protecting your car's finish from tree damage

Even if you are very careful when you drive your car, there is always the chance that the paint job could become scratched due to incidents or various environmental factors. Scratches don't just look bad, either; they can also become rusty over time if they are ignored. If you take good care of any scratches that appear on your vehicle, however, you can help prevent this rust from developing on your car.

1. Keep it Clean

First of all, you should know that if scratched areas become dirty and stay that way, they can be more prone to corrosion. Plus, even things like the acid that can be found in regular rainwater can promote rust on your vehicle scratches. This is why washing your car frequently is important, especially if there are scratches on your paint job.

2. Use Wax for Protection

Until you are able to do something about any scratches on your car, you should consider keeping it waxed. A coat of wax works wonders at protecting your paint job all over your vehicle, and it can be even more useful for keeping scratches protected from rust. Plus, when your vehicle has an all-over shine from the wax, the minor scratches might be less noticeable.

3. Have the Scratches Repainted

Although keeping the scratches clean and waxed can help for now, this shouldn't be your long-term plan for dealing with them. Even though this care can prevent rust from occurring right away, you can still expect your scratches to become rusty eventually if you don't take the right repair steps. This means that you need to have the scratches repainted as soon as possible to truly prevent rust from developing on your vehicle.

For now, one option is to use a small tube of touch-up paint, which you can purchase at a body shop or at a store that sells aftermarket auto parts. You can apply it yourself if you want to save money. For a  truly flawless look, however, your better choice is always going to be to take your car to an auto body shop that specializes in painting. Then, the new paint can make your car look as good as new.

Vehicle scratches are unsightly and can become even more so if they get rusty. Protecting your vehicle from rust is important, so make sure that you do these things rather than ignoring any scratches that you might have on your vehicle's paint job.

To learn more, contact an auto body repair shop like Westside Fender/Body & Refinishing.