Aesthetic purposes aside, your vehicle’s paint is important because it protects your vehicle’s body from damage caused by exposure to the elements. A good, well-applied coat of paint prevents water and moisture from corroding your vehicle.
But what factors can ruin your car’s paint job? Similarly, what steps can you take to protect it?
What Ruins Car Paint?
Several things can damage the paint coat of a vehicle. This includes exposure to sunlight, gasoline, leaking brake fluid, stains from various sources, poor washing practices, road salt, and other people. It’s important to recognize how and why this damages car paint so you can take the necessary steps to prevent such instances.
Extended Exposure to Sunlight
Even though sunlight is everywhere in the morning and early afternoon, constant exposure to UV rays can destroy your car’s paint job. Sunlight causes damage in many ways. It can make paint fade, oxidize, and crack, peeling it away and making it look unpleasant.
Gasoline
When gasoline spills and makes contact with your vehicle, it can stain and damage the finish of its paint job. Because of this, take extra care when refilling your vehicle’s fuel tank and take care of any spills or drops immediately. Applying wax on your vehicle should also prevent gasoline stains from damaging the paint coat.
Leaking Brake Fluid
Brake fluid (especially non-silicone-based brake fluid) can potentially thin your vehicle’s paint job, ruining the color and destroying the finish. This typically occurs if your car has a problem with leaking brake fluid.
If brake fluid ever spills on your car, make sure to clean it right away. It’s strongly recommended to clean spilled brake fluid by dabbing it instead of spreading it around. This minimizes the potential damage. After the fluid’s been cleaned, wash the affected spot with soap and water.
Miscellaneous Stains
Bird droppings, tree sap, and bug splatters can easily stain your vehicle’s paint job. If these stains dry or aren’t cleaned in time, they have the potential to cause serious damage. Not only are these stains unsightly to look at, they harden and become almost impossible to remove. Attempting to remove them haphazardly can damage your vehicle’s paint coat.
Other People
Unsurprisingly, other people can ruin your car’s body paint. This includes other drivers sideswiping your vehicle on the road, careless people passing by, and vandals who deliberately scratch your vehicle with keys or other sharp objects.
Poor Car Washing Practices
Using the wrong cleaning materials when washing your vehicle has the potential to ruin its paint job. Damage from poor car washing practices is often caused by rough brushes and harsh cleaning solutions.
Automatic car washes in particular are notorious for damaging paint jobs in vehicles. Though they’re quick and convenient, the brushes used are often abrasive, scratching the paint and leaving swirl marks.
Road Salt
Roads are commonly treated with road salt in winter when snow and ice pile up and block paths used by pedestrians and drivers. This chemical is used to lower the freezing temperature of water, preventing black ice from forming on road surfaces.
Unfortunately, salt is damaging to car paint. It’s a corrosive material that erodes the protective layers of the paint coat, making it more vulnerable to chipping, peeling, and rust.
How to Protect Your Car Paint
Though it’s important to know about the things that can ruin your car’s paint job, you should also take steps to keep your car paint safe. The best ways to protect your vehicle include applying PPF, cleaning stains as soon as possible, parking in safe and protected areas, proper waxing and polishing, doing regular car washes, and using soft cleaning materials.
Apply PPF
Paint protection film or PPF is a protective film that you can apply to high-impact areas on your vehicle. This typically includes the hood, the fenders, and the mirrors. PPF acts as a barrier that prevents minor nicks and scratches, keeping your car’s paint job clean and intact.
Cleaning Stains ASAP
It’s important to clean any stains you see on your vehicle as soon as you can. Not only do they become difficult to remove once completely dry, but they can also destroy your car’s paint job. Wash them away with soap and water while they’re still soft and easy to remove.
Parking in Safe Areas
Exposure to sunlight and defecating birds means putting your vehicle at risk of potential damage. It’s much safer to park someplace safe and secure such as your garage, a parking lot with a roof, or underneath something that can provide your vehicle with shade. If parking under a roof is impossible, it’s a good idea to invest in a car cover.
Proper Waxing and Polishing
One of the best ways to protect your car’s body paint is to apply wax at least once every four months. Waxing provides your vehicle with an extra layer of protection designed to block UV rays from the sun.
As a bonus, waxing and polishing your vehicle may also help remove minor swirls and scratches.
Regular Car Washes
Cleaning your vehicle regularly minimizes the odds of paint damage. It’s recommended to wash your car at least once every two weeks.
Using Soft Cleaning Materials
It’s a good idea to use soft cleaning materials to avoid scraping and damaging your vehicle’s paint coat. This doesn’t just mean using softer brushes and sponges. Stick to cleaning solutions recommended by your manufacturer.
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