You’ve spent money spraying a new coat of paint on your car, so why not protect your investment as long as possible?
Whether you’ve just collected your new car from the dealership or just had it freshly painted by S M Spray Painting, you’d want to keep your vehicle looking pristine. And why not? Either way, you would have to spend good money to get the car you want to keep looking the way you want it.
Almost immediately, your car will be exposed to the various elements in the environment that will start breaking down your car paint. And over time, your car’s paint will fade, resulting in an unattractive dull look.
Obviously, solutions exist and it is surprisingly simple to keep your car looking ‘new’ for a longer time. Read on to find out how.
Keep your car clean
Dust, dirt and detritus is detrimental to your car’s paint. The organic compounds found in these substances can leave stain marks on your car when not cleaned in good time. If left for too long, the stain marks can spread and will lead oxidation that will eat through the layers of paint. The end result – rust, which is something you do not want on your car.
The solution is simple. Washing your car weekly with proper detergent removes dust, dirt and detritus effectively. Some might need extra elbow grease to come off but at least you are not allowing the harmful substances to damage your car’s paint.
Stay out of the sun
We get the harshest sunlight on the planet, which damages the car’s paint. The UV rays from the sun break down paint chemicals and cause the colour to look dull and faded over time. And the next thing you know, your car has developed patches of discolouration that makes it an eyesore. While parking in a covered carpark every day is best, some of us might not have the luxury to do so. Using a well-made car cover offers a portable shaded layer for your car. When choosing a car cover, get one with a fabric under-layer that won’t scratch your paint.
Don’t park your car under trees
When covered carparks come at a premium in cost and space, the next best thing would be to tuck your car under a tree for shade. While it might seem like a good idea, it really isn’t. Tree sap, the sticky liquid that comes out of branches and fallen leaves, may drip on your car. Sap will slowly eat away at the clear coat and then into the paint, which causes discolouration.
If you must park under a tree, look out for sap spots when you come back to your car. As soon as you can, use a soft cloth or cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol to clean the sap away.
And let’s not forget that birds love to perch on trees to rest and relieve themselves. Cars parked under trees will soon become portable toilets for our feathered friends. We don’t need to tell you how harmful bird droppings are to paint.
Choose your parking spot carefully
Let’s face it, there are just some people who are incapable of opening their car doors without leaving a dent in the vehicle of others. Because you don’t know who they are, parking in an intermediate lot doubles the risk of your car getting dented, scuffed and scratched.
The best thing to do here is to look for a corner spot or one that is beside the pillar. Assuming the other driver knows how to park properly, parking close to the pillar increases the distance between your car and the car next door. This reduces the chances of getting blemishes on your paint that you don’t want.
Avoid driving too close to the vehicle in front
Tailgating, as we all should know, is dangerous because it leaves almost no stopping distance between you and the car in front. If the front person hits the brakes, you might not have enough time to react. Furthermore, staying close to the front vehicle also makes your pristine bonnet the perfect target for stone chips.
Stone chip are the result of tiny stones launched from the rear tyres of the front vehicle that hit your bonnet and front bumper. The velocity of the projectile can cause the clear coat to chip off. In many cases, the damage can strip off the paint completely and expose the primer to the elements.
If you like your bonnet to be pimple free, then say farther back. Or else be prepared to drive around a moon-faced car.
Get protection
Perhaps the best way to protect your car’s paint is to wrap it with a layer of Paint Protection Film, or PPF, as soon as you can. Not to be confused with ceramic coating, which is an entirely different thing, PPF is a material that is clear, very lightweight and high elasticity.
Made of urethane, PPF protects your paint from acidic rain, bird droppings and stone chips to name a few. The material is self-healing, meaning it will restore itself to the original condition to look as good as new. PPF’s hydrophobic properties makes it easy to wash your car clean.
This isn’t to say ceramic coating is without its use. Ceramic coating gets into the microscopic pores of the paint to give your vehicle a high-gloss look. The coating also has higher hydrophobic than PPF that makes any liquid slide off its surface easier.
You can apply both to your car. The PPF protects your paint while the ceramic coating on top gives your car a better shine. In any case, once you apply PPF or ceramic coating, there is no need to wax or polish your car.
It isn’t hard to keep your car’s paint looking fresh. Cleaning off foreign substances and regular washing goes a long way to keep your car looking shiny. Or wrap it with paint protection to lock in the shine for much longer.
