Keep Your Car's New Paint Job Looking Fresh and New

You want your car to look good. A new paint job is one way to make sure that your car looks as good as new for a long as possible. You want to make sure that you keep that paint job looking like you just left the shop for a good long time. You can do that easily with just a few simple care tips.

Let the Paint Cure

The paint is going to need to have time to fully cure. The paint shop will make sure the paint is dry and set before the car leaves, but it takes days to weeks for the gases to off-gas and everything to settle into place. While that happens, you should not wash or wax the car. If you get messy stuff on the paint during that time, rinse it off with a hose, and use a very soft cloth to dry it.

Follow these tips:

• Washing: Ideally, you should wait about two weeks to wash your car, and when you do wash it, make sure you are being as careful as possible.
• Waxing: When you wax your car, it protects the paint job and keeps it looking new. Before you wax, you should wait about six weeks. That will allow all the gasses to have left the paint, and nothing will get trapped in between the wax and the paint.

Just be careful as you wash your paint job, and you’ll keep it looking nice.

Wash the Car Carefully

You should wash your car regularly. Ideally, your goal is weekly, but that can't always happen. When you do wash your car, you want to make sure that you are doing it carefully and doing it right. You don't want to cause any damage when you are washing it.

Handwashing

If handwashing your car an option, you should follow a few simple steps to make sure you are doing it correctly.

• Don't use dishwashing detergent: While you might think that dishwashing detergent is an easy way to get your car clean, it can actually dull your finish and damage your paint.
• Work from the top down: You want to work from the top down. That way you won't be pushing dirt onto the already clean sections of your car.
• Work in small sections: Ideally, you want to work in small sections at a time. For example, work on the front quarter panel, by washing it with a soft cloth or brush, rinsing it well, and then drying it with a soft cloth. Then move onto a door. It may take a little time, but it will let you get the job done thoroughly.

Automatic Car Wash

Not everyone has the time or desire to handwash their car weekly. An automatic car wash is another good way to make sure your care gets clean. If you do that, you still want to make sure you are being careful.

• Check out the car wash: Since dirty brushes and cloths can act like sandpaper and create damage, you want to make sure that the car wash is in good shape. Take a quick look around to make sure it looks nice and neat. If it has a lot of customers, that's also a good sign.
• Consider a prewash solution: Before you take your car to the car wash, you might want to put a prewash solution on it. That will help break down all the dirt, grease, and oil, and make it easier for the car wash to do its job.

Bring your car down to Olson's Auto Bodyfor your new paint job. Our skilled technicians will make sure that your car leaves our shop looking like it just rolled off the assembly line. We will also give you more care tips for your new paint job.