It can be tough trying to work or exercise outdoors when the temperature and humidity hit extreme levels during the summer months. However, you might not realize just how damaging the summer months can be to your car. What are some specific ways that your car’s paint could be damaged during the hottest part of the year?
Sunlight Can Cause Paint to Fade
If you want to keep your car’s paint job looking shiny and new, don’t keep it outside on a sunny day. During the summer, the sun is at its highest angle in the sky, which means that its rays are at their strongest. This is in addition to the fact that the sun is out longer on a summer day compared to any other part of the year. Ideally, you will either park it in a garage or part a black tarp on top of it that will absorb the light and heat.
Make Sure to Wash Your Car
Summer means that there are a lot of materials in the air that will eventually land on and stick to your car. For instance, grass clippings or dirt from your driveway or the side of the road can be kicked up and cling to your vehicle’s paint job while driving. Dust, pollen, and other airborne particles may also be stirred up by the wind and make their way onto your car. If allowed to remain, they can chip away at the paint, which may result in a car that looks less attractive from the outside.
Stay Away From the Birds and the Bees
If bird droppings land on your vehicle, make sure to clean it as soon as possible. Otherwise, the sun could bake it into the paint, which means you will have to either live with a ruined exterior or pay to have it repainted. The same is true if bees or any other type of bug happen to fly into your car. Upon impact, they will disintegrate and leave unsightly marks. Just like the bird droppings, they can bake into the exterior paint job and create a hassle that you can avoid by wiping them away as soon as possible.
You Can Ruin Your Paint While Filling Up
Although you may not like going to the gas station more often than necessary, there may be a good reason not to fill your tank to the brim. Taking care not to fill up all the way can prevent gas from dripping or spilling onto the paint surrounding the entrance to the gas tank. If you do accidentally spill gas on your car, make sure to wipe it up with a clean cloth before you leave the gas station.
Keeping your car’s paint in good shape can help retain its value for as long as you own it. Therefore, spending just a few dollars on proper care now can result in hundreds or thousands of extra dollars in the future when you sell or trade your vehicle to a dealership.