Winter brings harsh conditions that can take a toll on your vehicle’s exterior. Uncover the ways cold weather, road salt, and ice can damage your car’s paint.
Winter’s here in full force, whether we like it or not. While the winter comes with some pleasant things, like cozy nights, warm drinks, and holidays, it also comes with not-so-great things, like the harsh, brumal weather—which can have serious affects on the condition of your car.
It’s common knowledge that low temperatures can knock out a car’s battery, and that hail can dent hoods and break windshields. But did you know the weather can also damage the exterior of a vehicle? Here are a few ways winter conditions wear down a car’s paint job and what you can do to prevent peeling, fading, and scratching this season.
Ice Scrapers Can Scratch
You wake up for work, head outside, and find your entire car encased in a thin layer of ice. You grab your trusty ice scraper and go to town. What you might not realize is that as you scrape away, you can also scrape off your car’s paint. Any dirt or debris frozen to the surface gets dragged along by the scraper, which creates scratches in the clear coat. A less damaging way to clear the ice is to use a defroster to melt it before you wipe it away.
Salt Leads to Rust
Cities use road salt to melt ice and snow on the streets, but that salty slush splashes onto your car as you drive. This salt corrodes the metal parts of your vehicle, especially the undercarriage, which leads to rust. A winter wax and detail can be beneficial if you want to protect your car’s paint against road salt and the lower-body rust it causes. The wax coats your car’s exterior, which provides a protective barrier against corrosive materials.
Snow Causes Moisture Damage
A blanket of snow might look harmless, but it holds a lot of moisture. When snow sits on your car for extended periods, the moisture seeps into tiny cracks in the paint. This can lead to bubbling, peeling, and even rust over time. Due to this, you should brush snow off your car as soon as you can, instead of letting it melt on its own.
The Sun is Still a Threat
Even on a cold, cloudy winter day, ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun can still reach your car. These rays break down the clear coat that protects your car’s paint. Without this coat, the paint becomes vulnerable to fading, peeling, and damage from environmental elements. You can park your car in a garage or use a car cover to shield it from UV exposure.
Keep Your Car’s Paint Fresh
These are a few of the ways winter weather can negatively impact your car’s paint job. The good news is that there are steps you can take to minimize or outright prevent these types of damage. Keep your car inside when you’re not using it, set it up with a protective wax, and clear snow and ice off of it as soon as you can to keep its exterior looking pristine!
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