Can you protect the surface of your car from every potential scratch? Probably not. Unless you park your car indoors and never drive it outdoors and never touch it — and who treats used cars in Calgary like that? — your car’s surface will get scratched. There are ways to minimize chips and scratches to the surface of your car, though. Minimizing chips and scratches will help to preserve the appearance of your new-to-you car and to protect your car’s body from rust and further damage. Here are a few tips to minimize chips and scratches.
Wash carefully
Washing your car thoroughly is one of the best
ways to protect your car’s surface and even to inspect your car’s body for any
signs of damage or wear. If you ever doubted the importance or popularity of
washing your car, just look at how many car washes there are in Calgary!
Ironically, though, washing your car is also
a way to damage the coat of your car
— by using inappropriate products and chemicals. When washing your car, don’t
use laundry soap, dish soap, household cleaners, paint thinner, abrasive
cleaners or scrubbing pads from the shop, kitchen and the like. When washing
your car, use only detergents, brushes and clothes designed for cars’ surfaces.
Anything else could degrade the protection that your car’s paint provides.
Protect your car from temperature
fluctuations
Calgarians know this as well as any Canadian.
Cars are exposed to wide extremes in temperatures from one part of the day or
night to the next, depending on factors like sunlight, air temperature, wind
and precipitation. Those wide fluctuations can produce cracks in your paint
surface by producing expansion and contraction of the materials. If water
penetrates those cracks and, in turn, expands and contracts with temperature
changes, those cracks can get worse and rust can result. The best way to
protect your car from temperature fluctuations is to park regularly in a
temperature-controlled environment like a garage whenever possible.
Protect your car from bird and
tree droppings
Bird droppings and tree sap are ugly when they
accumulate on your vehicle. But letting those droppings and sap accumulate is
more than an issue of vanity. They also contain substances, acids and chemicals
that can damage the paint of your car. When you can park in a garage, do so.
Avoid parking under tall trees, especially ones that produce sap. Those trees
may also shelter birds who may defecate on your vehicle. When you do see
droppings of one kind or another on your car, wash those droppings off with the right product or take advantage
of a local car wash service.
Avoid exposing your car to stones
When you can avoid driving on gravel roads or
in construction zones, do so. Loose gravel and grit can cause tiny chips in
your paint, not to mention your vehicle’s glass. That’s an obvious tip, but not
always achievable. There’s another source of stone-related damage that you
might not think of. When wiping or washing your car, use only clean and grit-free cloths and cleaning
implements. Even tiny stones, chips and pieces of grit can cause scratches and
abrasions in your surface. Before cleaning your car, clean those clothes
carefully first.
Try not to spill fluids onto your car
Liquids like brake fluid and gasoline are
essential, obviously. But they’re essential inside
your car in their proper vessels. Brake fluid, gasoline and other
vehicle-related liquids can damage the surface of your car if allowed to linger
there. If any of those fluids splash onto your car, rinse them off and clean
them carefully with appropriate products. Avoid touching the substances with
your hands, and follow instructions on the products’ packaging if you get any
on your skin.
If you have questions about how to maintain your car or advice on how to buy used cars in Calgary, get in touch with a used car dealer near you. The professional staff at Calgary’s used car dealers want to provide you with a safe and reliable car that you love enough to protect from harm. They’ll help you do just that.