job. You can protect your car from these dings by staying away from other people and their cars.

5. Clean Your Car After Driving in Winter Weather

The lower portions of your car collect chemicals and salt when you drive over roads that have been treated during snow and ice. While these products reduce roadway dangers, they create hazards for your car’s paint job. Many of these chemicals are corrosive to paint and can even eat through metal.

By thinking strategically about where you park, you can reduce the degradation of your car’s sparkling exterior.

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