While it may be a welcoming sight to see the rain wash off your car, a rain wash isn’t always as good as it seems. If you let Mother Nature wash your car on a regular basis, know that rain can be harmful to your car paint in the long run.
A Good Rain Washes Your Car
A moderate to heavy rain does wash off dirt, dust and surface things that make your car dirty.
Although your car looks cleaner, what you don’t see are the long-term potential of corrosive damage to your car’s paint. From impurities in the air to minerals contained in rain water, it’s all left behind on your paint after the rain clears up.
The most noticeable thing after a rain wash are the water spots forming beads on your car.
The Negative Effects of Rain for Your Car Paint
It’s not so much the rain that damages the car paint as the water spots left behind. It’s those water spots that hold those corrosive minerals, impurities and pollutants that can cause damage.
Water spots heated by the sun tend to bake into the clear coat of your car’s finish and after a while, become permanently etched in there.
If you don’t wash the water spots off right away, it can cause a breakdown in the clear coat and corrosion to your paint as time goes on. There may also be water spots that appear to be permanently baked into the car finish.
Removing water spots is critical to keep your car’s paint in top condition and lower the odds of any corrosion or damage.
Fixing Water Spots
To eliminate water spots, dry them off as soon as possible after the rain. If you notice spots that have settled into the finish, clean with a vinegar/water solution and gently buff with a microfiber cloth.
If you still notice water spots, it’s possible that damage has already been done to your paint’s clear coat.
In that case, it’s time to call a professional autobody shop and talk to an advisor on further steps or take the car in for an estimate to avoid a more costly solution in the future.
Benefits of a Hand Wash and Wax
There’s no way to avoid keeping your car out of the rain.
A good hand wash and wax go a long way to protect your car from the elements and offset the negative impact water spots can have on your paint.
If water spots have damaged the clear coat on your car and rust or more serious paint damage is right around the corner, in Rohnert Park call the professionals at Downtown Autobody to answer your questions or assess the damage.
