How To Protect Your Paint This Summer
Want to know how to best protect your car or motorcycle from the harmful effects of the sun this summer?
Whether you drive a car, SUV, motorbike, truck or event a boat, if your paint is not protected, the Aussie sun can have harmful effects.
In this blog, we'll provide some different paint protection options and helpful tips to get your vehicle ready and looking great for summer.
Remove Any Previous Wax or Sealants:
How many coats of wax or polish have you applied to your paint in the past? It is worth removing these previous coatings to make sure the new layer of wax or sealant you are putting on bonds to the paint, its important to start on fresh paint.
Each time we put a new coat of wax or ceramic coating on a vehicle, we always remove any previous coatings using our Clean Strip wash soap. It is a concentrated wash soap that removes past waxes and other sealants from the surfaces, so new coatings, sealants, or wax applications create a strong bond with the surface.
Clean Strip can be used with a traditional hose & bucket or with a pressure washer & foam cannon setup. If using a traditional hose & bucket, we suggest using the two-bucket car wash method.
Directions for use with bucket wash:
1. Add Clean Strip to an empty bucket. Spray a pressurised blast of water to fill the bucket and produce loads of luxurious suds.
2. Wash your car, motorbike, truck, or boat with your normal wash routine.
Directions for use with a foam gun or foam cannon setup:
1. Fill the foam cannon with clean water until almost full. Note if there are any fill lines printed on the bottle.
2. Add Clean Strip into the foam cannon.
3. Attach the foam gun/cannon and use per manufacturer's instructions.
Applying a Wax or Ceramic Sealant
Ceramic protectants (coatings) provide much higher durability than wax and generally last longer. They resist heat, UV rays, environmental contaminants & harsh detergents much better than wax.
Wax on the other hand simply sits on top of the paint’s surface. It does not create the chemical bond like we find with ceramic coatings.
If you want to read more about this, check out our blog here.
How to apply a Ceramic Coating:
This can vary based on the type of coating you’re using. We suggest reading the application instructions thoroughly before applying any brand of ceramic protectant. If you’re using Jay's SiO2-based ceramic coating, Radiant, application is similar to using a detailing spray.
Watch how easy Radiant is to apply in the video below.
How to apply a Wax coating:
If you choose to use wax for your paint-protection needs, we've got some general pointers for best practices. We suggest applying any kind of wax (whether it’s a spray, cream or paste) with an applicator pad.
Learn how to apply Hand Wax in the video below.
How often should you apply a wax or Ceramic Coating?
How often you apply a wax or ceramic coating really depends on the type of driving you do and the punishment your car’s paint endures
Wax:
With wax, a good rule of thumb is once every 4-6 weeks for general-use cars that are parked in a garage or covered.
If you’re headed to a car show or maybe a photo shoot, wax can be an excellent option. It provides a warm glow and depth to your vehicle’s painted surfaces, and will protect for a decent period of time.
Ceramic Coating:
With a layer of our Ceramic Coating Radiant, we typically see 3-5 months of protection before you need to apply it again. Some other ceramic coatings even boast years of paint protection, we'd suggest consulting a detailing professional if you choose this route.
Regardless of which method of paint protection you use, it's important to reiterate that durability will vary depending on your specific storage conditions & the environment your vehicle lives in.
However, if the car is your daily driver, sees lots of time on the road, maybe gets parked outdoors most of the day while you’re at work – you might want to consider switching to a ceramic coating for your protection needs. The ease of use paired with its low maintenance needs make it the clear choice for cars that get driven on a daily basis.
Washing Your Vehicle
Now that you have applied a coat of Wax or a Ceramic Sealant, here are some tips to maintain the new coating and keep it looking great during summer.
- Wash your vehicle regularly
- Do it in the shade.
- Use a ph Neutral Wash Soap (won't affect the new coating)
- Use a Microfibre Wash Mitt
- Use the 2 Bucket Wash Method to prevent swirls & scratches
- Dry your vehicle with a dedicated Drying Towel
Like to learn some more tips about washing your vehicle? check out the video below with Chris from our team at the garage who looks after Jay's collection.
We hope this blog has provided some tips and ideas to help protect your car this summer, as always, if you have any questions, contact us here.
Regards
Jay Leno's Garage Australia