Protecting your paint from the Tenerife sun

The sun is one of the big reasons for living in the south of Tenerife, but for your car's paint it is a constant enemy. Ultraviolet radiation and heat work every day on the roof, bonnet and boot lid, which are the most horizontal surfaces and take the most punishment.

What the sun does to paint

The outermost layer is the clear coat. It is designed precisely to protect the colour, but over the years sunlight breaks it down. The process usually follows recognisable stages:

1. Loss of gloss: the paint looks duller, lifeless.
2. Fading: the colour loses intensity. It is very noticeable on reds and dark shades.
3. Cracked or peeling clear coat: whitish patches appear, or areas where the clear coat lifts in flakes.

In the first two stages, polishing and good protection can bring back much of the look. Once the clear coat has peeled, no amount of polishing will fix it: the area has to be repainted.

Park wisely

It is the simplest tip and the one that helps most:

• Use a garage or covered parking if you can.
• On the street, look for shade, but be careful with some trees: sap and bird droppings are harsh on paint.
• If you always park in the same spot and direction, think about where the sun falls in the middle of the day.
• A good-quality cover, breathable and well fitted, can help if the car is left unused for long periods. A cover that rubs or traps dust can do more harm than good.

Wash properly, and promptly

Whatever sits on the paint gets 'baked' by the heat. Bird droppings, insects, sap or calima dust mixed with moisture can mark the clear coat if left for days in the sun. Remove them quickly, with plenty of water and without rubbing them dry.

• Wash in the shade with the bodywork cool, not at midday with a scorching bonnet.
• Use a proper car shampoo, not washing-up liquid: it strips the paint's protection.
• Rinse first to lift the dust so the sponge does not scratch.
• Dry with a clean microfibre cloth to avoid water spots.

Waxes and sealants

A wax or sealant creates a sacrificial layer on top of the clear coat: it wears away before the paint does. There are many types with different lifespans, so follow the product maker's instructions. What matters is consistency: protection applied regularly does more than a one-off treatment that is then forgotten. A simple test: if water no longer beads on the paint after a wash, the protection has probably worn off.

Do not forget headlights and plastics

The sun does not only affect paint. Polycarbonate headlights turn yellow and cloudy, and black exterior plastics go grey. Cloudy headlights give less light, which is a safety matter and can cause problems at the ITV (MOT).

At Green Car Service Tenerife we can bring back the shine with polishing, restore your headlights or repaint the damaged area. Our paintwork comes with a lifetime paint warranty.