10 Ways Your Backyard is Ruining Your Car’s Paint

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Your backyard might be a little sanctuary to unwind in after a long day, but your backyard could also be a bad hidden villain for the car’s paint. You probably don’t realize it, but the weather, and plants and trees of your own backyard will slowly take a tiny bit of the shine out of that showroom brightness you had in your car. Have you ever wondered why car paint just fades, scratches or spots no matter how hard you try to keep it in perfect condition?

You’d be surprised how much your surroundings affect your vehicle’s exterior; especially in a backyard setting where it feels like nature rules the day. Your car is bombarded with all sorts of paint damaging dangers that are hard to avoid. Here are some surprising ways your peaceful backyard set up could well be sabotaging your glossy coat.

Bird Droppings

Watch out for birds overhead if your car is parked near a tree or even a power line. Although they aren’t exactly the most pretty things out there, bird droppings are also incredibly acidic and can destroy your clear coat paint very quickly. It’s just like little bombs raining down on your car’s finish! If left untreated, these droppings leave a permanent mark which is not easy to buff out.

Sun Exposure

While parking your car outside under the open sky sounds liberating, prolonged sun exposure can be a paint killer. Like your skin, your car’s paint needs protection. The paint fades over time under prolonged UV exposure, and looks dull and aged before its time. You can’t undo that sun damage once it starts.

Pollen and Dust

While pollen may send you into sneezes, it does a number on your car. Backyards prone to flowering plants and trees can coat your car in a thin layer of dust with their pollen. When combined with rain or dew it can turn into a sticky mess and if you try to wipe it off it might scratch the paint in tiny little scratches.

Overhanging Branches

Photo Credit: Chintung Lee/ Shutterstock

Low hanging branches maybe look harmless, but they can easily become weapons on a windy day to scratch out your car’s paint job. If you’re parked under trees, an even a minor wind can have branches scraping your car, leaving fine scratches. Unfortunately, when those scratches begin to add up, they’re a real eyesore and a costly repair.

Water Spots From Sprinklers

Your lawn sprinklers may make your grass green, but they leave behind undesired water spots on your car’s paint. Hard water from sprinklers dripping on the paint dries to leave mineral deposits on the paint that don’t just wipe off. Over time these water spots etch into the paint, leaving your car with a blotchy dull look.

Nearby BBQ Smoke

Close Photography of Grilled Meat on Griddle — Photo Credit: Pexels

Grills or fire pits smoke can get stuck onto the paint and leave an oily residue. As this residue traps dirt and pollutants, over time they can dull the paint and even affect the color of the paint. In other words, if you are flipping burgers—keep eyes on the smoke.

Falling Leaves and Sap

Maybe you like the shade from that giant leafy tree, but your car’s paint job? Not so much. Leaves and sap will stick to your car surface, then they will begin to degrade from the sun exposure. Sap is incredibly sticky, and can stick to paint and form a nasty residue that can be hard to clean. If you’re already a victim of this, AvalonKing provides a way out. For your car paint it’s like nature’s super glue!

Insects and Spider Webs

The 12 Most Common House Spiders You Must Watch Out For — Image Credit: Ryan Hodnett/ Wikimedia Commons

Backyard life is a pretty bug and web filled thing but they’re not your car paint’s friends. When insect guts (from splats or web catches) are acidic, they can damage the paint. Bugs stick to the surface and are hard to remove when they hit your car, or if they build up, leaving marks.

Acid Rain or Nearby Fertilizers

Organic Pesticides You Can Make at Home To Protect Your Plants From Pests — farmer spraying pesticide in the rice field

Be careful if you’re using fertilizers or live in an area susceptible to acid rain. The fertilizer particles can blow onto your car and, their chemicals, stain the paint. Moreover, acid rain leaves behind residue which can eat away the clear coat, leaving pitting and staining. However, fixing this type of damage can make your car look like it has seen better days.

Morning Dew

While dew can be a refreshing sign of a new day, it’s less friendly to your car’s paint. Early morning moisture settles on your vehicle, which might appear harmless. It can however, leave behind a gritty residue when combined with dust or pollen. This residue as it dries can even become abrasive, scratching the paint.

Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.