Updated at: 24-03-2022 - By: Lucas

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How to keep a car out of the sun and rain is a major concern for any automobile owner. Discover the most effective methods for shielding our automobiles from the sun and rain in this post.

The sun, rain, and other elements can damage a car, just like any other machine that is frequently used outside. These elements have an impact on both the performance and aesthetics of our vehicles.

How can we govern Mother Nature if we can’t manage these factors? We can’t and shouldn’t even attempt, so let’s not even waste our time. So, how can we keep our cars in top condition by protecting them from the elements, such as the sun and rain?

Keep reading to learn more about each of these elements.

How Does The Sun Damage a Car?

The sun’s UV rays damage our skin when we don’t wear sunscreen, and the same is true for our cars when they are left out in the sun without any form of protection from the sun.

Wear and tear begins to appear earlier than planned due to UV light exposure on the car’s paint.

Interior components, such as seats and dashboards, are also harmed by direct sunlight exposure. Headlamps, tires, and other rubberized items are all susceptible to this problem.

Cars are more likely to overheat in high temperatures, resulting in significant damage to the engine. We’ll go into more detail about this in a future article.

Factors That Put Your Car at Risk of Sun Damage

Dirt

Remind yourself the next time you think you can get away with not washing your automobile because dirt can speed up UV light destruction of paint molecules.

When an automobile is unclean, impurities accumulate on the surface and eat away at the clear coat or porous material’s surface over time.

UV light penetration and oxidation are both accelerated by the presence of these pollutants in transparent coatings over time.

Bird Droppings and Other Animal Waste Products

protect car from rain

As a result of them, your car is at risk of solar damage as well. An acidic byproduct of animals, such as droppings or tree sap, can accelerate UV radiation damage to paint and other surfaces.

In just a few hours, the uric acid found in bird droppings can begin to eat away at your paint job.

Salt and Road Grime

In addition to this, UV light damage can occur because of additional pollutants. When Sodium Chloride, commonly referred to as salt, is exposed to UV radiation, it can swiftly permeate a protective barrier, resulting in damage.

Tar, gravel, and oil are just a few of the chemical poisons that are found in road filth. These, like dirt, put the car at risk of sun damage.

Color of Car

No matter how strong the UV rays are, some colors fade faster than others, with red being the most sensitive.

Light has a range of wavelengths, and the colors we see are a result of how a material absorbs and reflects these wavelengths.

The chemical bonds in red paint degrade more rapidly than in most other paint colors because the wavelengths associated with red light have the lowest energy of all the visible light wavelengths. In order to appear red, therefore, the paint must absorb considerably more energetic wavelengths.

This, together with the UV light’s effects, facilitates fading. Green and orange are the next most degraded colors after red.

If you don’t want to hear about it, I don’t want to.

How To Protect Your Car From The Sun

Following our discussion of how the sun may harm a car and the various circumstances that put your vehicle at risk, let’s have a look at some tips for keeping your vehicle safe from the sun and rain.

I can assure you that the procedure is simple and uncomplicated.

Park in the shade

Park in the shade

Avoid direct sunlight by choosing a shady spot to leave your

This is the best way to protect your automobile from UV rays, which cause oxidation and damage, and are undetectable. Parking in the shade will protect both the interior and exterior of your vehicle from drying out and cracking.

As a reminder, don’t park your automobile under trees with a high population of birds, as this might lead to more damage to your vehicle.

Wash and Dry your exterior Often

To prevent sun damage to your vehicle, this is the most crucial step. An essential point to keep in mind is that washing the car eliminates nearly half of the risk factors for sun damage.

Make it a habit to wash your car on a regular basis and to also take it to a carwash for a more thorough cleaning every now and then.

Detergents can also harm your paint if you don’t use the correct washing liquids. Learn how to wash a car properly so that the paint can last as long as possible.

Wax Your car

It’s not enough to simply wash your automobile to keep it in good shape. The same goes for waxing, which is just as important. Waxing gives additional layer of protection from UV radiation. You may call it the car’s version of sunblock.

Waxing your car on a regular basis is recommended, but it is entirely up to your discretion how often you do it.

Install a windshield protector

As a result of using this product, your car’s dashboard and other plastic and rubber fittings will be less susceptible to sun damage.

They’re inexpensive and easy to come by.

Use Seat Protectors

Protect leather and fabric seats to a great extent by using seat covers. It is possible that the sun’s rays will fade the leather seats and cause them to fracture, making the automobile appear shabby.

Using seat covers also helps keep the automobile cool during the sweltering summer months.

How Does Rain Damage a Car?

Rain is just as damaging to a car as the sun is. Despite the fact that we’ve learnt that washing our cars can reduce the chance of solar damage, this statement seems a little contradictory.

You can wash your clothes using rainwater. What is the best way to keep a car dry when it starts to rain?

Contaminants in rainwater evaporate, leaving a layer of pollutants on your car paint if you don’t wash it.

The car’s structural integrity isn’t the only thing at risk from the rain’s destructive power. It continues farther, causing harm to the vehicle’s wheels, brake system, and other parts that are vulnerable to corrosion.

Iron is used in these components, and water causes oxidation, which leads to rust. There are various parts of a car that can be severely damaged by rain if it gets into them.

Acid rain is rain that has a high concentration of dissolved acids. Acid rain, like any other acid, can wreak havoc on anything it comes into contact with.

Mold growth and a slew of other issues can occur inside an automobile if it is exposed to rain for an extended period of time. Heavy rains can bring floods, and if your car gets swept away in the water, it might sustain significant damage.

How To Prevent Damage from Rain

Wash and Dry Your car after it rains

Wash and Dry Your car after it rains

The rain had already washed it. However, most people don’t take into account the fact that rainwater contains contaminants, which remain on cars after evaporation. This allows ultraviolet radiation to cause damage to the vehicle.

A clean, suggested car towel can be used to dry the water off your vehicle if you don’t feel like washing it. This gets rid of the contaminants that could harm you.

Invest in a car shield

When you park your car in an office or retail center and cover it with a shield, you may appear to be overdoing it. That’s why the jesters’ automobiles appear older than yours; they don’t care about you.

There are a lot of unsightly car shields on the market, but they are essential for shielding your vehicle from the rain. Affordable as well.

Wax your car

Waxing the car adds an additional layer of protection, as we described earlier. This barrier serves the same purpose whether it’s raining or not.

Park in a garage

Whenever possible, keep your automobile in a garage, especially if you plan to travel or won’t be using it frequently. Sunscreen is also a good idea to keep the vehicle from overheating.

The sun’s heat can damage your tires, and rain can cause metal parts to rust, so always inspect your tires and brake systems.

Keep an eye on the air pressure in your tires at all times. Blowouts, which can be expensive to repair, are caused by a combination of hot pavement and underinflated tires.

Conclusion

You should now have a better understanding of how to protect your automobile from the sun and rain. We can’t control the weather, but we can do our best to protect our vehicle from the sun and rain.

Parking your automobile in a garage is preferable to leaving it out in the open for long periods of time.

When it comes to protecting your car, you don’t need a garage, so don’t worry about it. You can always buy in high-quality car shields.