Ensuring that your car looks as good as possible is important both for your sense of pride and to retain the value of the car. If your car's exterior is allowed to fall into disrepair, you may find it difficult to get fair value when you are trying to trade or to sell it. Sadly, new car owners are often unaware of some of the basic tips for caring for their vehicle's exterior. To help prevent yourself from encountering these problems, you should use the following two car care tips to keep your auto's paint looking like new.

Regularly Check The Car's Exterior For Tree Sap

Many people will only wash their car when they notice that it is starting to appear dirty and dull. However, going too long between washes can allow tree sap to become baked into the car's paint. If this happens, it can become far more difficult to remove, and it may even start to cause severe damage to the paint. This damage occurs to the paint because acids in the tree sap are released as it breaks down, and these can discolor the paint or cause it to start peeling.

To eliminate this problem, you should inspect your car's exterior for tree sap at least once a week. If you discover some tree sap has gotten on the car, you should use a specially formulated, grease-removing solution that is safe for use on automobiles. Some people may make the mistake of using a standard kitchen grease remover for this task, and these substances are strong enough to actually remove the car's paint.

Only Use Microfiber Cloths When Washing And Drying Your Car

The type of cloth that you use to clean your car is a surprisingly important decision. While you may think nothing of grabbing an old towel from your house, this can pose a threat to your car's paint. The fibers in these towels may be able to scratch the surface of the car's paint. In order to keep your car safe from this type of damage, you should only use microfiber cloths when cleaning your car. These are soft enough to avoid damaging your car, but they are durable enough to withstand the scrubbing needed to remove stubborn grime. While microfiber is more expensive than using old rags, it can save your paint from damage that may require expensive repairs to address.

Your car's exterior is the first thing that people will notice about your vehicle. However, many people are poorly informed about the steps necessary for properly caring for their car's exterior. To make sure that your car makes the best impression possible, these two tips will help you to avoid some maintenance oversights that can severely compromise the appearance of your vehicle.

For auto body and paint work, contact a company such as Space Age Auto Paint Store.