Early mornings are a time for rushing. Rushing to get the kids in the car for school, or rushing to get to work. In the rush sometimes things are forgotten. Such as the coffee mug that you placed on the roof of your car so that you could load everything else into the car. Only as you take that first turn onto the road and here the crash do you remember the coffee cup. You can see the coffee dripping down the side of your car and the remnants of the cup smashed on the street. 

Leaving the coffee dripping on your car could potentially damage your car’s paint. Paint damage can come from the most common of substances being left sitting on your car. Substances such as:

• Coffee
• Tree sap
• Bird droppings
• Bugs 
• Gas

These are all substances that we come into contact with within one or another throughout our lives, but how do they hurt the paint on your car?

Coffee

Coffee is the liquid that gets us up and running for the day. While it helps us, it can hurt our cars. The high acidity levels in coffee will eat away at your car’s paint, causing corrosion. You may not notice the corrosion at first but one day you may look at your car and wonder “why is my paint peeling?” it comes back to that time you spilled coffee and didn’t clean it off your car. 

 Be sure to check to make sure that your coffee is safely inside your car before taking off in order to spare your paint. If coffee does come into contact with your car’s paint be sure to wash it off as soon as possible. This will stop the corrosive effects of the coffee. 

Tree Sap

There is always that one tree that we know not to park near for one reason or another. Parking next to a tree that creates sap can be detrimental to your car’s exterior. The sap is something that can damage your vehicle’s paint through its corrosive nature. 

The sap isn’t something that is generally thought of as corrosive but it can eat away at the clear coat of paint on your car. When it does this a stain or discoloration is left. The longer that the sap is left to bake onto your car the more serious the stain is going to be when the sap is removed. 

To remove the sap you are going to need to use a cleaner that is gentle on paint and a warm wet rag. Let the cleaner and rag sit on the area that has sap on it before trying to wipe the sap away. This prevents the sap from spread or smearing onto other areas of the vehicle. Once the sap is removed you can see the exact amount of paint damage that has been done. 

If you are unsure of what to do about the damage stop in to see us at Tachoir located in Jefferson Hills, PA. We offer quality painting services to the Jefferson Hills and Clairton area. Our certified staff will be able to look at the stain and help you to pick a paint repair method that is going to work. 

Bird droppings

If you have had the misfortune to park under a tree that is home to a family of birds you know that bird droppings are an inconvenience, not to mention unpleasant to look at. But did you know that they were dangerous too Bird droppings like coffee has high levels of acidity? This means that when left to sit on your car, they will eat away at the protective layer of paint, which causes the paint to peel, and corrosion occurs then. 

To save your car’s paint, act fast. Get a wet towel and a cleaner that is gentle enough not to scratch your car. Gently wipe away the droppings, try not to rub vigorously because this can scratch your car. 

If you don’t get the droppings off before they harden and damage the paint, or you accidentally scratch the paint as you clean, call Tachoir. Our number is  412-233-3196  and we will help you find a way to restore your paint to factory condition.

Bugs

If you have ever taken a road trip you know that bugs seem to be attracted to the front of your car. If you leave them stuck in your car they can damage your paint. This is because they have fluids in them, like blood, that has high acidic levels that when left sitting on your car’s paint can eat away at the coats of paint. 

In order to avoid paint damage wash the bugs off as soon as possible. When they harden it is harder to get them off and there is a greater risk that your paint will be damaged. 

Gas 

Be careful when you are putting gas in your tank. If you spill gas down the side of your car it will cause a stain to form on the paint of your car. If you do accidentally drip gas on your car use some gentle soap to wash it off of your car. 

If your car has been damaged by gas, look no further than Tachoir to help with your automotive paint needs. We are a certified center that guarantees to help repair any paint stains or peeling paint. We understand that accidents happen and want to help you get back to tip-top shape. Call Tachoir today and we will help give you the right estimate and best-in-class customer service.