3 Easy Tips on How to Protect your Car Paint

1. Keep your Car Clean

How do you Prevent your Car Paint from Fading?

2. After the Perfect Car Wash – Waxing and Polishing

After a thorough wash, wax can help keep your car paint safe from the outdoors. It creates a barrier between the paint and all the potential damage-causing elements, such as animal excrements, dust, dirt, and acid rain. As mentioned, these things can cause damage to the paint the longer they are stuck to your paint. The wax layer prevents the harmful elements from reaching the paint before you wash your car.

If you want to improve the shine on your car, polishing is a fast way to bring back life to your paint. It makes use micro-fine abrasives that safely smoothens out car paint without the risk of scratching. In fact, it can even lighten the appearance of light scratches on your paint.

Read more about waxing and polishing in this blog article.

The frequency of waxing depends on several factors, such as weather and storage. If you keep your car parked indoors, you’re protecting the wax longer, thus can keep the interval longer. However, if you’re often parked under the sun for prolonged periods, you may need to have it waxed more often.

Generally, waxing every 3 months or so is already good practice. But the unwritten rule about waxing is that if rainwater drops normally on your car, then your wax is still good. Although you may be told that waxing and polishing are “optional” add-ons at a car wash, these are highly recommended because of the extra protection it gives your paint.

Do-It-Yourself Car Waxing with one of Flow Autobody’s Expert Automotive Technician

Leaving the task to the professionals isn’t such a bad idea, but if you wash at home and you want to wax by yourself, it’s pretty easy with the right tools. It doesn’t require much technical skills to properly wax your car without causing further damage:

1. Clean, buff, and polish your car before applying wax.
2. Use a trusty wax product and make sure the pad you’ll use is very clean.
3. Apply a generous amount in straight strokes for the entire vehicle.
4. Use a microfiber towel to wipe off any excess wax.
5. There you have it. Instant car paint protection.

Watch this 3-minute clip to see how the aforementioned tips are applied IRL, as demonstrated by Rob, one of Flow’s trusted car expert:

3. Consider Car Paint Protective Coating

When you’re buying a car, dealers will often offer you car paint protection for an added cost, anywhere from a few hundred to a thousand bucks. With a protective car coating, your car will most likely require less maintenance. It will be easier to clean and less prone to light, minor scratches. This can help keep your car looking new and fresh longer, but it’s not necessary in some cases. It works like wax, acting as a protective barrier between the paint and external elements. It could either be a physical film applied directly onto your paint, or a liquid solution that sets after it has been sprayed throughout the car.

Another option on how to protect your car paint is by applying ceramic coating. It’s just a clear layering to create a second barrier to prevent external damage to your paint. It’s one of the more protective coating that’s similar to wax, but more expensive. It lasts anywhere between 2 to 5 years depending on your care and maintenance. It can be applied to both new and old cars, as long as the paint you’re trying to protect is still in pristine condition.

Is protective car coating worth it?

Deciding whether to get protective car coating depends on your usage. Will you be driving long miles, making your car more susceptible to small damages on the road? If your car is always exposed to the outdoors, whether driving or parked, getting paint protection might be well worth its cost. However, if you’re parking it inside a garage overnight or if there’s no regular long drives, there’s less need for a protective coating.