If you do not protect your car’s interior from the sun, it will sustain damage that will be costly to repair. While most people worry about their car dashboard cracking from exposure to the sun, it is just one of the many damages that could affect your car.
Practically every interior part of your car needs protection from the high temperatures. The seats can sustain damage and fast wear out fast. The interior color can fade from exposure to the UV rays of the sun.
Protecting the car is not the only consideration when buying car shades. You also have to think about protecting the occupants, especially your babies.
But even before you can order your magnetic shades for the windows, you need to do the foll owing to protect your car from sun damage:
1. Park the car in the shade – Obviously!
While parking a car in the shade seems so obvious and sensible, many people ignore it. Shade protects both the interior and the exterior from damage, but it will not prevent debris and dust.
However, when you are in a hurry, you will hardly remember to pack the car in the shade. Also, covered parking is not always available at work or in the malls. Since you cannot build your own car shed at the mall, you will have to do with what is available.
Park the car under a tree, but you should be very careful. There is the risk of guano falling on the roof of the car. If a branch snaps … you don’t want to think about that!
At home, keep it in the garage all the time if you have one. This prevents car damage to the exterior and the interior.
2. Use magnetic window shades
Magnetic window shades for cars are the real deal. Not only are they effective, but they also offer privacy and other benefits. If your car has a metal frame around the windows, the shades will hold in place securely.
While magnetic window shades are not built equally, getting some will keep your car’s leather or cloth interior protected from the damage caused by the direct summer heat.
Another thing about these window shades is that they are engineered to block out 99 percent of the ultraviolet rays of the sun. The UV rays are responsible for interior colour deterioration and fading over time.
These shades are going to protect the car from damage, and they protect the occupants of the car too. In the USA, melanoma is the leading cancer affecting many people. It develops after exposure to the sun’s rays.
Buy high-quality window shades, and you will not have to buy others any time soon. They can last a long time.
3. Use a windshield cover
As you buy the window shades for your car, remember also to get a windshield shade. You need it to prevent heat entry into the vehicle from the front.
This cover prevents direct heat by reflecting it back out of the car. It is important because no matter how you park your car outside, the dashboard will be in full exposure to the sun a few hours a day.
Coupled with the heat that builds up in a parked car, it can sustain damage easily. The steering wheel also gets damaged from exposure, but a windshield cover will prevent this.
The shield can also keep the summer heat out of the car, keeping it cooler so that you have to use the air conditioner fewer times, thus saving fuel.
If you worry about privacy while your car is parked, get a windshield cover. Mostly, you remember to tint the windows, but then you leave the windshield open and from there, it is possible for passers-by to see the stuff you have in your car.
4. Buy a car cover
If you cannot find a shaded place or sheltered parking for your car, you can invest in a good cover. This is going to protect the exterior of the car as well as the interior.
To keep the car interior safe from the blistering heat of summer, get a white car cover because white reflects the heat rather than absorbing it. It is going to keep the car cool.
The cover is also going to prevent the entry of debris and dust into the engine, which eventually finds its way into the interior of the car.
Car covers are great for preserving the paintwork of the car. However, ensure that you get high-quality covers that are not going to cause the tiniest scratches on the paint, which eventually build up and ruin the paintwork.
It is better to spend more money on a top notch car cover than pay less and get a poorly done one. Cars look good, so you should keep yours looking as neat as possible, with a cover. A good cover should also be big enough to cover the wheels.
5. Tint the windows
Tinting the windows enhances your privacy. However, it is also great for protecting the interior of your car against harmful UV rays.
Mostly, car tinting is going to block out 94 percent of the UV rays. But don’t dismiss it because of this. It will still help in preserving your car in good condition.
If the car came with factory tint, you may be wondering whether it is okay to go for an aftermarket one.
The question to ask yourself is whether that tint was made for the climate at your place. For instance, Florida’s sunshine can be quite hot. This is why it is better to get aftermarket tinting done for your car.
Let professionals tint your car windows, so that it can be in accordance with the traffic regulations. Using high-quality tint and applying it with the right technique keeps it in shape for a long time. Usually, tints applied with adhesive can last many years on your windows.
Please note that tinting the car windows alone is not enough to keep the UV rays out. Research shows that the driver’s and passenger windows of the car will still allow considerable amounts of UV rays.
The law does not allow you to tint the windows too dark, so you must use the tint in combination with other methods.
6. Keep the interior of your car clean
Many things can damage the interior of your car, and not just the sun. For instance, clutter, spilt food and other debris can attract rodents and bugs. Clean the car and avoid eating in it whenever possible.
Use the right cleaning products for the dashboard and other parts. Also, use microfiber cloths for wiping the interior. If you use a rough cloth to clean the dashboard, it causes abrasions that start small but later crack and expand.
Conclusion
You might wonder whether they need car shades when they have tinted windows. If you have leather car seats, they are very vulnerable to heat. So, they require all the protection you can give them.
Even if you have factory tint on your car windows, get the magnetic window shades. You can never be too careful with your car’s interior, especially if you come from a place that experiences extreme summer temperatures.
Don’t forget the windshield shield for privacy as well as blocking the UV rays so that they don’t get to the dashboard.