Helpful Tips for Protecting Your Vehicle's Exterior

If you take pride in your vehicle, you'll want to make sure you're taking some simple precautions to keep its exterior protected from dents, dings, and scratches. Here are six tips for keeping your car's exterior in excellent condition.

Use Correct Washing Materials

If you use any random rag to wash your car, there's a risk that its abrasiveness could cause scratching. It's best to use synthetic microfiber cloths that are designed for just this type of task. You'll also want to only use automotive-specific soap instead of regular household soap.

Avoid Automatic Car Wash

The brushes in automatic car washes are known to accumulate dirt and other debris. If the debris doesn't thoroughly rinse away before you take your car through, it could scratch your paint as the brushes work against your paneling.

Wax Carefully

Before you begin waxing, you'll want to make completely sure that your car's surface is free of debris that could be dragged around and cause scratching.

Park in a Garage

Whenever possible, you'll want to park undercover. This will shelter your vehicle from extreme weather that could potentially cause body damage, such as hail. And during the summertime, parking in a garage will protect your paint job from intense UV rays, which can cause fading.

Park at a Distance from Other Vehicles

It is certainly tempting to snag that parking spot right at the front of the lot. But doing so will likely leave you sandwiched between two other vehicles. Then, when someone from one of those vehicles carelessly opens their door, they could swing it right into your paneling and cause body damage. By parking more toward the back of the lot, it'll be easier to avoid this hazard.

Spot Cleaning Kit

It's smart to keep an on-the-go cleaning kit in your vehicle. This will make it easy for you to quickly clean up messes such as bird droppings, which are corrosive and should be removed as soon as possible.

If you need auto body repair, be sure to bring your vehicle to a reputable shop. For auto body repair in Columbus, OH, visit the experts at Keen's Body Shop. Feel free to give Keen's Body Shop a call today to request a free auto body estimate in Columbus, OH. Or simply use our free online estimate tool!