More often than not, your choice when it comes to the color of your car is based on how it looked when it was still displayed in the showroom. In the instant when a car’s color catches your eye, you won’t think about how to maintain the newness or beauty of its car paint. You will only think about how it would feel to ride in it and how you would look while riding it.

Your car won’t sparkle as brightly as the first time you set eyes on it, if you won’t take care of it. After several months of use when it has been splashed with mud, covered in grime and pollution, rained and pooped on by some transient birds, it won’t nearly look as appealing as it did when it was still in the showroom.

You have to think twice before choosing a color for your car. You have to consider what you can do to maintain the quality of this color, so it will look like brand new even after years of use.

Below are some easy steps you can observe in choosing the right color for your new vehicle and in maintaining the quality of its car paint:

1. If you are planning on getting a car in metallic or pearl colors, make sure that it has been applied with premium quality car paint. Metallic flake or pearl colors are not easy to match in case of damages caused by accidents. However, if you have a car with paint coming from a top rate company, then you can be assured that you will be able to find the most precise mixes that will match the factory color of your vehicle.

2. Never fall for the smooth talk of salespeople and dealers who will persuade you to avail of products for paint protection. Although they are boasted to maintain the pristine color of your car for its entire lifetime, this is not exactly true. This means you will just be spending for nothing.

3. If you know that you can’t wash your car as regularly as you’d like, then never make the mistake of getting yourself a black car. Compared to white, champagne or silver that are easy to clean, black-colored cars are harder to maintain.

4. It is best to park your vehicle in a covered or sheltered area. If you can avoid it, make sure not to park under power lines or trees. Power lines are favorites for birds that will have the tendency to poop on your car, while trees might drip sap on your beloved auto paint.

5. Unless your car is quite filthy with grime and other pollutants, it is not advised to use detergent or soap in washing your car. If it is necessary to use soap, then make sure to use only small amounts.

6. Should you find bird poop, spattered bugs or sap on your car, you need to remove them immediately. Remember that the longer they stay on your car paint, the harder it is for you to get rid of them. This will lead to a greater probability of your paint being compromised. Plus, bird poop is known to eat into automotive paint if it is not wiped or washed off as soon as possible.

7. It is advisable to wash your car with fresh water as often as you can. You also have to remember that after doing this, you should not drive your car while it is wet. Dry it up first with chamois cloth.

8. If you don’t have a proper garage and you just park your car on the street, you have to remember to wax your car frequently. This is the only way to preserve the luster of your vehicle’s paint job.

9. You will only need to wax your car twice a year if you have a garage to properly house your vehicle when you are not using it. However, you should use a high-quality carnauba wax for the job as this is guaranteed to help preserve the quality of your car paint. Although this kind of wax is not easy to apply, it is difficult to remove and will last for as long as the next time you need to wax your vehicle again.

If you will just have all these steps in mind, you will do great in choosing the right color for your car. Remember that it is not just your vehicle’s color that will tell people the kind of person you are, but also how you take care of it.