A Couple Of Tips To Help Keep Your Car Safe From Rust

Posted on: 22 July 2015

A car is a major investment to make, and it is important for you to protect it against many of the routine threats that can cause damage to it. In particular, rust is a problem that can cause both cosmetic and structural problems for your car. While it is possible to repair advanced rust damage, this can be extremely expensive. Fortunately, there are actions you can take to dramatically reduce the chances that the car suffers major rust damage. 

Wash And Inspect Your Car's Exterior Regularly During The Winter Months

Washing your car is important for keeping the exterior looking great, but it also plays a vital role in protecting the car for the formation of rust. This is especially true during the winter months because the de-icing chemicals that are spread on the roads can easily corrode your car's body. These chemicals can be splashed onto your car from passing traffic or from driving through a puddle of melted snow and ice. 

This damage occurs because these chemicals will eat through the paint, and this will allow moisture to start rusting the metal that is underneath it.  When you are washing your car, you need to look for areas of the paint that have already started to suffer damage. If you find areas of the paint that are cracking or peeling, then you will need to use a paint repair kit to patch this damage before it can start to worsen.

Keep The Car Waxed

In addition to washing the car, keeping it waxed can also offer protection against rust. This is because the wax will help to prevent small scratches from forming in the paint. These scratches occur from flying road debris, but the wax will keep the car's paint safe by absorbing much of this impact. 

Generally, you will need to reapply a layer of wax whenever you wash the car because this protective coating will weaken due to exposure to water and intense sunlight. Also, when you are washing and reapplying the wax, you should also be prepared to patch any small scratches or chips that you notice. While the wax will substantially reduce the damage from these impacts, small scratches and chips are unavoidable, but if you repair them as soon as you notice them, you may be able to prevent rust from forming on your car. 

Protecting your car from rust damage is essential if you are wanting to keep your car looking great for many years to come. However, there are some new car owners that are not familiar with what they need to do to for rust protection. By washing the car on a regular basis during the winter months and keeping it waxed, you will be able to avoid some of the more common causes of rust.

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