As Summer approaches and car owners think about keeping their car looking great they often start to think of the best way to protect their pride and joy from the sun's UV rays. If this is you then here I have put together the ten best ways to protect your car against the sun's rays and stop your car's paint job from becoming dull, drab and even cracked due the paints molecular bonds being broken down by harmful UV rays.

Park In The Shade

The most obvious way to protect your car from direct sunlight is to park it in the shade as much as possible. I understand this maybe easier at home where you can perhaps create some shade but if you drive to work and park for 8 hours in direct sunlight then sun damage can be a real problem.

Even the shade of a tree can really help to cut down the harmful UV light from the suns rays, but you must also consider that parking under a tree can risk other forms or paint damage such as tree sap and bird droppings

Use a Car Cover

If parking at work is a problem then you could use a Car Cover. These can easily be fitted in minutes and removed in even less time. Whilst you car will still be exposed to high temperature the UV exposure will be completely eliminated

Car covers come in many different forms and colors. We would suggest you choose one specifically designed to protect from sun damage.

It is likely to be a reflective colour such as silver or white to reflect away the suns rays in the same way we use reflective clothing. We are always cooler in white clothing in the Summer rather than black!

Here are a few really good sun protective car covers we recommend.

YINFEI Car Cover

The YINFEI reflective car cover offers superior protection from the harshest of sun. Its unique 6 layer Aluminium and PE spun laced cloth reflective surface ensures the harmful suns rays are reflected rather than absorbed by your cars paint. It also has the ability to lower the cars interior temperature. A super product at a very reasonable price!

Tecoom Super Heavy Duty Multiple Layers Car Cover

With its reflective urethane polyester coating the Tecoom Super Heavy Duty Car Cover will give all day long UV protection to you cars paint. Its leather feel surface does a great job of reflecting the suns rays whilst the inner fleece coating is gentle on the contact side.

Car Tent

This is a more substantial item than the aforementioned Car Cover. It provides a complete covered area that is not directly contacting the car. This can be the best option if you do not have a garage at home.

These are attached to your car and sit above the vehicle providing what can be best described as a car port attached to your car! They can also act as a theft deterrent as theft would be much less likely with one of these providing a shaded area for your car.

Here are some examples we recommend

ROMYIX Semi-Automatic folded car tent 400

This is a semi automatic car tent that takes just seconds to put up or take down. It provides excellent shade and allows air to flow underneath as an additional cooling aid.

Semi-automatic Car Tent Movable Carport Folded Portable Automobile Protection 

This model takes just 10 seconds to deploy and another 30 seconds to finalise into position. A really strong classic design that is ideal for protecting your cars paint work when at home or in work.

Wax protective coat

A good quality wax coating can offer really good additional protection, even in high temperatures. The wax coat sits on top of the cars clear coat and provides a protective layer against uv radiation and can considerably reduce UV damage.

It is best to use a wax specifically designed to protect against ultraviolet rays and keep your vehicle's paint in the best condition. The wax coating will need boosting on a regular basis if the conditions are of extreme heat. This can easily be done with a spray type of wax as this will top up the original wax coat and give an additional layer of protection without having to wax a buff off a paste wax.

Here are some of the best UV waxes

Gtechniq C23v wax

A super Car Wax with UV protection is Gtechniq C23v wax. Manufactured with an advanced formula of monomolecular technology to provide really good year round UV protection.

This protection is achieved by harnessing the performance of nano scale composite materials and extreme testing. However we must note that if you Google "monomolecular technology" then Gtechniq come at the top so this just could be their own term!

Initially developed in Europe it is now available throughout the the United States to provide protection against the harshest Summer rays in Arizona or Kansas!

It is a very easy on and buff off application, which some say they finish the complete car in under 15 minutes!

With the coating lasting for up to 8 months we doubt you can find a simpler or faster solution.

Adam's UV Ceramic Paint Coating Kit 

This interesting kit that offers real UV protection with its unique, patent pending UV tracer technology which enables you to shine a UV light onto the surface to ensure complete coverage. If water beading is also a desire of your then this offers superior beading effect for 6-8 months after application.

Adams can be applied in layers if desired and each layer checked with a UV light to ensure complete coverage. As to the amount of layers needed, the manufacturer recommends no more than three.

Another unique feature is the "Ceramic Glow Technology", which is a crystalline form of optical brightener which absorbs energy and emits light.

We really do feel that Adams have put together a real solution to protect any car from harmful UV rays.

The price is higher but the value is superb when you look at all you get. Super year round UV protection in this product!

Keep Car Clean

All the road grime can also absorb and retain UV radiation that can potentially increase the chance of ultraviolet radiation damaging the car paint at the molecular level to start. 

Then greater damage can easily occur as the car sits in the heat of a hot summer day.

Therefore, always clean your car well, ideally with a hand, two bucket wash instead of a car wash. It is also a good idea to use a good foam cannon wash to start to really loosen the grime.

Here is a super car wash kit we recommend. 

Chemical Guys CWS_402CW 14-Piece Arsenal Builder Car Wash Kit

Here is a complete carwash kit. It really is all you would ever need to clean a car, just add water! Buckets, foam, shampoo, brushes and microfiber clothes are all provided.

With the added bonus of all being manufactured by the reputable Chemical Guys brand.

Clay Bar

Leaving the surface of the car in a state of glass smoothness. This makes it much more difficult for road grime to attach itself to the surface. The less road grime on the surface the less chance of UV radiation being passed onto the surface and less chance of paint damage.

Clay barring is a simple process. You simply tear off a piece of clay from the car. Wet the piece with clean water and gently massage it across the surface. You can also use a wax spray to lubricate the surface. Once completed simply rinse it off.

Here is a super Clay Bar kit to try.

Meguiar's G191700 Smooth Surface Clay KIT

As always Meguiars come up with superb car detailing solutions. This kit will give you all you need create a smooth as glass surface. And to prove it try this test.

Before you clay bar, lightly hold a microfiber cloth and drag it across the surface. If the surface needs clay barring you will see the cloth snagging on the grime particles.

Clay bar the surface and try it again. This time you will see the cloth glide over the surface wiht out a snag in sight!

UV Shampoo

There are specific UV protective car shampoos that can add a layer of protection each time you wash your car. By regular washing with one of these shampoos you can add a level of UV protective barrier to your car exterior. 

These are also very good at dispersing water droplets depositing their mineral deposits on the surface, especially if you use a hydrophobic one. Such as the Carpro CQuartz below

CARPRO CQUARTZ UK 3.0_30ml Kit w/Reload & CARPRO Reset Intensive Car Shampoo 

This advanced formula car wash is designed mainly for use on a ceramic coated car but can also be used on none coated cars. But we had to feature it in this section simply for its immense UV protective attributes.

Avoid reflective surfaces

It is important not to park near any reflective surfaces as this can intensify the sun's ultraviolet rays by changing the different wavelength of light that could cause further paint surface damage.

 As mentioned earlier parking in the shade is really recommended but if you have to park in full visible light then you should avoid parking near reflective surfaces.

Ceramic coating

This is the latest advancement in protective car maintenance that has somewhat advanced on the traditional wax coating.

These are man made coatings that at the micro particle level attach themselves to the surface and seal in every micro crevice to bond and therefore completely coat the car surface. 

Their main advantage is their durability as they can be applied and need little more than a good wash for a long time. Many of these such as the ones featured here are specifically designed to protect against harsh environmental factors such as UV light protection.

A good Ceramic coating put on before the summer months will last right through the winter and on average another 4-5 Summers!

Here are some great UV protective Ceramic Coatings

9H Car Ceramic Graphene Coating Pro

This Graphene based Ceramic Coating provides a layer of UV protection for around 3 years! Once applied the car needs little more than a foam cannon wash and a rinse down.

Whilst the initial financial outlay can be large for ceramic coating the time saved over the duration of say three years is significant. You will not need to re wax each Summer or Winter this also is a great money and time saving benefit of ceramic coating.

Gtechniq - Halo Flexible Film Coating

Designed to specifically stop car paint taking on the often seen "Yellow Tint" caused by sun damage this cutting edge product is easy to apply and super effective is regards to UV protection.

Paint Protection film

If are really having a difficult job protecting your car paintwork there are a range of protective films that can be applied to your whole vehicle. These need close attention to detail to apply but will do a great job of absorbing all the UV rays the sun can blast onto your car body.

These do require prep work and can be tricky to apply especially around plastic trim but as I said earlier they will completely cocoon your car and can be removed when you come to sell it if needed. Neither bird poop, tree sap, dead bugs, acid rain or water spots will get any were near your paint work or metal surfaces.

VViViD 3M Clear Paint Protection Vinyl Film

This quality product is virtually invisible when properly applied to a car surface. Once applied your car in cocooned inside a film layer. which will either eflect or absorb the suns rays, keep your paint work as immaculate as the day you bought your car!

These ten tips to protect your car bodywork from the sun should help most situations and help you preserve the appearance of you car and decrease depreciation.

I hope you have found the answer to your problem and you enjoy the process of protecting your cars paint from the sun.