Nobody wants to deal with paint damage on their car. No matter how it happens, deteriorating paint always looks bad. While some forms of damage are inevitable, knowing the causes can help you make sure they don’t occur as often. You’ll have a better shot at fixing the problem before it worsens. Without further ado, here are the most common causes of car paint damage you should be on the lookout for.
It shouldn’t come as a huge surprise, but the sun will deteriorate your vehicle’s paint over time. The sun’s UV rays are quite damaging, and your car is susceptible. Park your vehicle in shaded locations as much as possible to extend the life of its paint.
Another certainty for damage to your car’s paint job is chips and dings from flying debris on the road. When moving at high speeds, rocks and pebbles stuck in car tires will eventually fly out. If you’re behind a vehicle when this happens, you’ll likely get hit. While flying debris doesn’t always cause visible damage, it’s still a common cause of paint damage. Keep a full car length between your vehicle and the one in front of you.
Bugs also collide with your car when driving at high speeds. When driving near bodies of water or cruising late at night with your brights on, bug guts will accumulate on your engine hood and front bumper. Dead bugs don’t look good plastered on the front of your car, and they’ll look worse if you don’t clean them off. Bug guts are naturally acidic, meaning they’ll slowly eat away at your car’s paint job.
Bird droppings also contain acidic elements. They’re less likely to hit you while driving, but any parked car has an equal risk of getting hit by bird droppings. Clean off the excrement as soon as possible to protect your vehicle’s paint job.
After clearing off the dead bug and bird droppings, you’ll want to clean the rest of your vehicle’s exterior. Cheap soaps, cloths, and sponges can actually worsen damage to a car’s paint job, so use quality products. The chemicals in low-quality soap will damage the paint, and cheap washcloths can actually scratch it.
Even with the best cleaning supplies, you might not want to clean your car whenever it gets dirty, which can be quite frequently. Consider an automotive ceramic coating to shield your paint job and make washing your car much easier. Ceramic coatings are always worth the protection they provide.
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