subject: Looking After Your Cars Paintwork [print this page] Nothing sells a car like a beautiful unblemished shine. Getting that perfect shine on your car can be difficult, unless you know what you are doing. Everyone knows that cars should be washed and waxed on a regular basis, but there is much more to preserving your paintwork than that.
Paintwork can easily be corroded by bird droppings. Not only do bird droppings contain concentrated nitrogenous wastes, but they also contain fine grit. This means that if you leave a bird dropping to dry on your car the acid will weaken the paint, and if you simply wipe it off the fine grit will leave tiny scratches in your paintwork. Those tiny scratches build up and cause your paintwork to dull. The most obvious way to avoid this damage is not to park your car under trees or close to buildings where birds gather or nest. Parking under trees when leaves are falling is also not a good idea. If it rains, partially rotted leaves stick to the car and dry in. Removing those also causes tiny scratches.
The ultra violet rays of the sun are another significant enemy for your cars paintwork. If you park, your car in the sun areas of the car's paintwork will dull and eventually begin to peel. Waxing your car regularly helps to counteract this affect, but it is still important that you always park in the shade or in a garage.
The cloths that you use to wash and polish your car are also important. Fine cotton clothes are the best. If you use sponges or cloths made from synthetic fibres, they will leave fine scratches in the paint, which will leave your car looking dull, not shiny. Likewise, never dry a car with a synthetic cloth always use chamois leather. Be sure to use a good quality detergent, preferably one that is PH neutral.
After washing your car, always dry it 100%. Spots of water dry into white spots on the car, which look ugly. In addition, those spots contain minerals that will cause your paint to corrode over time.
