Does Your Car's Paint Job Need Some Pampering?
By ARA-Fusion
Published: Thu, Mar 9, 2006

(ARA) - Another change of season is upon us and you know what that means.  Time for a little spring cleaning.  Not just for your house, but your car as well.  Unless it has spent the entire winter snuggled under a clean, dry cover in the garage,  your vehicle is definitely in need of a little T-L-C.

If you live in a northern climate, there are probably a lot of things in your car you won't need come spring.  That dirty snow scraper and leaking bag of gravel in the trunk and the dirty boots and mittens on the floor in the back can go.  

Cleaning the interior will be easy compared to what you have to deal with on the outside.  Your car is so dirty you don't remember what color it is - black, grey or blue.  So much salt has built up at the bottom of your doors, the steel is starting to corrode away.

Cars kept in the climates where snow doesn't fall have had a rough winter of their own.  They've endured daily assaults from  UV radiation,  acid rain,  dirt, and air pollution. Unless you take steps to reverse the damage, your car may need a new paint job, or worse, body work before the end of the year.   So what should you do?

#1 Car wash

If you haven't washed your car in a while, that's a good place to start.  And don't just take a quick run through an automatic car wash either.  Park in the shade and give the underside and fenders a good hosing off to flush any road salt or grime that may have lodged its way into the dark reaches of your vehicle.

Next, hose the roof, doors and bumpers off, then fill a bucket with a quality car washing soap, dip in your sponges, wash mitts or towels and thoroughly soap-down the entire vehicle from the top down. Then wash away the soap and wipe it dry.

#2 Wax your car

Next you're going to want to apply a coat of wax.  With all the dirt and grime your car has come in contact with during the winter months, the wax you put on as recently as a month ago is probably completely gone already.

Just like your lips need balm in the winter, paint needs wax to keep it from drying out.
Rather than putting on another coat of cheap wax that you know will just wear away again in a few weeks, this time, why not put on a coat of 5 Star Shine.  

The patented two-step polish uses PTFE (the same substance that makes nonstick cookware so slippery) that actually bonds to the molecules of your paint for unbeatable shine and protection.  It's so strong, it will last as long as your vehicle does. Log on to www.5starshine.com for an in-depth explanation of how the polish works.

"It only takes an hour to apply a coat on the average vehicle and it's safe on all paints, clear coats and fiberglass gel coats," says company president Glenn Canady.

Your car's paint job isn't the only thing that needs a once-over come spring.  The Car Care Council also recommends you check tires and wiper blades to make sure they're able to handle the coming spring showers.  Thin tire treads create hazardous driving conditions when water builds up on the roadway.  Instead of gripping the road, they tend to hydroplane.  The simplest way to check tire tread depth is with a penny. Insert the penny into the grooves of the tread. If you are able to see all of Lincoln's head, the tire needs replacement.

Rainy weather also affects driver visibility. Because 90 percent of driving decisions depend on good vision, a clean windshield is imperative. Streaking and smearing impair vision and are caused by worn windshield blades. Replacing them is easy and inexpensive.

Copyright © 2006, ARA Content