10 Things That Can Cause Car Paint Damage

We all know that keeping a car in the garage or beneath a good-quality car cover is the ticket to a gorgeously preserved paint job. But why? Exposure to even seemingly harmless environmental factors, like sunlight and bugs, can corrode and break down the paint on your vehicle. Though different types of car paint react differently, the following list includes some surefire paint-ruiners that you want to look out for.

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1. Sunlight. We all know that the ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun can take a toll on our skin and our belongings. Even relatively durable things, like our cars, are not immune. Sunlight breaks down the chemical bonds in your car paint and finish, which, in turn, causes the color to fade and the shine to dwindle.
2. Bird Droppings. Besides being gross, unsightly, and impossible to wash off your car, bird droppings are also terrible for a nice paint job. Interestingly, since birds don’t produce urine, uric acid is eliminated via their white, pasty droppings. Unfortunately, acid is a guaranteed way to deteriorate all sorts of paint.

1. Acid Rain. Speaking of acid … it’s also in the rain that falls from the sky. Acid rain is caused by the burning of fossil fuels as well as emissions from natural sources, such as volcanoes. And since it has the ability to quite literally eat away at paint, it’s not good for your car. Acid rain does extra damage when it mixes with sunlight and heat, which is why using a weatherproof car cover is so important.
2. Bugs. We all know about the dreaded dead bug splatter on the windshield, but bugs are annoying to motorists for another key reason—they can mess up their paint jobs. Insects, like birds, emit fluids that are highly acidic. They may also contain fluids that can stain the surface of your car, including blood.
3. Tree Sap. If you’ve ever gotten tree sap on your hands or clothes, you already know why this stuff is a no-no for your car paint. Simply put, sap is super sticky, which makes it difficult to remove. When sap settles on the surface of your car, it quickly hardens, requiring it to be scraped off, which can scratch or abrade the paint job and the surfaces beneath it.
4. Pollen. Have you ever parked your car beneath a tree in the spring? You may have had to deal with a layer of stubborn yellow-green dust blanketing the paint and windows. When it’s allowed to sit for long periods of time, tree pollen can scratch the surface of your car and, since it’s highly acidic, erode away the paint.

1. Road Salt. Those of us who live in snowy climates know that road salt is the enemy of a good paint job. Though it helps keep the roads safe, it causes corrosion and rust acceleration. Rust is caused by a chemical reaction between three things: the iron in your car’s metal parts, oxygen, and water. Road salt contains free radical ions, which speed up the process of rusting.
2. Household Items. Sure, exposure to the outdoors can clearly do a number on the beauty of your ride, but what about the stuff inside your house? Indeed, anything made with harsh or acidic chemicals can wreck the surface of your car, including seemingly safe things like shaving cream, Silly String, coffee, soda, nail polish remover, bleach, mustard, and shoe polish.
3. Car Fluids. It seems counterintuitive, but the fluids under the hood can cause significant damage to your car’s exterior. One common culprit is brake fluid and other kinds of hydraulic fluid. Unlike other types of car oils, brake fluid contains harsh, acidic ingredients, which can erode away the finish.
4. Gasoline. Yep, even the stuff that was literally made to go in your car can ruin it! Overflow, drops, or spills at the gas pump can leave serious stains that are nearly impossible to get rid of. That’s why you should never “top off” your tank. You risk dripping excess oil onto your car’s body paint.

As you can see, even the most seemingly innocuous environmental factors can erode, corrode, and melt away your vehicle’s paint. But, as long as you keep your car covered when it’s not in use and stay on a regular maintenance schedule, you can count on keeping your paint job looking shiny and new for years to come.