Proper Car Care Includes Rust Protection and Treatment

Whether it is salt and snow, salty ocean air, industrial fallout and acid rain, rock chips, road debris, etc... There are many different elements of nature that exist everywhere and will do harm and weaken your car's finish and allow rust to start. The metal on your car is mostly protected by a very thin coating of paint and primer. Rust is caused by a loss in electrons of the metal and can occur as soon as the thin paint coating is jeopardized. First, to prevent rust it is best to protect your paint. Proper car care will not only protect, but strengthen the paint. A good cleaning and waxing regimen once every two months has been proven by AAA to greatly reduce the occurrence of rust. Regular cleaning will remove contaminates that will weaken or even etch into the paint. To properly apply car wax or car polish you apply it one section at a time and allow to dry to a haze. Then you buff it off and repeat 2 - 3 times for maximum protection. People who regularly use car wax or car polish in their car care routine have a much lower incidence of rust. If you notice a scratch or chip, nick that goes through the paint make sure you treat it properly. Get matching touchup paint by using the paint code inside your door jamb (most auto parts stores and dealers will have this matching paint or can get it for you). You will only need a small 1 oz. bottle for most scratches. Being that we are spending this much on our cars we need to take a renewed look at car care and treatments that will increase the longevity of these major investments. Sadly, many people neglect their cars and there is little, if any, car care done. Rust can happen anywhere in America (it isn't just a problem for northerners). It is also easy to prevent with a little proper car care. Everyone hates rust and complains about it, but when you look at their cars, little if anything is ever done to stop or prevent it. As evidenced in clinical studies and research by the big 3 auto manufacturers, its not a question of if.