5 Ways to Make Your Vehicle’s Exterior Last
1. Park in the garage
If you’ve ever left a vehicle parked outside for a few days you know how quickly it can get dirty. While some people don’t mind a dirty vehicle, what most people don’t know is that the UV protection provided by a vehicle’s clear coat has a half-life of 5 years. That means that every 5 years it is 50% less effective at protecting the underlying paint from the sun’s rays. As a result, the older the vehicle the more vulnerable the vehicle is when parked outside.
2. Get the gunk off, today
Debris, bird droppings, and bug guts all have a way of building up on even the most seldom driven vehicles. While this nuisance is nearly unavoidable it shouldn’t be ignored. Anything that’s allowed to sit on the paint for too long can work its way through the clear coat and leave behind a permanent etching. This means even that after the bug guts or tree sap is removed, the etching creates the appearance that it is still on the paint. Aesthetics aside, etchings that have gone all the way through the clear coat put the surrounding paint at risk for future rusting.
3. Take off bugs and sap, safely
Getting bugs and sap off the vehicle quickly is key, but it also must be done safely. Scrub a little too hard or with the wrong material and you’ll replace a few temporary bug guts with some permanent scratches. Using a dedicated sap or bug remover can help, but you’ll most likely need a secondary tool if the bugs and sap have been sitting on the paint for a while.
For insect guts, use any bug remover in combination with a pressure washer. For sap, a steam cleaner works well to initially loosen up the sticky stuck before applying any chemicals. Using these chemical + tool combos will greatly reduce the risk of unnecessarily scratching your vehicle’s exterior.
4. Wash your vehicle regularly
The more frequently you wash your vehicle the easier tips #3 and #4 will be. Dirt and debris will come off easier which means less scrubbing, less scratches, and a cleaner looking vehicle.
5. Apply some form of paint protection
Your vehicle’s clear coat, the layer of factory installed paint protection, is very thin. A post-it note is nearly twice as thick. Once this layer of protection is gone, it’s gone, which means it needs to be protected and maintained. If your vehicle can’t be kept in a garage, applying some form of paint protection like a wax, sealant, or ceramic coating is a great way to extend the life of your paint. These forms of paint protection become the first line of defense taking the abuse from the sun, bugs, sap, and other debris instead of your vehicle’s clear coat. Regardless of which form of paint protection you chose, they all make your vehicle easier to wash, maintain, and provide extra shine.
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Not interested in doing sap removal yourself? Curious about the benefits of a ceramic coating? At make it last auto detailing we not only apply paint protection like waxes, sealants, and ceramic coatings but all of our wash services are guaranteed to get the bugs off. We also provide safe removal of tree sap and road tar. Best of all, we’re mobile, servicing Hailey, Ketchum, Sun Valley, and Bellevue Idaho.
Contact us with any questions you have or book an appointment online.
