How to easily protect your car from adverse weather conditions

Your car is probably one of your most valuable possessions. For it to stay in tip-top shape and give you a better service for longer, proper maintenance is not optional. Harsh weather is among the various factors affecting a car’s lifetime. Fluctuating temperatures, hailstorms, moisture, sun damage and frost can all degrade your car’s exterior appearance, affect its inner workings and damage interior trim. To minimize your trips to the auto repair shop and keep your car looking sassy, it’s best to invest in ways to protect it from weather damage.

Check the weather before driving

If you spend a lot of time on the road with your car, it will be exposed to the elements more frequently while running your errands. Some people will avoid driving their car in the rain – you often hear this for imported American classics, where it never having been driven in the rain is a selling point. Some areas are prone to more flooding, more debris and a dirtier road during and after rain, and you can avoid these places if you know where they are.

Along with sun damage, rainwater is the most common element that leads to slow degradation. You can invest in waterproof treatments for your car. The scratches in the metal work and tears in the rubber seals make your vehicle more prone to rain damage. Using rain repellent on your windscreen will help your wipers disperse water and dirt much more effectively while driving so that you can see more clearly. As Will from Detail DIY explains, the best windshield rain repellent will last longer than most standard options on the market. Windscreen rain repellent is easy to apply and allows the water to bead away easily once it hits your windscreen. It also minimizes the need to use the wipers while driving in the rain.

Other things you can do to protect your car from rain damage when driving include:

• Keep your wiper blades in tip-top shape
• Drive slower in bad conditions
• Avoid areas of the road where you can’t see the surface as water could be hiding potholes that damage your wheels or tyres.

Park in a covered area

Another crucial way to keep your car protected from damage by the elements is to park in a shaded or covered area. It minimizes the beating your car takes in severe weather while not in motion. For instance, parking your car in the garage can help protect its exterior from the wind, hail, rain, ice, humidity, cold, and soaring temperature damage, which may cause the paint’s clear coat to fail and peel, exposing the paint underneath which then begins to look dull and faded. It also helps keep the engine in good shape by minimising the temperature range and avoiding fluids freezing in the pipes in cold weather.

If you don’t have a garage, you can alternatively invest in a carport to provide protection from overhead elements such as dust, debris, ice, snow, and rainwater. Carports are a cheaper alternative to building a garage. Apart from these, you can also invest in a hail blanket to protect your car from storm damage, park in the shade, or simply use a windshield sunshade to keep the interior of your car protected from sun damage.

Clean it regularly

Last but not least, washing your car regularly will go a long way in protecting its exterior appearance. It helps keep the paint job intact and prevents the formation of rust. To keep it looking sharp, wash your car once or twice a month, depending on how much driving you do, and use a good quality car wax regularly.

Protecting your car from weather damage is one of your biggest responsibilities. The above are just a few ways you can ensure your car serves you for longer despite the various threats from adverse weather conditions.