Your car takes a lot of abuse, whether you’re out driving or just sitting idle in a parking lot; anything can unexpectedly happen to spoil the look or performance of your car. Finding the best ways to preserve the look of your car is a must if you want it to look as nice as possible for as long as it can. Think about what your vehicle is exposed to every day and determine the likelihood of those factors ruining your car.
Choose Your Parking Spots Wisely
If you have to run inside the supermarket to pick up a few things, you have no idea what’s going on in the parking lot after you walk through the door—Someone can sideswipe your car attempting to pull in or out of a space, or a rouge cart can be blown into your front bumper. With the number of people passing through and so many factors at play, you could come back to a few new dings and scratches.
Plan Where You Park
Avoid getting too close to cart corrals; you never know when someone will get lazy and leave their cart next to the corral instead of in it. Be wary of parking too close to other vehicles as well; you can’t tell who swings their door open wide to get in or out. Find a secluded parking space that is distant from any potential dangers.
Apply Protective Coating
Even taking some precautions to eliminate getting scratches might not always work; scratches are an inevitable part of life that you’ll have to deal with. For those occasions, you’ll need to invest in some measures to mitigate the damage when it can’t be avoided. Applying a layer of coating to your car comes with several benefits beyond protecting from scratches, but it is the best way to absorb damage from superficial damages.
Drive Your Car Less Often
The most likely place your car will sustain damage is when it’s out and about on the road. Whether driving down the highway, taking a secluded back road, or parking along a city street, the possibility of your car getting damaged always exists.
Find Alternatives
While not using your car is a significant inconvenience, you can find some alternative that you can utilize some of the time. Whether it’s taking the train to get to the city or walking to a nearby grocery store to pick up a few things, there are many small things you can do to avoid driving. Multiple minor errands that can be accomplished around town can usually be done by either walking or riding a bike.
Be Aware of Potential Dangers
To best preserve the look of your car, you need to acknowledge that damage can happen anywhere. You need to assess the potential risks of going somewhere, whether it’s a specific location, certain roads, or hazardous weather. Know what you’re driving into, and make sure you have the right tools to either mitigate damage or eliminate it entirely.