Spring has sprung and so has the massive amount of pollen that comes with blooming flowers, growing plants and trees. Most people know that pollen causes allergies to flare up, but pollen can actually also cause a lot of damage to the interior and exterior of your car.
Pollen has high acidity that can erode paint when left on the surface. It can start wearing your car’s paint in a short amount of time and also cause stains as well. This means that a small amount of pollen can cause a large amount of damage to your paint job, but there are ways to make sure your car will look great for a long time to come. Here are some tips to protect your car from that pesky pollen in the air.
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Tip #1: Wash Your Car
This is the easiest step in making sure pollen doesn’t stay on your car and start oxidizing the paint job. Taking your car to the local wash for a good scrub or doing it yourself in your driveway is a great way to get the granules off.
Make sure to really get all the pollen off so it doesn’t come inside the car when with you as well. Expect to have to wash your car a little more often in the springtime months.
Tip #2: Protect Your Car with Wax
This is a great way to seal your car’s paint job for overall protection from pollen. It also will keep you from washing your car over and over again, though still be vigilant about rinsing off any buildup of pollen. Wax not only makes your car look extra shiny, but it keeps pollen from sticking to the paint job, which is when the damage can start occurring.
Tip #3: Check and/or Replace Your Cabin Air Filter
Your car’s cabin air filter is a multi-fiber filter made of cotton or other materials that filters the outside air and traps contaminants before they can get into the cabin.
Allergies can be a huge pain and a lot of people forget that allergens like pollen can flow into your car via the air ducts. Regularly changing your cabin air filter in your car will help keep you from sneezing through your entire spring drive.
Car experts say to replace your air filter every 30,000 miles, but if your allergies start to flare up or you notice a smell, you should replace it as soon as possible. When you replace the filter, you’ll notice an immediate difference and it will also help with the efficiency of defrosting, heating and cooling systems as well!
Tip #4: Check and/or Replace Engine Filter
The engine filter in your car works a lot like a cabin air filter, but instead of filtering cabin air, it protects your engine from pollen and other contaminants by filtering the air entering the engine.
If you don’t replace the filter as recommended, it can clog. A clogged engine filter can cause the engine to work harder than it should and this can lead to a loss of power, the check engine light coming on or even engine failure if it gets bad enough. It is best to replace these every 15,000 miles, but if pollen is building up on your car, it is recommended to check it once or twice between replacements.
Tip #5: Keep Your Wiper Blades Clean
Pollen can build up under your wiper blades after every wash leading to a hard to clean of paste that you can inadvertently spread across your windshield.
To avoid this, make sure to clean your wiper blades off every week or so by lifting them up and hosing them off or using a rag to get the pollen off. This way you can avoid a longer clean up with the pollen paste.
Your car’s upkeep is of the utmost importance and with these few easy tips, you can make sure your car’s paint job looks fresh and damage free. Pollen shouldn’t keep you from enjoying your day inside or outside of your vehicle. By simply replacing a filter or washing your car, you can avoid major damage down the road. You can also seek the help of experts if you have damage that is beyond your control.
Protect Your Investment
Despite all your efforts to protect your investment, dents are sometimes simply out of your control. Don’t worry — at JM Dent Repair, we know how much it means to you to get your car looking new again, and that’s why we’re trusted in the Lafayette area for affordable paintless dent repair.
Paintless dent repair eliminates the worry of a color mismatch or uneven fading and preserves your vehicle’s appearance and resale value. If you’re driving a leased vehicle, it also helps you avoid expensive “wear and tear charges” on your lease return. Contact us for a quote and see why we’re the best around.