How to protect your car's paint during summer

We’ve already covered pointers on how to take care of your car’s paint, as maintaining its natural showroom shine does keep it looking fresh despite its age. While there are things that can damage its paint job, the summer climate is also a potential threat. In fact, the sun could possibly fade your car’s paint if you leave it out for too long.

In the Philippines, the summer season usually tortures us with high temperatures that can go 36°C or more, and that’s more than enough to damage your car’s paint. Like our skin, a paint job can also get sun damage, there are even some instances when cracks will start to appear which could then slowly peel off the paint. 

It’s like what they always say, prevention is the best cure, therefore, we should meticulously treat our car’s paint like our own skin. In order to preserve its beauty, you must then religiously follow these simple car care routines:

Nothing beats a refreshing bath. Cleanliness is indeed next to godliness, that is why giving your trusted steed a much-needed car wash should be done regularly. Bear in mind that washing your car under sunlight is a big no, as exposing it to direct heat will then dry the cleaning products even before you were able to wash it off. 

We highly recommend that you wash your car early in the morning, perhaps before 10:00 AM. If you’re too lazy in the morning, perhaps afternoons after 4:00 PM will also do. Preferably, you could wash your vehicle in your garage or any other shaded area.

Of course, after applying the shampoo and rinsing it off with water, it’s now time to properly dry off your car. You can either use a microfiber rag, a chamois, or simply a cotton rag. Its body should immediately be dried off before the heat does it for you. Quickly dry your vehicle as it will leave some visible watermarks on its paint job due to the mineral content in tap water.

Now it’s time for your car’s skincare routine. Aside from giving it a more lively gloss, applying car wax usually adds a protective layer that shields its paint from the sun’s UV rays. Other than that, your paint is also protected from scratches caused by dust and other elements. We highly advise you to have your car waxed at least once a month to keep its shine and to maintain a protective layer at all times. 

Aside from wax, there are other paint protection products that you can apply to your car. Other owners would invest in paint protection films (PPF) or ceramic coating in order to optimize a sturdier protective shield for their car’s paint job. 

The amount of money you’ll be spending is sure worth it, as protection film and ceramic coating usually stay longer compared to your average car wax which again, you’re going to have to apply once a month. Expect at least a year’s worth of protection or up to 5 with a good detailer and product for ceramic coating, and expect 3 to 5 years’ worth of protection for PPF depending on the quality of the film. 

After you’ve successfully done your routine, it’s now time to park your car in a shaded area in order to save it from the sun’s UV rays.

Now, if you have no other choice but to leave it exposed under the sun, you might as well consider using a reflective car cover. Just follow this simple routine and you’ll surely be able to preserve the showroom shine of your car for years to come.