Why Cars Diminish In Appearance
Your new or used vehicle has been diminishing in appearance after leaving the
dealership lot simply because it’s appearance has not been maintained properly.
The vehicle probably hasn’t been washed properly (maybe it was taken to the
dreaded car wash), it’s rubber trim hasn’t been treated to UV protectants, or the
dealership wax/glaze job you got when you bought your vehicle (which hides all of
the paint’s defects) has rinsed away by rain showers, leaving the paint naked to
reveal all of its defects and prone to paint contamination and water spot
formation. Paint swirls and contamination are the most common culprits to a
vehicle’s diminished appearance.
Your new or used vehicle has been diminishing in appearance after leaving the
dealership lot simply because it’s appearance has not been maintained properly.
The vehicle probably hasn’t been washed properly (maybe it was taken to the
dreaded car wash), it’s rubber trim hasn’t been treated to UV protectants, or the
dealership wax/glaze job you got when you bought your vehicle (which hides all of
the paint’s defects) has rinsed away by rain showers, leaving the paint naked to
reveal all of its defects and prone to paint contamination and water spot
formation. Paint swirls and contamination are the most common culprits to a
vehicle’s diminished appearance.
Paint Swirls
Any form of scratch on your paint, whether
micro-fine (swirls) or deep (scratch down to
the primer) is caused by a foreign solid
object getting in contact with your paint and
being dragged across the surface. To
prevent this from occurring, one needs to
minimize the amount of foreign matter
touching your paint. Paint swirls are
especially noticeable on darker-colored
vehicles, especially black. Heavy swirls can
make a black car look a faded gray!
When washing a vehicle, a thorough rinse is
a must to remove the initial layer of dirt on
the paint. Using a quality, lubricating car
wash soap will help encapsulate dirt
particles so they do not touch the surface of
your vehicle. Your wash mitt should also be
made of a high-quality microfiber or chenille
“flagellum” strands to ensure dirt is trapped
inside the weave. Using a sponge is bad
because it leaves dirt on the surface of the
sponge, giving it the greatest probability of
scratching your paint. When drying your
vehicle, you should use an electric powered
leaf blower to remove the majority of water
from the vehicle, and then gently dry the
remaining water from the vehicle using high-
quality microfiber towels.
Paint Contamination
Beyond washing, your vehicle should always
have some sort of protection on your paint,
windows, and wheels to ensure no foreign
contamination embeds itself into the
surface. Even new cars, which have been
sitting on the shipping dock exposed to the
harsh seas or on a dealer lot for extended
periods of time can be heavily
contaminated. It’s actually very common.
Any form of scratch on your paint, whether
micro-fine (swirls) or deep (scratch down to
the primer) is caused by a foreign solid
object getting in contact with your paint and
being dragged across the surface. To
prevent this from occurring, one needs to
minimize the amount of foreign matter
touching your paint. Paint swirls are
especially noticeable on darker-colored
vehicles, especially black. Heavy swirls can
make a black car look a faded gray!
When washing a vehicle, a thorough rinse is
a must to remove the initial layer of dirt on
the paint. Using a quality, lubricating car
wash soap will help encapsulate dirt
particles so they do not touch the surface of
your vehicle. Your wash mitt should also be
made of a high-quality microfiber or chenille
“flagellum” strands to ensure dirt is trapped
inside the weave. Using a sponge is bad
because it leaves dirt on the surface of the
sponge, giving it the greatest probability of
scratching your paint. When drying your
vehicle, you should use an electric powered
leaf blower to remove the majority of water
from the vehicle, and then gently dry the
remaining water from the vehicle using high-
quality microfiber towels.
Paint Contamination
Beyond washing, your vehicle should always
have some sort of protection on your paint,
windows, and wheels to ensure no foreign
contamination embeds itself into the
surface. Even new cars, which have been
sitting on the shipping dock exposed to the
harsh seas or on a dealer lot for extended
periods of time can be heavily
contaminated. It’s actually very common.
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Go to your car and run your finger gently on a clean section of the paint. Is it silky smooth or is it rough like
sandpaper? That roughness is foreign contamination, which includes dirt that has been sitting on your paint
for extended periods of time, bird bombs that hit your car from above, tree sap, tar, air pollution, oil, grease,
and dead insects. Without a dedicated and durable wax or sealant to resist these foreign particles from
contaminating your paint, your paint is left exposed to attack. Paint that has lost its metallic flake shimmer
is probably heavily contaminated as well. This is because there is a layer of dirt within the clearcoat that is
hiding the true color of vehicle. But don’t worry; paint contamination can be removed through the use of a
clay barring service. Read more about the importance of clay barring your paint.
sandpaper? That roughness is foreign contamination, which includes dirt that has been sitting on your paint
for extended periods of time, bird bombs that hit your car from above, tree sap, tar, air pollution, oil, grease,
and dead insects. Without a dedicated and durable wax or sealant to resist these foreign particles from
contaminating your paint, your paint is left exposed to attack. Paint that has lost its metallic flake shimmer
is probably heavily contaminated as well. This is because there is a layer of dirt within the clearcoat that is
hiding the true color of vehicle. But don’t worry; paint contamination can be removed through the use of a
clay barring service. Read more about the importance of clay barring your paint.
