Just like you and your skin are vulnerable to the earth’s natural elements, so is your car. Here are some quick and easy steps you can take to protect your car from the top 3 most damaging environmental factors your car could be exposed to on a day-to-day basis.
Sun exposure
Sun-bathing might sound like a great idea to you, but not so much for your car. Excessive sun-exposure to our skin is obviously bad, but have you thought about the damage it can cause your car?
Ultraviolet light can split molecular bonds on even the toughest surfaces, like plastics, metals and even bacteria. Unfortunately this includes your cars paintwork, leaving it looking dingy, faded and rather dull.
Bird-droppings
Imagine something that is so acidic, it can burn through your cars clear coat… That’s called “bird poop”, yep, you read that right! This stuff is so acidic that if left on long enough it can remove so much clear coat that it almost feels like there is a slight dent on your cars surface.
Another reason bird droppings are so damaging to your vehicles exterior, is because some birds will eat smaller stones or gravel to aid them in digestion, and obviously what goes in, must go out. This can cause scrapes and scratches on the surface while being wiped off.
Dust and weather damage
What’s the point in washing your car if it’s just going to get dirty again, right? Wrong! A bit of dust and dirt can be damaging to a little more than just your reputation, it can hurt your paintwork, and pretty badly too.
Dirt and dust build-up may as well be called “sandpaper” if it’s already on your car, which can cause major wear and weakening to your beautiful paintjob. To no surprise, this can obviously escalate and get even worse if you add rain, sun, bird droppings or even tree sap into the mix…
But try not get too worked up about this, the bad news is over, now we can only go uphill from what you’ve just read. Here are a few things you can do to lessen, or even prevent, expensive future damages to your car.
- We know this isn’t always an option, but try to park your car under a roof, shade port or in a garage when possible, especially when stopping for longer periods of time. Remember, the sun can not only damage the exterior, but also the interior of your car!
- Wash your car often to help prevent dirt/dust from building up and inevitably scratching the surface.
- Avoid washing your car in the sun or in extreme heat! The water and car shampoo residue will dry much faster than normal, leaving unsightly water spots, streaks and drip marks. Sometimes these can be more difficult to remove, resulting in damaged paintwork. We recommend picking a nice shady spot when washing your car or taking it to a professional for an indoor wash instead.
- Be wary of using just any car care products! Make sure you use high quality car wash shampoo that has a PH neutral formula and is gentle on your paint.
- Use a clean ultrafine microfiber cloth when washing your car to avoid; wipe-in scratches, left over residue and damage to your paintwork.
- Polish your car with professionals and not your local car wash! High-end polishing products remove slight-scratches, restores the shine to dull and old paintwork, and creates a protective layer to help protect your car until your next polish.
