When your car’s paint job is nice and shiny, it improves the appearance of the entire vehicle. However, protecting your car’s finish is not only a cosmetic concern. Chips, dings, and cracks to your car’s finish can leave the vehicle body vulnerable to rust and corrosion.

Your car may already have some protection in place if it is less than 20 years old. Automobiles manufactured within the last couple decades have all received a protective clear-coat application at the factory. However, your car is exposed to many more hazards on the road, and sometimes just when sitting idle, that may be more than the factory clear-coat can handle. Here are some extra protective measures you can take to keep your car looking like new.

1. Car Cover

Experts recommend storing your vehicle in a covered structure to protect the paint finish. However, this is not always possible. Sometimes it is necessary to park and store your vehicle in the open air, which leaves it vulnerable to materials like sap, dust, bird droppings, etc. that can harm the finish. A car cover guards against these and other hazards that could harm your paint job.

2. Protective Film

While a car cover can be one of your best defenses against damage to your finish, it does have limitations. Obviously, you cannot use a car cover while driving, and if you have a show car that you haul from place to place, certain car covers can scratch the paint by flapping in the wind while in transit. Paint protection film Virginia is a transparent material applied thermoplastically to the vehicle to prevent damage to the paint without obscuring the vehicle’s beauty.

3. Regular Waxing

There are materials floating around in the environment that are toxic to your paint job if they come in contact with it. Waxing can help prevent these materials from sticking to your car body where they can damage the finish. Waxing also helps to protect against harsh winter weather and the damaging rays from the sun. You can wax your car yourself or ask a professional to handle it. Either way, the recommendation is to have your vehicle waxed every three months. To ensure the most protection, have the wax job done by hand rather than having it applied at an automated car wash.

Despite your best efforts, your car will occasionally come in contact with materials such as tree sap and bird droppings that can damage the finish. You can help protect your paint job by being proactive at removing these as soon as possible.