6 things you should remember when parking in an open space

Owning a four-wheeled vehicle comes with benefits. However, aside from the comfy ride and rain-proof trips, you are entitled to responsibilities if you want to keep your car looking and working well for longer.

One of these responsibilities is a decent parking space which usually requires a roof or weather-proof shade. A car is already an expensive asset and a garage is never a cheap investment. That’s why it’s a good thing that there are other ways that you could protect your car – without the same expense!

Why Do You Need to Protect Your Car

Leaving your car all out in the open exposes it to various types of harmful elements. These can damage the car’s aesthetics or worse, shorten the service parts of some – if not all its parts. Too much exposure to extreme weather conditions can do a lot of harm.

Leaving your car all out in the open exposes it to various types of harmful elements

Two of the leading examples are acid rain and extensive heat. While if you park your car in a place where it may inconvenience other people, passersby may be tempted to scratch the paint or damage your vehicle.

To help you avoid all these possibilities, Philkotse.com gathered the best tested and proven ways that you could protect your car even if you don’t have an all-weather-tolerant garage. Check out which of these tips suits you!

1. Invest in all-weather car cover

It won’t protect your car from hard and solid objects but it would definitely be effective against harsh weather conditions. These are usually made from materials that filter the sun’s harmful rays so it doesn’t damage the paint and wheels of your car.

These are also waterproof so acid rain is prevented from penetrating your car’s surface. If your vehicle has rusted or exposed spots, the need for this type of cover is more crucial.

This is available in various sizes and can be bought depending on the type of vehicle that you have. You need to make sure that you buy an all-weather car cover perfectly fitted for an SUV if that’s what you drive.

This can be bought both in online and offline stores. A pro tip for buying car accessories online is by checking other people’s reviews before buying yours.

All-weather car cover would definitely be effective against harsh weather conditions

2. Give your ride a thorough car care regimen

Washing your car depends on how often you use it and what type of conditions you put it up against. However, asides from washing you may also want to consider having it detailed and waxed.

Detailing includes a thorough cleaning of the car inside and out and this will not only keep your vehicle looking and smelling fresh; this will also remove the small particles of debris and dirt that can potentially cause harm to your vehicle.

If you expose your vehicle to the city streets and air pollution often, you may need to have it washed at least once a week. While if you have an off-road vehicle and you like to take it out into the wild, consider washing it whenever it gets visibly soiled by mud and debris.

Detailing includes a thorough cleaning of the car inside and out

Waxing Tips

Waxing should be done after detailing and not just after you wash the vehicle. Wax builds a protective layer on your car’s surface. This means that plain washing your car may still leave small particles of dirt.

When choosing a wax variant, go for those that have nanotechnology or sealant capabilities. These types of waxes provide superior protection against everyday pollutants and weather elements.

Waxing should be done after detailing and not just after you wash the vehicle

If you can spare a decent amount of cash, you can also consider ceramic coating. This type of protection can last up to 5 years. This way, you won’t have to worry about re-painting and waxing your car every now and then.

3. Don’t park under fruit-bearing trees

Fruit-bearing trees bloom at different times of the year. Always be wary of the tree that you want to park your car under. Fruits like an overripe mango can just fall off its twig and land on your car’s roof. If you’re unlucky enough, a bigger, heavier fruit can land on your windshield, side mirrors or headlights.

Always be wary of the tree that you want to park your car under

4. Protect glass and windshield

Acid rain is known for its invisible process of damaging and aging vehicles. To protect your vehicle’s windshield and glass parts from this, you need to use a water-repellent solution. This can come in many forms and can be applied in different ways. A good brand will also help prevent streak marks as well as acid rain stains.

>>> Check out: 3 useful tips to keep your windshield in its top shape.

5. Protect the interior and upholstery

Taking care of the inside of your car is as important as taking care of its exterior parts. If you want to take care of your precious leather (or non-leather) upholstery, you may need to put up sun-visors whenever you decide to park the vehicle.

You can put it against all the windows and windshields. If you’re short on budget, getting two large visors for the front and rear windshields should be fine.

This will deflect the aging effects of harmful UV rays on your precious upholstery. Furthermore, this will also prevent turning your precious, comfy interior into a cancer-causer environment whenever you take a drive.

UV rays have the capability to breakdown the materials that are most commonly used in vehicle upholstery. Polyurethane plastics are an example of the materials that can be carcinogenic once exposed to UV rays.

You may need to put up sun-visors whenever you decide to park the vehicle

6. Apply protective coating to exterior parts

The exterior parts of your vehicle can become prone to thinning, fading, becoming brittle and turning chalky. Consider using sun protectant on the parts of your car that are most exposed to sunlight. These parts are usually the roof, the spoiler, the doors as well as the windshields and mirrors.

Consider using sun protectant on the parts of your car that are most exposed to sunlight

>>> Let's update: Ceramic Coating in the Philippines: Overview of costs, advantages, process & more.

Choose a good product that can act as a sunscreen for your precious car. A good base for a protectant is silicone lubricant.

You can also try applying silicone lubricant to the walls and sides of your tires to prolong its service life. This will prevent the tires from premature expiration and cracking.