Even if you are enjoying summer, I am sure your car’s paint job is suffering from repeated exposure TO intense sun and rain. There are some signs as to whether or not the paint on your car can be redeemed. In some cases there are ways to reverse the damage if you have been a victim to a faded paint job. Once you have either restored the original paint job with some polish and elbow grease or just repainted your car you should take the precautions to prevent damage in the future.

First step to take, when attempting to redeem the luster of your paint, is to determine if it can be saved. If your paint is peeling and rusted – you have reached a point in the damage that cannot be fixed. If you have noticed that your paint is starting to look white and the finish looks matte then you just have some built up oxidization which can be taken care of with some work. This can be done with some polishing compound and a non-abrasive cloth. In order to be sure it will not cause more harm than good – it is always important to start out on an inconspicuous location in case something goes wrong. When you try a small spot, say, under part of a bumper you can be sure the polishing and rubbing will be effective and that it is the right step to take. If when rubbing the polish on the paint you see some color come back – you can be sure oxidization build up was your problem. You should continue this over the entire surface of your vehicle then give your car a wax. After you have done all this work to restore the luster and shine of your car’s paint it is very important to prevent this from happening again.

If you do not have a garage or car port, you next best solution is to get a car cover to prevent the buildup caused by rain and snow from happening again. There are things to consider when you are looking for a car cover you will need to make sure the cover is made of breathable material. This feature of breathability will ensure that your car will not trap moisture to speed up the process of oxidization buildup. If you were unable to clean your vehicle’s paint with some polish and were forced for get a new paint job there are some things you need to know. First make sure you get a clear coat painted on top of the color you choose for an extra barrier from sun and weather. Next you have to let the paint cure before every putting a car cover on your newly finished car. If you do not wait for the paint to cure, any kind of friction against the paint can cause micro-scratches, even when you purchase non-abrasive car covers.

If your car has already developed a layer of oxidization from leaving it outside, it can always be redeemed and then maintained to prevent it from happening again. Paint maintenance is simple – install a car cover or truck cover when you are not driving your car.

Jack Labens works for Empire Covers, a leading provider of car covers and accessories such as motorcycle covers and Chevy truck covers. Empire Covers can be found online at: EmpireCovers.com or at their blog EmpireCovers-Blog.com.