Can Putting Things on Your Car Ruin the Paint?

It turns out that your parents were right—you should do your best not to set things on your car, lest you risk ruining the paint. If you’re driving a car that was made in the ‘90s, maybe that’s not your top area of concern, but if you’re driving something newer or with sentimental value, you’ll probably want to keep it looking great for as long as possible.

Believe it or not, boxes, grocery bags and more can ruin your paint in Visalia, CA. Even placing your paper coffee cup on the roof can leave behind a permanent reminder of your caffeine addiction. Here’s what to avoid when you want to keep your car looking its best for as long as you can:

• Bird dirt: Birds are lovely to listen to and watch, but wow, can they leave a mess behind! Bird poop is acidic, so if a lovely airborne creature christens your vehicle, make sure to wash it off as soon as possible. Otherwise, bird dirt will eat straight through your paint and leave a miserable mark behind.
• Coffee mugs: Whether it’s Starbucks or a ceramic mug, putting a coffee cup on your car will wear away at the wax and chip or scratch the paint underneath, leaving behind a ringed mark that can’t be erased unless you get the paint touched up.
• Boxes and bags: We’ve all set our groceries on the car hood while we fish for our keys, but setting boxes and bags (even your buttery-smooth leather purse) on your car can damage the paint, too. They’ll scratch it, especially if your car is already dusty.
• Pets: Sure, Killer the Chihuahua is cute, but if you let him jump on your car, his nails will scratch the paint. And while we know how useless it is to try to keep cats from doing anything at all, make sure to lock them out of the garage if you want to keep your car paint looking fresh.
• Body oils: This one mostly applies to children—keep your hands, face and other body parts off the car. Your body oils might not immediately damage the paint, but if you don’t wash them off right away, they can seep into the paint. Teach your kids to only touch the door handles and you won’t need to worry about this one.
• Tree sap: Parking under trees can net you some bird dirt, which is bad enough for your paint—but you might also pick up some tree sap. If you notice that you have tree sap on your car, do your best to remove it immediately. The hot Visalia sun will bake it on and make it impossible to remove without damaging the paint.
• Road tar and salt: Finally, although we might not see much road salt (this issue is more common in snowy areas), road tar from newly-paved highways and streets can damage your paint. Be sure to wash it off right away.

If you didn’t know boxes, tree sap and grocery bags could ruin your car paint in Visalia, CA and now need help getting your car looking its best again, call or visit Tom’s Body & Paint Inc. today.

Categorised in: Auto Body Paint

This post was written by Writer