A fresh paint job can truly transform the appearance of your car, giving it a renewed sense of vibrancy and life. But how do you keep that glossy finish looking as spectacular as it did on day one? Maintaining a new car paint job requires a blend of consistent care, preventive measures, and a little bit of savvy. This guide will walk you through the steps on how to maintain your car’s new paint job for years.
Regularly Wash Your Car
The first step you should focus on after you’ve repainted your vehicle is regular washing. This is the foundation of maintaining your car’s new paint job. Dirt and grime dull the appearance of your car and act as abrasive materials, scratching and damaging the fresh paint.
Wash your car at least once every two weeks using a car-specific soap. Avoid dish soap or laundry detergent, as these can be too harsh on car paint and cause it to deteriorate. Also, be sure to use a soft, clean sponge or cloth to gently wash the surface, rinsing it frequently to prevent dirt from scratching the paint.
Avoid Automated Car Washes
When life gets busy and you don’t have time to hand-wash your car, automated car washes might seem like a convenient way to keep your car clean. However, they can be surprisingly rough on your car’s paint. The brushes in these washes can create small scratches, which can dull the luster of the new paint job over time. Instead, make some room in your schedule to wash your car by hand, even if that means exceeding the two-week mark.
Dry Your Car Properly
Each time you’ve finished washing your vehicle, you should always dry it properly to make sure it doesn’t accumulate any water spots, which might permanently stain the paint. Use a microfiber or chamois towel to gently blot the water off the surface. Do not rub or drag the towel across the paint, as this could create scratches.
Something else to keep in mind is to never use these cloths to wipe something off your car if your car isn’t wet. Even though microfiber and chamois fabrics are less abrasive, they can still potentially damage the paint. Be sure to dampen your vehicle with clean water before applying the cloths.
Apply a Coating
One of the best ways to maintain a car’s new paint job is to actively protect it from exterior sources of damage. A common option that many people use is wax. This substance provides a protective layer that shields the paint from harmful elements like UV rays, bird droppings, and tree sap. However, you can’t wax a freshly painted car for at least 60 days, meaning that anything can happen to it during that time. Plus, wax isn’t a long-lasting solution.
A much better solution is to get a ceramic coating for your car. While you still need to wait at least 30 days or more to apply one of these after a paint job, they’re a more permanent solution. You need to reapply wax roughly every three months, while ceramic coatings can last up to five years or more. On top of that, ceramic coatings are much stronger, helping shield your paint from many forms of potential damage and making it easier to maintain for long periods.
Park in the Shade
Our next suggestion is to try to park your vehicle in the shade whenever possible. Sunlight can be a formidable enemy to your car’s new paint job. Prolonged exposure to the sun’s UV rays can fade and damage the paint. Whenever possible, park in shaded areas like your garage or a covered parking lot. If you can’t find a covered spot, use a car cover that completely goes over the exterior of your vehicle.
Avoid Parking Under Trees
While this may seem counterintuitive, given the previous advice to park in the shade, you should avoid parking your car under trees. Trees might provide shade, but they also pose a few risks to your fresh paint job. Sap, berries, and bird droppings can fall from trees onto your car, and they can be difficult to remove and may harm your paint if you don’t remove them promptly.
Furthermore, in adverse weather conditions, branches could fall and damage your car. Even if weather conditions aren’t that extreme, the wind can still brush low-hanging branches against your vehicle, causing them to scratch the paint. So opt for a carport or garage for the utmost protection whenever possible, or look for alternative natural shade otherwise.
Don’t Scrape Snow or Ice Off Your Car
In the colder months, snow and ice can present another challenge to maintaining your car’s new paint job. It may be tempting to use a scraper or brush to remove accumulated snow and ice from your vehicle’s surface, but this can cause damage to the fresh paint. While effective at removing ice, scrapers could scratch your paint or clear coat.
Instead, use a high-quality snow brush with soft bristles to gently remove loose snow. For ice, consider using a deicing spray or letting your car warm up and allowing the ice to melt naturally.
But no matter which method you use, trying to remove snow and ice from a car that’s received a paint job recently can be risky. It’s better to plan ahead and paint your car during the warmer months to avoid this issue completely. Fortunately, this isn’t really an issue here in Arizona, but it’s something people further north should consider.
Address Damages Immediately
Unfortunately, no matter how careful you are, scratches and chips can happen. When they do, you should address them immediately. Exposed metal can rust, leading to more significant damage. You can sometimes fix small scratches and chips with touch-up paint. However, for damages large and small, consulting a professional is always best.
In most cases, a paint correction will be your best course of action. This process involves many pieces of equipment and different types of chemicals to remove scratches and chips before covering them back up with a new layer of paint. If you think this might be the best option, you should come to AZ Auto Aesthetics. We offer paint correction in Mesa and Scottsdale, Arizona, and we can assure you that we’ll get your car looking like new again.
