There are many things that can damage your vehicle’s paint job, and a lot of them are natural and hard to avoid. However, at least knowing what can affect the paint will help if you do encounter any of them.
- Bird droppings. A common occurrence for car owners, you will most likely have bird droppings get on your car many times. They’re mostly an inconvenience, but they can possibly affect the paint job. They have acidic content, and when they’re hardened by the sun, they will stubbornly stick to the car and slowly eat away at the paint.
- Tree sap. If you park under a tree, sometimes you might notice some residue on your car after. A tree’s sticky sap can damage your car’s clear coat, and it can be challenging to remove after it hardens.
- Bugs. After a long road trip, the front of your car will probably be covered in dead bugs. Try to get the car washed right after to wash them off so they don’t start to wear away at the paint. Like bird droppings, the fluids in bugs can have higher acidity levels.
- Gas. When filling up your tank, make sure the gas doesn’t accidentally get on your car. It can leave a stain on the paint that’s hard to remove, but sometimes a wash right after can make sure that doesn’t happen.
- Brake fluids. If this fluid ever comes into contact with your car’s paint, it acts almost like a paint thinner and erodes the coating, causing it to peel.
- Dirty rags. Rags that have a lot of build-up, in other words dirt or dust, contain tiny particles that could scratch at your paint job. Only use a microfiber towel that’s soft and clean to avoid this.
- Layers of dust or dirt. When your car hasn’t been washed in a while, it accumulates a lot of dirt and dust on the paint. When mixed with rain that has a higher acidity rate, it can combine into a compound that slowly corrodes your paint.
- Coffee and soda. Both acidic drinks, these can lead to corrosion—especially if you don’t wash the spill off right away and it has time to work away at the coating and paint.
It’s in the driver’s best interest, for both long-term effects and when selling your car later, to get even those small damages fixed soon after they happen. Superior Collision center can help with all your auto body needs.