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Maintaining an automobile is good hard work. A lot of things come into consideration to make sure your car functions well but also looks fantastic, despite using it daily. The upkeep of getting the appearance of your car pretty, shiny, and smooth starts by knowing how you can preserve its paint.
Read more below about which are the best car paint protection you can avail for your vehicle.
1. Wax
One of the most common types of car paint protection is wax. Many car owners want their car shiny and sparkling, and waxes help them achieve that. Layering wax on automobiles gives them a shiny, sleek finish.
Car waxes also help in protecting your car paint against dust and stains. Their effects can last within two to four months on average.
But this longevity will depend on the duration of your car’s exposure to the elements. Not only that, but also in their maintenance, and which type of wax you used. There are three types of waxes: traditional paste waxes, carnauba-based wax, and cleaner waxes.
Traditional paste waxes are hard wax substances and are challenging to put on and remove. They also provide a short period of shine.
Carnauba-based wax comes from the leaves of a Brazilian palm tree and often mixed with beeswax and natural oils. It’s malleable, pricier than other waxes, and doesn’t last on hot days.
Cleaner waxes are one-step products known for their good polishing capability. It works as the best base for other protection.
Another significant downside of wax is its inability to offer the best car paint protection coating from chemicals and other scratches. They’re also quick to remove by using detergent.
2. Sealant
Sealants are synthetic products that protect the car paint as well as enhancing the paint’s glossiness. Unlike waxes, they’re heat resistant and more durable.
Car paint sealants also bond with the paint surface. This gives longer protection from three to six months at most. This will still depend on the frequency of your car washes, the chemicals in the sealants you used, and other maintenance factors, like where you park your car.
This type of car paint protection is great for car owners who want to shield their automobile’s paint from tree sap, and the sun’s UV rays. If you park your car outside with the elements for long periods of the day, sealants are the best way to protect car paint.
There are two main types of sealants: acrylic-based sealants and polymer-based sealants. Acrylic-based sealants are easier to apply and are more durable, but they give a lesser shiny finish. Polymer-based sealant gives a beautiful and deeper shine but is less resilient.
It’s also better to note that like wax, you can remove car paint sealants fast using detergent.
3. Paint Protection Film
One of the popular types of car paint protection available in the market is paint protection films (PPFs). They are a thin, transparent vinyl product you install on your vehicle’s surface.
Made from thermoplastic urethane, PPFs are the most resistant among all types of protection. But, they’re only applied to certain areas of your car.
These areas are the regions of your car that are most likely to get hit by rock chips or more exposed to abrasions and scuffs.
Paint protection films are also called “clear bra” and often chosen as the best way to protect new car paint, especially for brand new cars. This is because it can take years to do its job of protecting your vehicle’s paint.
But, if you do not pamper your car often, PPFs can reduce the shine of your vehicle.
4. Ceramic Coating
Ceramic coatings are another great option for your car paint’s security. The popularity of ceramic coating comes from its hydrophobic surface. This prevents neither dust nor water from sticking to your car’s surface.
Unlike waxes and sealants, they provide two to four years on average of protection on your paint job. But it can do its job longer if given proper care and maintenance.
Using nanotechnology in its creation, the ceramic coating makes a clear coat of adhesive that offers permanent adhesion to the paint. Once the coat hardens, it makes a thin layer of tough glass.
This gives your vehicle’s surface a smooth, clear, and shiny finish. Aside from that, they’re not easy to remove and unaffected by chemicals.
5. Other Things to Consider for Your Car’s Paint Protection
Aside from considering coatings for safeguarding your car’s paint, there are other ways you can avail of the best car paint protection. Although protective coatings give great shields, they’re a bit heavy in the pocket if you don’t maintain your car well enough.
Here are some of the things you also need to consider.
Wash and Clean Your Car Often
Even if this is one of the most common things, you’re aware of, the way you and the products you use to wash your car are big factors in maintaining its paint.
Using any dish detergent in your car can give severe damage to its paint. Buy high-quality cleaner chemicals and use them with a foam applicator instead. Washing your car often also reduces the impact of the sun’s ultra-violet rays that destroys your car’s paint.
Hand Dry the Exterior
When you’re washing your car, you expose it for a long time. The effects of the weather and other external elements can dull out the vehicle’s paint.
It is important that after washing your car, you hand dry it. This is so the chemicals in the water do not mix up with the sun’s rays. It’s also best to use a cotton rag to dry your car.
Car Covers
The easiest and simplest way to protect your car’s paint is by covering your vehicle with a car cover. Having a good-quality car cover can not only help you protect the paint and the engines of your automobile but also limit its exposure to the sun.
Nonetheless, using car covers alone is not the best way. Giving it regular washes and polishes every six months will help you maintain the shiny color of your vehicle.
The Five Best Car Paint Protection Options You Need to Know
Waxes, sealants, PPFs, ceramic coating, and even simple car covers are great options for your car paint’s security. However, knowing how to keep maintaining and washing your car are also big factors to keep your paint from dulling out or getting damaged.
Want to know more about the best car paint protection? Check more of our blog posts for content that excites and informs you.