Maintenance Tip: Cosmetic No-Nos

In our very car-centric society, what you drive — and the condition of what you drive — no doubt affects the way you’re seen by others. Drive a dirty car spotted with dents and scratches, and it’s likely people will judge you to be a little irresponsible, or flighty at the least. But by paying just a little more attention to the proper cosmetic care of your car, you’ll keep it looking new and presentable far longer without much more effort. You probably know what you should be doing, but to enforce the importance of proper car care, here are six easily avoidable bad practices in caring for your car’s outward appearance:

Letting your car go dirty. No doubt, the number-one no-no you can commit is not washing your car on a regular basis, or not washing it frequently enough. When your car is dirty, anything that brushes up against it — jackets, grocery bags, pets, even hands — is like a loaded weapon and is more likely to scratch or scour the surface. In addition, in the road grime that holds the dirt to the finish, there are acids and contaminants that will prematurely break down the delicate clearcoat surface. Do a quick wash at least once every two weeks. You may think you’re saving water by washing only once in a while, but it takes many times more water to wash an extremely dirty car caked with dirt and grime, versus a merely dusty one. If it’s because you’re a procrastinator, the same goes for effort. Give the car a thorough rinse first to get all the loose dirt off, then use a soft sponge with the proper car wash suds. Finish the job off with the light touch of a fine terrycloth or microfiber towel.

Using automatic car washes. The so-called “touchless” washes won’t remove any caked-on grime, and they often rely on harsh detergents that degrade the finish over time. On the other hand, washes that use brushes and sponges will “grind” grit and grime into your finish, and sometimes cause minor dents or scratches. Few of these washes have a pre-rinse or final rinse cycle that’s long enough.

Using products not designed for cars. Soap products that are not formulated for cars are a gamble; they can either be too harsh, dulling and damaging the delicate finish over time, or too soft, leaving harmful deposits and not rinsing clean. A certain soap might claim to be all-purpose, but I wouldn’t bet on it for your car. And as tempting as it might be, don’t use kerosene, turpentine, or rubbing alcohol to remove caked-on bug guts. Never use scouring pads or cleansers, or scrub brushes, no matter how soft the bristles might feel.

Skipping the wax. Waxing your car occasionally — once a month to once every six months, depending on your car and the conditions — is great preventative maintenance for your paint. If something lightly scratches up against your car, and there’s a strong layer of wax, there’s less of a chance of damage to the actual paint/clearcoat surface. Applying some sort of protection to your car on a regular basis is essential to help prevent that damage. If you’ve been diligent in applying wax, minor scratches may simply buff out with minimal effort and disappear with a new coat of wax. If there’s no wax layer, the scratch is certainly right on the clearcoat surface.

Letting paint chips and blemishes go untreated. Bare metal corrodes in a matter of a few weeks, possibly even a few hours if you’re near the sea or salted winter roads. For every day you let those nicks, chips, or scratches stand untouched, the chances of rust invading are greatly increased. Prevent the invasion of rust by touching those spots up sooner than later. Always use the proper primer in conjunction with the manufacturer-recommended touch-up paint.

Being careless about where you park. Avoid parking under trees that might release sap, but avoid parking for prolonged periods in the bright sun. Parallel parking on hills is an almost certain recipe for minor nicks; so is parking in “compact only” spaces or non-angled spaces without enough room to properly go in at a right angle. Even at home you need to mind where you park. Make sure you’re in a place where kids and pets won’t inadvertently cause damage. Consider the potential risks, wherever you are.