Paint
Care
Why Do I Need to Take Special Steps to Protect My Paint Post Repair?
Paint must be cured to offer a hard protective surface that does not scratch, chip,
or peel easily. There is a difference between drying and curing paint. The paint is
dry once enough solvents have evaporated to make the surface dry to the touch.
Paint is cured once the solvent completely evaporates, leaving a hard protective
layer on the body panel. It can still take a couple of months after painting the
vehicle for the solvents to completely evaporate. During this waiting period, the
paint can scratch, chip, and peel easily. These steps will help the paint make it
through the curing process.
Wait to Wash Your Vehicle
Our recommendation is for the first 2 weeks after the repair, avoid getting soap
and water in the repaired area. Only wash the areas without fresh paint. After 2
weeks, you may hand wash the vehicle as needed with a sponge until 60 days
have passed. Again, this is only a suggestion and not a rule. If you must wash your
entire vehicle before 60 days are up, follow the guidelines below:
* Avoid commercial car washes for at least 60 days. Washing your vehicle by
hand is always a better choice because the commercial facilities use
brushes that may scratch the paint. But you must avoid them completely
after a collision repair.
* Do not use any brushes or abrasive materials to wash your vehicle.
* Always wash your vehicle in the shade to avoid direct sunlight.
* Instead of scrubbing embedded and hard to remove debris, use clay bar to
gently clean the surface
* Do not dry wipe the vehicle as it will cause scratching
Skip the Wax
Wax fills in imperfections and acts as a shield, protecting paint from damage by
water and UV light. However, that same seal also stops solvents from escaping,
keeping new paint from hardening. We recommend waiting at least 60 days
before applying wax.
Avoid Tools that Can Scrape Paint
Using a brush or the head of your ice scraper to move snow can scrape up the
paint underneath. It is best to limit scraping and brushing to the glass. If you park
your car outside in the winter, invest in a snow broom. The foam end of this
broom can push away the snow without damaging your paint. If you need to
remove ice from a lock or door handle, use a car deicing spray instead of chipping
off the ice. These sprays are formulated to be safe for paint.
Avoid Gravel and Off-Road Travel
This may be difficult if you live in an area that necessitates travel on a dirt or
gravel road. If possible, you should avoid travelling on any dirt or gravel roads
post vehicle repair. Any size rocks, even small ones hitting the bottom and sides
of your vehicle can cause chipping and lead to large repair costs. If you have no
choice but to travel on these types of roads, try to keep your distance from other
vehicles and be gentle on the throttle so you don’t kick up rocks.
Be Careful Where You Park
Before leaving your vehicle parked after repairs have been completed, think twice
about where you are parking. Two places you should absolutely avoid are below
trees and power lines, along with any gathering places for birds. These areas will
be hot spots for bird droppings and tree sap, both of which can cause serious
damage to new paint. We recommend parking in a garage or investing in a car
cover to protect your paint.
Avoid Chemicals
You should take extra care when handling or using petroleum and alcohol-based
products including motor oil, transmission fluid, anti-freeze, and windshield
washer fluid when you’re near your vehicle. If gas drips on to the paint when
filling your vehicle’s tank, wipe it off immediately with a damp cloth or sponge. A
dry cloth can scratch the paint surface and push the gas into the paint.
Enjoy Your Vehicle
There are quite a few items to look out for to care for your vehicle post repair, but
we hope you find time to enjoy your properly repaired vehicle. If you have any
questions or concerns, you can reach us at 405-946-3181. It will be our pleasure
to assist you further, if needed. Everyone at TDG Collision would like to thank you
for making us your collision center of choice. We know there are a lot of options
when it comes to choosing a company to repair your vehicle, so we are honored
that you decided on quality repairs from TDG Collision.