Five Surprising Everyday Things That Damage Your Vehicle’s Paint

Modern automotive paint is applied in several layers to protect the bodywork, and although it’s developed with durability in mind, several substances and materials we encounter daily can damage it.

You will find many solutions for this problem, like ceramic wax or protection films, but the cheapest solution is keeping your vehicle clean and using specifically designed products.

Road Salt

Since we’re in the middle of the cold season in the Northern Hemisphere, the most common danger is road salt. Although there are many salt-free substances for preventing ice from forming on roads, they are usually more expensive, so people keep using the good old salt.

The problem is that this mineral is corrosive, which means it will eat through the paintwork over time as it sticks to the vehicle’s undercarriage as well as various body panels. While you can’t avoid it, especially if you live in an area where it snows constantly, you can prevent damage by washing your vehicle as often as possible.

If you can afford it, applying a layer of premium quality wax before the cold winter starts will provide extra protection. The underbody can also be sealed using specific products and you can either do this by yourself or by taking the vehicle to a car care professional.

Tree Sap

Due to their polluting ICE’s, cars have been enemies of trees ever since they began to be mass-produced. But who knew the latter would take revenge by releasing sap when new buds form every spring?

If your car happens to be parked under one, the nutrient and mineral-rich substance will stick to the bodywork. While it won’t do any instant damage, leaving it unattended will eventually damage the paint’s clear coat and cause discoloration.

When it hardens, it’s also extremely difficult to remove. Car-care experts recommend automotive decontamination soap and isopropyl alcohol or specific sap removal products to do it properly.

Bird Droppings

It’s clear by now to all of us that birds indiscriminately poop on everything that crosses their path. Unfortunately, our cars seem to be among their favorite targets.

These droppings are acidic and have the potential to damage the clear coat, especially when they harden onto the bodywork.

To try and avoid this, you can choose where you park carefully, but if your car does get hit, it’s important to clean the droppings before they harden. Avoid paper towels and use water, car shampoo, and a soft microfiber cloth instead.

Paper Towels

Widely used these days for about everything, common paper towels (especially low-quality ones) should not be used to clean or dry out your car.

There are some specifically designed for automotive detailing, but using the vast majority of common paper towels can create swirl marks or even scratches on a vehicle’s paint or clearcoat.

The easiest way to avoid this is to use microfiber cloths instead and keep them clean after every use. Using a dirty cloth filled with tiny dirt particles is more harmful to the paint than cheap paper towels.

Dish Soap

Like I mentioned at the beginning of this article, you should wash your car frequently using car-care products. Dish soap is not one of them; it has a higher pH level than auto care products, and some types contain small abrasive particles that help wash away any difficult stains.

While it will do a good job of cleaning, dish soap will also clean any form of wax from the bodywork; it may also cause marring, scratching, and can even slowly eat away the clear coat.

It will also lead to a very dull finish, so you’re better off using a car shampoo instead. They are easy to find and are generally cheap, so there’s really no excuse to use dish soap when washing your car.