Car Paint Protection is Surprisingly Easy. Read to Know-How

Apart from over all condition, what’s one of the most important factors in deciding the resale value of your car? To know the answer you don’t even have to scratch your head much, just a look at the car surface will be enough. Yes, we are talking about the car paint. The car paint is of huge importance for both everyday use and of course for deciding the resale value.

Right from the day you bring the car home, the car paint starts getting affected by a lot of factors. For example, sometimes your kids might like to write something with your fingers on the car exterior and windshields. This seemingly harmless activity could also damage the car paint. Wondering how? Well, when you write something on the dusty surface, your fingers act like sandpaper, rubbing in the dust particles on the painted surface, leaving tiny scratches on the paint surface. 

Yes, many such things, big and small, ultimately account for the paint damage or protection.

But worry not, you will be surprised to know how easy it is to ensure car paint protection at home with just a handful of easy to follow steps. Let’s take a look at all things you can do at home to keep your car paint looking like new.

Wash Your Car Regularly, the Right Way

Dirt accumulation on your car surface is one of the biggest enemies of the car paint, in addition to prolonged exposure to UV rays present in sunlight. And, this factor can be easily negated just by washing your car regularly, the right way, that is. Wondering what’s the right way to wash for paint protection on a car? Here it is:

• Park your car in a shady spot before starting to wash.
• Remove bird droppings, dirt and grime from the surface with a waterless cleaning solution or spray with water.
• Thoroughly wash the surface with a gentle car wash liquid. The key here is to not use dish cleaning liquid or soaps, because these chemicals seriously damage the car paint. 
• Rinse off all the chemical residues by spraying water.
• Wipe off the excessive moisture from the surface with a microfiber cloth to prevent any micro scratches. 

Apply Protective Wax Coatings on the Car Paint

When you apply wax coating on your car, this provides a protective coating for car paint protection. While waxing is done separately, you can also choose a smart wash and wax liquid that serves dual purposes of both washing and adding water resistance to protect painted surfaces from corrosion.

To ensure that you are waxing your car the right way, find a dust free spot. Because when you apply wax for car paint protection coating, small dirt particles can get trapped on the surface and damage the car paint. So choose a dirt free area, and apply wax on the surface that will provide a temporary car paint protection film and prevent damage from harmful UV rays as well as bird droppings and grime.

Besides paint protection, wax coating also extends the rich glossy look of the painted car exteriors. Moreover, regular application of wax reduces the drag force on the car, which ultimately boosts the performance of the car. Please note, all types of wax coatings are effective for limited time only and should be applied frequently based on your usage.

Use a Suitable Paint Sealant

Find out the type of paint coat present on your car and apply a suitable paint sealant to ensure protection from dirt, sunlight and harsh weather. Paint sealants work very well like wax coatings and at times better than wax. Also, you don’t have to apply a sealant very frequently like wax and these coatings last generally for 6 months. 

On the flip-side, car sealants have their own disadvantages. Applying paint sealants require substantial preparation time and these can also highlight surface imperfections like scratches and swirl marks.

Glaze the Car Exteriors Regularly 

Even after regular washing and polishing, sometimes the car surface develops tiny imperfections in the form of swirls and minute scratches. These imperfections catch light and enhance the paint deterioration process. That’s why it is highly recommended to protect your car exteriors with a suitable glaze. These temporary coatings fill up these imperfections and lend the surface a glossy and shiny new like look. 

A popular choice of coating for car paint protection, glazing also enhances the natural color of the paint. Next, always remember, applying glaze should also be done the right way. First wash the car, then depending on the paint you can apply clay coating, polish the surface and finally apply glaze with a microfiber cloth.

Go For a Synthetic Film Coating for Extra Protection

A synthetic or ceramic coating protects the car paint from many harmful factors like acidic contamination, UV rays, provides better scratch resistance and makes the car exteriors more water resistant. Though the benefits of a synthetic coating are many, the application process of a film coating is a tedious process. If you don’t feel confident enough to do it yourself, we recommend going for a professional application of car paint protection film that is done with machines. 

Always Park Your Car in Shade

Since excessive exposure to sunlight is the single biggest factor leading to car paint damage, always pay attention to find a shaded parking spot. It is perhaps the easiest and one of the most effective steps of paint protection on cars. We know finding a shaded area is not always a feasible option, so it is a good idea to invest in a good quality car cover. 

Pay Special Attention to Avoid Bug and Tar Damage

Next to the harmful UV rays, your car’s painted surface is most vulnerable to damage caused by contaminants which are acidic, strong base pH and are hard in nature. All these things are found in the highest quantity in bugs and tar. 

 These two factors are at their worst during the summer season. This happens so, as insects like grasshoppers, butterflies and moths breed in the warm climate. Also the hot season results in tar seeping up and splattering on car parts like bumpers, grills and lower painted surfaces. 

 Further, when these soft bodied bugs hit your car exterior at high speed, their inner acids, toxins and sticky stuff gets stuck to the surface.These tough to remove debris should not be scratched but should be removed with a suitable bug and tar remover. With these specialty cleaners, you can just spray on the surface, let it work its magic for 3-4 minutes and just wipe with a lint free cloth.

Summing it up

 Like most of our possessions, a car is also a reflection of your taste and says so much about you without uttering a word. By keeping your car clean and classy with these simple steps, you can effortlessly ensure paint protection on the car and also get a great resale price. As we have seen, car paint protection not only depends on the right processes but on using the right products too. Find all your car maintenance requirements at Vista Auto to always have a smooth and happy driving experience.