Hot Weather Car Care

Protect your car from the sun and UV rays with our hot tips 🥵.

The sun can damage our vehicles directly and indirectly. Direct damage is the result of the sun's exposure on your vehicle. This includes paint oxidisation and fading, leather discolouration, plastic cracking, and more material impairments. Indirect damage is what can be caused by the the sun's UV rays interacting with substances on your vehicle's surface. Bird poop, bug splatter, tree sap, and other contaminants can cause corrosion when left to bake in the sun.

Take a look at some of our hot weather tips for detailing in the sun. Including how to protect your car from UV rays.

☀️ Never Clean in Direct Sunlight

Cardinal rule number one of summertime detailing is to never clean your car in direct sunlight. You should also never apply products to a hot surface. In fact, the only time we recommend wetting panels or wheels before applying product is if they are warm to the touch.

Heat speeds up the drying time of chemicals, soap, and water causing streaks and leaving behind residue which can potentially damage paintwork. Snow foams, pre-cleaners, and shampoos are all designed to lift contaminants from the surface so that they can be rinsed away for a scratch-free wash. When these products dry on the vehicle, they can etch into paintwork and cause staining.

Avoid unsightly water spots and, more importantly, don't risk damage to surfaces by cleaning under the sun. If you have the means, detailing under a canopy or structure can help.

🚱 Waterless Wash

Waterless wash is the perfect companion for hot weather detailing. Waterless or rinseless wash is designed to wet dirt particles, encapsulating them and lifting them from the surface, allowing you to safely remove with a microfibre cloth to avoid scratching paintwork.

TOP TIP: Waterless methods are all about using loads of microfibre cloths. Keep them neatly folded into fours, and rotate every wipe. This will give you 8 goes on the cloth before you need to change to a new one.

NEW Bilt Hamber Phat-Neut Multi Mode Rinseless Wash allows cleaning activity to intensify as water evaporates, making it especially effective in warm conditions or where water use is limited. Using Bilt Hamber's Lift-Mode Technology, Phat-Neut lowers surface tension to wet, encapsulate, and lift mineral-rich road film, brake dust, tyre residue, insects, bird lime, and general grime away from the surface.

CARPRO ECH2O Waterless Wash contains a combination of proprietary lifting agents, natural organic extracts, and lubricants to provide an easy and eco-friendly solution to waterless washes and quick detailing. Devised to work well in extreme heat and even direct sunlight, CARPRO spent years researching and developing this waterless wash that works in harmony with ceramic coatings and produces an enhanced glossy surface.

🦟 Contaminant Removal

Never let substances like bird poop, tree sap, or bug splatter sit on the surface of your vehicle - especially in hot weather. In the heat of the sun, your paint can expand and soften, allowing contaminants like bird droppings to embed themselves and etch the paint surface as it cools and contracts. As soon as you notice it, remove it!

TOP TIP: If you think contaminants have etched into the surface, don’t machine polish! Let the cleaned area sit for a week or so and allow the hot sun to soften the lacquer. Oftentimes the lacquer flows around where said s*** was and sometimes it completely disappears. Obviously this depends how big it was and how long it's been on, but worth a go.

Koch-Chemie Vb is excellent at removing bird poop and bug splatter from your vehicle's surface. Koch-Chemie's combination of high-quality complexing agents and special surfactants quickly dissolves even stubborn incrustations. This highly concentrated, phosphate-free, alkaline, high foaming pre-wash can be diluted for specific use.

 

🎨 Paintwork Protection

Some sealants, ceramic coatings, and waxes can provide a shield on your vehicle's surface to deflect UV rays and prevent them from penetrating the paint surface. This will protect paintwork from discolouration and fading.

CARPRO CQUARTZ Lite 2.0 provides a protective layer that is resistant to insect splatter, harmful UV rays, petrol spills, light solvents, and more. CQUARTZ Lite is user-friendly and easy to apply with the ability to be applied outside in temperatures up to 50°C! 

Malco Slik SiO2 Paint Protectant Spray is perfect for quick protection. This quick detailer protects paint from sun damage and UV inhibitors and can be applied to wet or dry exterior vehicle surfaces.

💎 Exterior Plastic Protection

As temperatures get more and more extreme, protecting delicate surfaces from harmful UV rays becomes even more important. Plastics are subject to fading, cracking, and yellowing when exposed to hot weather. Use a specialised plastic coating to protect these surfaces from the sun.

CARPRO DLight is an anti-UV coating that contains strong UV absorbers and light stabilisers, effectively blocking harmful UVA and UVB light in the wide rejection spectrum of 260nm to 360nm. By creating a powerful protective layer, this advanced formula guards delicate surfaces from the damaging effects of UV rays. 

💺 Interior Protection

UV rays can cause irreparable damage to interior leathers, vinyl, plastic, and fabrics. Using a protective coating or dressing on these materials can prolong their life and provide a barrier against sun damage.

Gtechniq L1 Leather Guard forms a durable, abrasion-resistant, matte finish which offers the best ever protection against UV rays, discolouration, and other damage. 

Koch-Chemie Ts Top Star is designed for interior plastic and rubber surfaces. It leaves behind a semi-gloss, natural sheen and permanently protects against UV rays and dirt.

Most sun damage can be avoidable with the proper care and maintenance of your vehicle. Keep your vehicle (and yourself!) safe by following our hot weather car care tips.