The Everyday Things that can Damage your Car’s Paint

Keeping your car’s paint looking at its best is easier said than done. And you may not be aware of it, but it’s not the big things that count the most. It’s those little, seemingly harmless things that we do every day that puts our car’s paint job at risk of damages. In this article, we’ll reveal some of the most surprising things that can harm your car paint.

Generic Cleaning Products

The use of non-auto cleaning products or generic liquids to clean your car can ruin its paint. When washing your vehicle, it’s important to avoid bland cleaners like household or garage cleaners. Always stick with high-quality auto cleaning items to preserve the quality of the car paint.

Fuel Slips and Drips

While it may sound like a good idea to fill your tank when refueling, it can sometimes lead to gas floods and spills into your vehicle. If you don’t wipe them away immediately, the fuel can saturate the top layer of the paint and make it lose its sparkle. It then leaves a stain that is extremely hard to expel.

Road Constructions

There’s plenty of road construction going on virtually everywhere in the country. In these construction areas, roads are narrower, which means a higher chance of scratching your car. And if you’re unlucky, a construction sign can mean paint damage. Bits of rocks can fly up and scrape your paint while you’re driving across the site. Much worse, tar can stick into your car’s body, and they are very difficult to remove.

Bugs and Bird Droppings

When you notice bird droppings in your car, always wash them off immediately. Bird droppings are especially acidic and can easily dull and stain your paint. On the other hand, bugs dry on your car paint, causing cuts and chips. Same as bird droppings, you need to wash away bugs immediately. Use an auto cleaner for removing bugs and other acidic substances when cleaning them off.

Ordinary Beverages

Many ordinary drinks like coffee, tea, and soda, are acidic which means they are harmful to your auto paint. Thus, if you accidentally spill a can of soda into your car, you need to wash it away as fast as you can. Letting it sit until it dries off will only make it harder to remove and more damaging to the paint.

If you can’t immediately drive your car to a nearby auto carwash, try using a container of detailing spray and a microfiber fabric to wipe it off. It will help stop the drink from sticking into the paint until you get to the carwash.

Direct Sunlight

Prolonged exposure to direct sunlight will ruin the outer layer of your car’s paint faster than you might expect. If you have a sheltered parking space available, use it to cover your car from the direct sunlight. The same goes if you have a carport – use it to shield your car and protect its paint from the sun’s harmful UV rays. If you don’t have any shelter option, try and find the best parking spot with a shade, which is likely going to be under a tree.