A popular day-trip for many Paphos residents is packing up towels, swimsuits, and beach toys and heading out to the beach. While the beach is fun, it can also end up seriously damaging the paint on your car, leading to damage of the structural body. As Z&X Drivers understands that no one wants their fun beach trip to ruin their car, so we’ve laid out some easy tips to help protect your paint at the beach:
1. Wash Your Car ASAP
Rusting is the main effect the salty sea air has on your vehicle’s paint. When combined with the heat of the sun, the salt can be enough to almost destroy your car’s finish. The sun’s heat opens the pores in the paint, allowing the salt moisture to corrode your car as it sits on the paint. To avoid major rust damage, always wash your car after visiting the beach. This helps remove the salt that has accumulated on the car and reduces the damaging effects.
2. Wax Your Car
If you’re a frequent beach visitor, waxing your car often can help protect it from the salty air. The wax creates a barrier between the salt and your car’s paint, meaning that it’s harder for the surface to scratch or rust. However, be sure to check the kind of wax you are applying on your car, as the effects of different waxes last for different periods of time and need reapplying.
3. Use Sealant
Aside from using wax to protect your car’s paint, sealant is also a useful product for extra protection from the salty air. Many sealant products come in a “spray-on” form, so application is quick and easy. Once you have waxed your car, simply spray the sealant on to enhance the protecting capabilities of the wax. Depending on the sealant you use, results can last from one month to one year.
4. Shake Sand Out Away From Your Car
While it may seem easier to wait until you are ready to load up your car to shake sand out of towels and clothes, it can actually cause abrasive damage to your paint. As you shake sand out of objects, the sand goes flying into the air, and if it is too close to your car, the sand lands and scratches against the paint. To avoid this, make sure you are a good distance away from your vehicle before shaking out any sand. This can help avoid sand being blown into the interior of your car as well.
