How to Protect Your Car's Paint from Peeling

With the average cost of a mid-level paint job ranging from $1,200 to $3,500, fixing a car's damaged paint isn't cheap. As a car owner, you should take steps to preserve and protect your vehicle's original paint job to avoid such costs.

Hand-Wash Your Car

Rather than running your car through an automated carwash, it's recommended that you hand-wash your car. Many automated carwashes are simply too rough, and using them on a regular basis will wear away at your car's paint. If you hand-wash your car, however, you can clean it more gently to avoid damaging the paint.

Park in a Garage or Shaded Area

Choose your parking spots carefully, as this will also affect the degree to which your car's paint peels. If you park under the sun day after day, the prolonged exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light will damage the paint; thus, increasing the risk of peeling. When possible, try to park in a garage or closed facility. If this isn't an option, choose a parking spot that's shaded from direct sunlight.

Wax Your Car

In addition to hand-washing your car, you should also wax it regularly. An application of wax creates a barrier of protection between your car's paint and the outside elements, protecting it from damage. Paint typically peels as a result of excessive oxidation. A layer of wax, however, slows down this process by significantly reducing the paint's exposure to oxidative elements like moisture and UV light.

Paint Protective Film

You might be surprised to learn that there's a type of product designed specifically to protect automotive paint from damage. These "protective films" are applied over the car's original paint, at which point it protects the paint from damage.

Park Away from Other Cars

One of the most common causes of damaged automotive paint is impact from other car doors in parking lots. You can't watch over your car 24/7, but you can park it in a more secure area. If you park towards the back of the parking lot, for instance, your car is less likely to be damaged by other car doors swinging into it.