10 tips for maintaining the paint on your car: Guide

First, treat the problem, then fix it. To preserve the appearance of the paintwork on your vehicle, follow these guidelines.

Problems can be avoided by planning, but this is often easier said than done.

Perhaps it’s because we’re too busy to keep up with the maintenance on our vehicles, or maybe we’re just too lazy to do it, but either way, it’s a problem.

Unfortunately, most drivers don’t put much importance on preventative maintenance.

That is, indifference until the first serious issues appear (don’t worry about it; it happens to all of us). Because of this, the most effective form of treatment is preventative care.

And because of this, we must ensure that the car is washed and cleaned consistently.

If this is not the case, you should be prepared to pay a sizeable sum of money for a breakdown that, unbeknownst to you, has been raising its head for some time.

What can I do to ensure that the paint on my car continues to look nice?

Before we start, it is essential to note that cleaning and washing are not the same.

When we remove surface contaminants, we refer to this process as a wash.

This works out very well to ensure that the car is in excellent condition and that children do not write to ask us to wash the car, which we have done in the past when we saw a filthy vehicle.

But cleaning requires attention to detail and patience to remove the contaminants that, over time, will cause the paint to deteriorate.

These contaminants include things like bird droppings, tree resin, and dead insects, among other things. Now that we have this information clarified, let’s begin with the tips:

1. Stay away from anything that could smudge the paint.

Sometimes the most basic treatment is the one that ends up being the most successful.

And if we can keep the paint from getting messed up, it will save us a lot of headaches. The idea that “well, this is all well and good, but I have to use the car” may be going through your head at this very moment.

The question is not whether or not you should park your vehicle inside the garage; instead, it is whether or not you should, when moving, steer clear of roads that are sandy, muddy, or otherwise likely to soil your vehicle.

2. Keep a consistent cleaning schedule

Since we have already concluded that it is unavoidable that the car will be used and will, as a result, become dirty, the second piece of advice is to clean the car regularly.

The objective is to stop dirt from getting stuck to the vehicle and, as a result, prevent damage to the paint job from occurring.

Be very careful not to mix the surface, as doing so might cause the dirt to flake off.

Although it is up to the driver’s discretion, it is recommended that cleaning be done at least once every two weeks.

3. Make sure you use the appropriate materials

It is not acceptable to clean the car with the first thing that comes to mind when you are at home.

Do not make use of a unique product that your co-worker is the only one who knows about.

These days, there are specialized products for cleaning the outside of buildings, and we are required to use them.

And this is important because if we don’t do this, we might end up damaging the paint even further: many common detergents are highly abrasive, which damages any surface and, in our case, removes waxes, silicones, and protective polymers.

We might damage the paint even more if we don’t do this.

Towels and cloths made of microfiber are used for washing and drying the vehicle after it has been cleaned.

If the car has only dust on it because it has been stored in a garage for a long time, we must never use a feather duster on it as if we were cleaning the dining room in our home because this could scratch the paint and cause the vehicle to lose its value.

In situations like these, the most effective course of action is to wash it with a pressure hose and then allow it to dry on its own.

4. Make sure you have the required amount of time (patience and commitment are needed)

You must move at a leisurely pace to maintain the vehicle’s health. It is common knowledge that haste is never a helpful companion in any circumstance.

It is imperative that the cleaning be carried out accurately and conscientiously. Let them look for it because a good wash will save them money in the long run.

Someone will say that they don’t have time for such things; let them look for it.

Your wallet will take the hit if more complicated issues with the paint turn out to be a problem.

5. Remove any contaminants and apply wax

It is strongly suggested that this procedure be carried out in an open area and with the vehicle turned off.

The car’s surface needs to be prepared by removing any contaminants that have adhered to the paint. These contaminants include stains, scratches, and oxidation.

After completing this, we perform a hand pass to ensure we have not left any traces of contamination behind.

Plasticine cleaners are a last-ditch option that can be effective if we cannot clean the vehicle in any way or with any of the specialized products available to us.

After the surface has been cleaned, cover the area with it, then carefully mold it and rub it before removing it with a microfiber towel.

Waxing the vehicle is the next step because doing so shields the paint from various environmental contaminants. In addition, the material we use to wax also helps us preserve the shine.

It is recommended that you carry out each of these steps once every month.

6. Polish

Just using soap and water will get us through the most critical part of the cleaning process.

However, polishing is a great option to consider if you want your vehicle to have the appearance of having just been driven off the lot at the dealership.

It is recommended that you polish it every six months; however, professionals advocate doing it every two months, and others support doing it every two years.

In general, it is recommended that you polish it every six months. In this stage of the game, the driver has the final say, and it all depends on how he evaluates the condition of the paint.

7. Take your vehicle to get washed.

We have finally arrived at the age-old problem: should we take the car to the car wash or not? We are not going to provide a conclusive response at this time.

We will only mention that you can take your vehicle to a car wash if you do not have the time to clean it yourself or if you would instead have trained professionals take care of your vehicle.

We need to pick a reliable facility that provides all of the guarantees, but this goes without saying.

The problem is that the rollers in the tunnels end up scratching the paint on the car with their fascinating designs.

It is obvious that, depending on the color, they will be more or less noticeable, but when exposed to direct sunlight, we will be in for an unwelcome shock.

8. Be wary of the natural world

Parking the vehicle under trees presents several challenges, even though at first blush it might appear to be a good idea, mainly because trees can provide shade.

It is almost certain that leaves, twigs, fruit, or resin will fall on us. At this point in the article, it should go without saying that these are elements that contribute to pollution and, as a result, can damage the paintwork.

The droppings of birds are another factor that can be very annoying.

Because of their unpredictability and the difficulty of avoiding them, we will need to look for a garage in the city to park in if we can do so.

If this is not possible, we should avoid parking in the exact location for extended periods.

If none of this helps, and we find some excrement, we need to hurry up and clean the car because trying to remove a dry residue can easily scratch the paint, and the acids that it contains are corrosive.

9. Try to avoid parking in the sun as much as possible

In line with the recommendation made in the prior advice, you should try to avoid parking your vehicle in direct sunlight whenever possible.

Your car’s paint will gradually become more faded if it is exposed to the sun for extended periods of time because ultraviolet rays from the sun have a direct effect on the paint.

Therefore, we need to look for a parking spot that offers shade. However, not beneath a tree.

Why, exactly, are we doing this?

10. Repair paint damage quickly

If despite all of our precautions, there is any damage to the paint, then we will have no choice but to rush to a specialized workshop as soon as possible to prevent the problem from worsening.

The bare sheet metal of the bodywork may be exposed due to certain damages, leaving it highly vulnerable to corrosion.

In addition, if the car is brought to a garage in a very neglected state and has considerable damages, the garage might not pay as much attention to it as it would pay to a car that appears to have been well preserved but has specific damage.

Track bonus: Do not park your vehicle under a tree

It is imperative that a thorough cleaning be performed before we embark on a lengthy journey or after we have returned home after having been away for some time.

It will not cause us any inconvenience. Understanding your vehicle is analogous to understanding yourself.

As we gain more experience, we can independently fix minor flaws (but if we do not see it clearly, we consult with the workshop).

There is no longer any reason to believe that it is unavoidable to flaunt a gleaming car in public places like streets and sidewalks.

Everyone can tell that the vehicle in question is not yours if it is covered in pigeon poop and is filthy and dusty.

When another spot is available with no vegetation, it can even make us smile to see someone park under a tree rather than in the other public place.

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