A quick visit to your local Supercheap Auto and you'll see that there is a massive array of cleaning products, waxes, polishes and conditioners - all intended to protect your car's paint job and keep it looking 100%. It's easy to understand that people want to make their car look nice, but what's all the fuss about protecting the paint? There are a few reasons why it's important to regularly clean your car and protect it's paint job, starting with the most obvious:

Paint Appearance

The simple truth is, people may judge the driver on their car's appearance. If your car is coated in a film of grease and dirt, or has faded or damaged paint with chips, scratches or even other paint from minor accidents all over it then it tends to project the message that you don't care. Unfortunately, we live in a world where people will tend to assume that if you don't pay much heed to the condition of your vehicle, that you might extend such a careless attitude to other areas of your life too.

When it comes to choosing a particular car, alongside its practicality, vanity is probably one of the main driving factors (pardon the pun) - in fact, it's often the primary factor. So it stands to reason that people who care about their choice in a vehicle should continue to care about its appearance long after the initial novelty has worn off. Not to get philosophical here, but there are plenty of reasons why we care about what other people think about us (and whether we should), so if simply giving our cars a regular clean, polish and wax can help make them think better of us, then it's a pretty small price to pay.

Paint Longivity

Truth is, a lot of people overlook the amount of long-term damage that a build-up of road dirt and other grime can cause to their cars. If they knew just how easily rust could set in underneath a layer of dust or mud, then perhaps people would be more inclined to clean their cars regularly. Even in hot climates, there is moisture in the air - particularly overnight, and when that moisture combines with airborne particles from dusty roads then it will stick to your car in a dirty film. In paved areas, the dust will likely be made up of more toxic substances such as the particulate from vehicle exhausts, tyre rubber and other pollutants. This stuff can be quite damaging to the top coat of your paint, and so will allow the metal beneath to be exposed to the trapped moisture. This, in turn, causes rust.

Another thing to keep on top of is the build-up of trapped water in drain channels and the like. If you park your car beneath a tree for example, then it's possible that leaves and other debris can block up the small channels that are designed to allow water to escape. This sitting water can work its way into the little gaps between panels, trim and fasteners, and begin to oxidise the metal of your car. Any rust that starts as a result of trapped moisture will spread as long as it's left unchecked, and will in turn damage the surrounding paint - resulting in rust bubbles, flaking paint and potentially dangerous structural damage if it's left long enough.

One final thing to be aware of is the damage that can be caused by bird poop. Be sure to clean it off as soon as you notice it, as it tends to have a very high acidity which will damage your paint.

Paint Protection

This one is probably a bit subjective, but cleaning your car can be a pretty cathartic way to spend a sunny weekend morning. It gets you outside in the fresh air, doing some exercise and feeling productive, which I'm pretty sure is always a good thing right? Whilst gradual damage to your paint is an inevitability - unless you store your car in a hermetically sealed, temperature controlled and chemically balanced museum storage garage - there are a few things that ordinary people can do to look after their car, and give it the best chance of looking good for as long as possible.

Wash your car regularly - Give it a good scrub, using a suitable detergent, and be sure to get into all the little nooks and crannies where grime can build up. If you have access to a pressure washer, then blasting the underside of your car every few washes will go a long way towards eliminating rust potential. This is mandatory if you've driven on the beach.

Wax and polish your car - After giving it a clean, be sure to remove any standing droplets, dry your car well and then give it a proper wax and polish with products that offer good protection from the sun and other damage. This will give your paint an additional layer of protection from the moisture that can cause rust. It's also handy for people who want to learn karate apparently.

Park in the shade - One of the major culprits when it comes to damaged paint is the sun - particularly down here in the southern hemisphere. We are exposed to a massive amount of UV, which damages paint just like it damages skin. While its common knowledge that we should protect ourselves from sunburn and exposure, it's not common knowledge that we should do the same for our cars.

Use a car cover - As with the above point - if you are going to leave your car outside, particularly for a while - the invest in a protective car cover to reduce the chance of environmental damage to the paint - Including from birds that are set on repainting your car.

Drive and park carefully - There's not a lot you can do to prevent other drivers from damaging your car, but if you ensure that you're always super careful then you can safely reduce the risk of accidentally scratching, scraping or dinging your paint. If you do have a little accident, then be sure to repair it as soon as possible, to reduce the time that the metal beneath is exposed to the atmosphere.

Be nice to people - Fixing a car that's been keyed isn't fun. So try not to ever give anyone a reason to do it!

There you have it - a little bit about why it is that we stock such an array of car care products. Hopefully, you'll have gathered that it's a good idea to use a few of them to keep your car looking tip-top, and will discover that cleaning, detailing and protecting your car is a pretty enjoyable thing to do!