Looking After Your New Car Paint Job
Whether you’ve done it yourself or you’ve used the specialist services of a professional body shop garage, either way you will need to look after your car following a new paint job!
The most important bit of advice we need to give you is that you can’t just treat your brand new paint job with generic, non-specialist products and expect good results.
To ensure you maintain a gleaming and protected surface, here are some key tips from the team at IPS Paint Supplies.
Washing Your Car After a Paint Job
You will of course need to clean your car regularly but you should avoid drive-through car washes or even jet washes from your local petrol station. Although these options can be effective in terms of cleaning, they are most definitely not gentle.
You can still use hand washing services which seem to pop up all over the place these days. However, before putting your newly painted car in the hands of these cleaners, you should ask to see what products they are using first and check that they are suitable for use on exterior paintwork. You should also make sure they are using non-abrasive cloths and sponges.
Ideally, you should wash your freshly painted vehicle yourself using cleaning products made specifically for cars. Look for wording on the packaging that says it won’t damage paint and ideally use a product which specifically states that it can protect the paint on the exterior of your vehicle.
You should avoid using regular household cleaning products on your car like washing up liquid. This isn’t a good idea as these household products are designed to break down grease, which means it can also break down your car wax and dry out plastic mouldings.
Waxing Your Car
Along with a high-quality soap product, you should also invest in a conditioner and a wax. Paint conditioners deliver a coating of extra minerals to the paint while waxing seals all the good in and all the bad out.
The way you apply your wax polish matters as much as the quality of the product.
Firstly read the directions carefully on the packaging as each brand can have slightly different instructions according to their properties. Before applying the wax, make sure the surfaces are completely dry by using a microfibre cloth to wipe down the vehicle. Once you’re sure that the surface is dry, apply the was using whatever cloth or material the manufacturer suggests.
And don’t forget about places where cars gather the most dirt, like around wheel terminals and the bumper.
Cleaning Your Tyres
Similarly you need to take care when cleaning your tyres. We recommend that you use a non-acidic cleaner because when the tyre gets wet and the product comes off, it can mist or splat particles of the cleaner onto your paint. This would be like putting corrosive fluid right onto your brand new paint job, every time it rains or you hit a puddle.
Protecting Your Freshly Painted Car
When you’re out driving, you can’t avoid your vehicle getting covered with bugs, mud, dust, rain and grease. However, when your newly painted car is parked at home, you should do everything you can to protect it. If you can, park your car in a garage or under a car port to protect it from adverse weather, bird droppings or falling leaves.
If you don’t have a garage or car part, you should invest in a canvas car cover. They can be a bit of a pain to take on and off but this is better than finding bird droppings soaked into your new paint!
Spot Treating
Freshly painted cars can be subject to dirt spots, particularly if the car is clocking up the miles. We recommend that you keep a small cleaning kit in your car and if you find a new dirt spot on the vehicle you can treat the area immediately. This will extend the amount of time between washes and makes sure spotted areas are dealt with efficiently.
Look After the Inside Too
You’ve spent all that money getting the outside of your car cleaned, so why wouldn’t you look after the inside too. If you’re constantly shepherding the children to and from school or other activities, keep a small trash can in your car and make it a point to always take your trash out when you get home.
The less rubbish or junk in your car, the easier it is to clean and you won’t be put off each time by having to clear up the mess before even starting!
IPS Paint Supplies
At IPS Paint Supplies we stock a huge range of car cleaning and valeting products, all of which are designed specifically for the auto-repair industry including Nielsen Chemicals, 3M and Roar polishes. To find out more, visit our website https://www.ipspaint.co.uk/valeting/ or call us today on the number below:
