Know your enemies: a guide to common finish wreckers
Now that you have a hot shine, you have to keep it scorching. That's why you have to know your paint's primary enemies well. These color-combating irritants can strike at any time, so it's important to learn the car care techniques for dealing with them as soon as possible.
Parking under a tree is simply a bad idea thanks to a handful of ugly factors, and sap is one of the worst risks for your paint. As trees are constantly leaking this gooey gel, it globs or splatters onto the most sun-exposed stretches of your vehicle: the hood and roof.
The next time you go driving in the sun, that same sap, which has been attaching itself deep into your paint, is further baked-on by increasing heat. Leave the sap alone for long, and it's quite difficult to remove. In fact, removing sap is where the actual danger to your paint exists. Go at it the wrong way—especially when dealing with hardened sap spots—and you can scratch the surface or leave a ring in the process.
- The solution:
Don't try to scrub it off with a rag or wash mitt and detergent. Instead, use a measured amount of light rubbing compound, mineral salts, or sap-specific paint cleaner. Let the cleaner sink into the sap at first before wiping it away with a soft towel (using light pressure only).
Rinse the area with cool water to fully remove the cleaning agent you used. If you had a wax coat on the layer before, reapply the wax. More than likely, the cleaning agent will remove your wax or other protective coating.
Of course, you can also take steps to stop that nasty syrup from splattering on your vehicle in the first place. When you park around trees, slip on a custom car cover. The fabric takes the punishment so your finish can sit pretty. Back at home, you can park your vehicle under a canopy tent when there isn�t garage space.
Leaves are yet another reason not to park under a tree. Though leaves look innocent enough just lying on your hood, they may be loaded with sap, pollen or other caustic coatings. "Leaf" them alone for too long, and no amount of Canadian pride will cool your hot temper at the now permanent maple leaf outline left in your finish.
- The solution:
The best course of action is to pull the leaves off yourself when you notice them. Avoid letting wind resistance blow the leaves off while driving—this can cause micro abrasions in your paint that are much more time-consuming to remove than the time needed to remove leaves by hand. If you wait too long and end up with an outline, you'll have to clean, polish and wax the area—with your fingers crossed.
Again, a custom car cover or a canopy tent are also ideal for keeping this tree dandruff from flaking off onto your finish.
Poop happens. It's unavoidable. But what makes things worse is that bird squirt contains some of the most acidic, abrasive, paint-eating substances that ever touch your vehicle. Right after impact, bird squeeze goes to work by eating away clear coat paint layers. If left to its own devices, a heavy splatter leaves a tasty outline and matching blisters or dimples in the paint surface. This repugnant damage is done in 48 hours or less after impact, so time is of the essence.
- The solution:
As soon as the you-know-what hits the van, the clock is ticking. The second you pull into your drive at home, spot wash the area with cool water and car wash soap. This should head-off any noticeable damage. If you can't get home in time or have nowhere to wash at home, carrying a mobile kit that includes detailing spray and a paint-safe towel is the ideal stop-gap measure. You'll find carrying a kit like this can be the answer to combating many stain varieties other than droppings. If you were unable to head-off damage, careful paint repair may be in order, with steps as easy as light polish or as costly as professional paint repair.
It goes without saying that a car cover is an excellent shield against bird shower. However, you can�t drive around with one on, so be sure to have some emergency cleaning products on hand.
When the EPA is looking the other way, your local factory blows more than just accounting document ashes out of their massive smokestacks. It's a pretty good bet that remnants of their latest incineration dusted a fine layer of finish-eating particles all over your vehicle. Left alone, this toxic dust eats down into the paint and effectively sandblasts the gloss right off.
- The solution:
Since it's hard to see, the best way to combat pollution fallout is with a weekly washing. And, make sure you're always sporting a good wax coat on your paint. This will absorb the brunt of fallout so your paint won't have to.
Body shops and cardiologists alike agree: excess salt is no good. The heavy dusting of salt applied to your local highways and byways in an effort to halt black ice patches kicks right up onto your wheel wells, fenders, rocker panels, undercarriage and doors. The salt then cakes right on top of your vehicle's paint, leading to premature finish degradation and even rusting.
- The solution:
Beating the cycle of road salt damage takes more than an ounce of prevention—it usually takes most of a container of car wax. Apply a thick coat of wax just ahead of winter's wrath. This will help repel some of the salt, and prevent the rest from eating directly into your paint.
The next most important step is to be aggressive at salt removal. Blast road salt off your fenders with any garden hose and nozzle combination set to full power. Be sure to get the hard to see and reach areas, too, as road salt can wreak havoc on the underside of your vehicle. Keeping a close eye on your salt situation during your weekly wash goes a long way to preventing damage.
The constant beating of UV rays on your vehicle can be the slowest possible death for paint. UV is the reason paint finishes fade over time, lose their gloss, and become generally dull and unattractive. The more you leave your vehicle outside to bake, the quicker fading sets in.
- The solution:
Regular waxing helps slow the fading process, as the UV assault takes-on a layer of wax instead of paint directly. However, the best defense against UV damage is keeping your vehicle out of the sun. Park in the garage or under a canopy tent. Find a more shady space. Use a custom car cover. Whatever works best for you, keeping the sun off your paint is crucial to its appearance.
Acting as nature's revenge for the pollution regularly spit out of your tailpipe, the diabolical fusion of rain and toxins strips protective waxes and coatings off your paint, then eat into the color. It's like a water spot on steroids: the acid rain beads on your finish, then evaporates, leaving a chemical burn mark ring in the surface. Repairing this condition can be costly. Repainting the area is the most frequently used method for removing acid rain damage marks.
- The solution:
Regular washing and waxing are the most effective prevention means against acid rain damage marks. Washing removes the residue; wax layers absorb the damage. If a storm is anticipated in your area, parking your vehicle indoors, under a canopy tent or covering it with an all-weather car cover are smart ideas for preventing damage, too.
Swirl marks are the bane of every auto enthusiast's existence. These tiny abrasions in the top paint layer (usually the clear coat) occur after using a dirty wash mitt or drying towel, or using an abrasive cloth for any washing or waxing process. Abrasions and swirl marks in your paint are most visible in the sunlight, when the spider web of micro marks on your finish reflects light rays in odd patterns. Swirl marks are especially prominent on vehicles with dark paint, whose finishes are without question more difficult to maintain.
Fortunately, abrasions and swirl marks are the easiest paint blemishes to remove. Because they're not very deep into the clear coat layer of your paint, micro marks can be evened out or filled in right in your own driveway.
In washing, swirl mark prevention is best done by using only clean wash mitts and dry cloths that are 100% terry cloth cotton or another non-abrasive, auto-specific cloth material. Don't set your materials down on the driveway—small rocks and particles can get tangled in your rags, which can be dragged all over your paint.
For waxing, swirl marks are best prevented by defying a few once conventional wax techniques. In wax application and buffing, avoid circular motions. This is exactly how most swirl marks appear, especially on dark vehicles. Apply wax instead by wiping from front to back or back to front with your applicator. Buff the wax off in a front-to-back motion as well. Also, use only clean applicators and buff cloths in good condition.
If you already have swirl marks, don't panic—you're not stuck looking at them forever. Products made specifically for eliminating swirl marks are readily available. They work much the same as wax for application and shining, too. The purpose of these solutions is to even the high points and low points in and around the swirl marks, leaving a smooth and consistent surface. Try swirl mark remover on a small, inconspicuous section before moving on to larger areas.
Swirl mark remover can only be used a limited number of times on your finish, though. Each time it's used, a small amount of clear coat is lost from your finish. The best plan is to use swirl remover once, then take every possible precaution to prevent marks in the future.
Your best bet before resorting to swirl mark remover is to try washing, polishing and re-waxing your vehicle. In many cases, a fresh wax job that's applied and buffed properly will conceal most micro marks in the finish. That's because a good wax—especially carnauba—lays over imperfections with a consistent layer of shine that makes clear coat marks considerably less visible than before. The more wax layers you apply, the more likely the swirl marks are to disappear.
We hope you have found our Car Care Research Guide Center a good guide in helping you choose the best Car Care for your vehicle. It is AutoAnything's goal to provide the most information on the Internet and through our Auto Accessory Specialists on every product we sell. If you have any information that you think could help improve this section, please email us at researchcenter@autoanything.com.