Ah, springtime in Dallas. It’s a lovely time of year – but with the higher temps coming, your car’s paint job may suffer. Keeping up the gloss on your paint job is a top priority for many vehicle owners in Dallas. To that end, we’ve compiled this list of how springtime in this metro area home to 6.5 million can affect your car paint. Try to avoid them at all costs.
Bird and Bug Droppings
Those flying “friends” start to get more active come spring, bombing cars with their droppings. These droppings are very bad for your car’s paint job. Bird droppings contain uric acid and residues that harden and then eat away at the clear coat finish of your vehicle, says the Universal Technical Institute.
Now that the sun’s rays are getting more powerful, don’t leave those droppings to sit there. Wash them off gently as soon as you can with warm water and a bit of dish soap, or go through the car wash.
In a similar way, bugs splattered on your windshield can ruin your finish due to the acids contained in them. They also get baked by the sun, corroding the paint. Wash off bug splatter ASAP.
Pavement Debris
If you travel along roads where new construction was done or roads have been repaved, take care. Little bits of pavement and gravel can become loose, get kicked up by your tires which send them straight onto your hood or bumper.
This leads to chipping, flaking, and body corrosion. Touch up any chipping as soon as possible, with auto paint to match from the dealership. If you have a lot of chips and flakes, take it to your trusted auto body shop for repainting.
Tree Sap
Trees drip sap in the spring, and if you park in the shade of trees, this thick, sticky substance will get baked into your finish by the sun. They will then crystalize into the surface, leaving an unsightly patch or stain behind. Sap isn’t as easily removed as droppings, though. You have to spray alcohol on the affected area and gently wash off with a microfiber cloth.
Pollen
Did you know that pollen scratches car paint? Because pollen particles are tiny, they can settle into your car’s pores very easily, releasing acids that fade your paint job’s color. Wash your car frequently during times of pollen with warm soapy water.
Tips to Protect Your Paint
Overall, here are some tips to heed if you want to protect your car’s paint against chipping, flaking, or cracking in spring.
- Park your car away from direct sunlight
- Use mild soaps if you decide to wash your car yourself
- Immediately clean bug splotches, leaves, berry stains, and bird droppings
- Park in a garage or use a car cover
- Get your professionally waxed annually
- Bring your vehicle to “touchless” car washes
Contact Top Tier Auto Body
If you have too many marks or areas where paint needs to be touched up, you may want to consider repainting by the pros at Top Tier Auto Body. Make an appointment with us today!
