How To Protect Car From Sun In Open Parking [17 Ways 2024] | Flawless Car Guide

Sun rays are harmful not only to your skin but also to your car. People usually park their vehicles under direct sunlight without understanding the damage it does to the car. 

Did you know that UV rays can eat away paint, waxes, and sealants and affect plastic trim? 

The extreme heat can also cause high temperatures in the interior, which can damage the car’s dashboard and upholstery.

So how to protect your car from the sun in open parking? In this article, we will discuss 17 simple tips to prevent sun damage. 

For your convenience, we have divided the simple tips into:

• Exterior
• Interior

9 Best Generator For Mobile Detailing – 2023 Flawless Car Guide

How To Protect Car From Sun In Open Parking?

To Protect Car Exterior

Park in a shadow

Use car cover

Wash the car more often

Use UV car protection spray

Use Wax to protect the paint

Paint protection film (ceramic coatings)

Check for underinflated tires

Use the car umbrella

To Protect Car Interior

Clean the interior more often

Car’s dashboard protection from the sun

Keep the windows a little down

Close the panoramic sunroof

Use window shades

Install Seat covers

Install tint for windows

Install windshield shade

Use leather conditioner

Let’s get a detailed perspective of each point:

What Eats Car Paint the Fastest? 26 Jaw-dropping Substances

Exterior:

The exterior of your car is the first thing that gets affected by the sun’s rays, so it’s important to protect it first. 

Although there is no way to undo the damaging effects on your vehicle, it is possible to avoid it.

If One Fuel Injector Is Bad Should I Replace Them All? 2022 Ultimate Guide

Park In a Shadow:

Parking a car in the shadow is the best way to avoid sun damage. Besides protecting your car, it also keeps it cooler during summer days. 

Parking under direct sunlight causes paint to fade and cracks in plastic and rubber parts. In worst cases, it also cracks the windshield. 

The best time to park in a shade is between 10 am to 4 pm. Paying for the shaded parking is still worth considering, considering the damage you are evading. 

Use Car Cover:

Car covers work well in protecting your vehicle from sun damage, especially during summer. Besides this, it also protects the car from bird droppings, dust, debris etc

Moreover, it also protects your belongings, as thieves can’t have a look at what’s inside a car. So they also keep your vehicle a little safe. 

Car covers are cheap yet plentiful in doing their job.

Wash The Car More Often:

Car washes make your car look better and protect the paint from the sun. They help remove bugs, dirt, and grime and prevent corrosion from sunlight exposure.

Dead bugs left in the heat can decompose and release acid that fades the paint.

It’s recommended that you clean your car at least once a month, but you can do it more often if you prefer.

Use UV Car Protection Spray:

UV car protection spray shields car paint from the sun, preventing fading and maintaining a new look.

It is essential for protecting ceramic coatings and the car’s finish by creating a barrier against scratches from bugs and debris.

Use Wax To Protect Paint:

Wax can be used as a substitute for UV protection spray if it is unavailable. Wax will create a new layer over a clear coat hence reducing the risk of UV rays on paintwork.

Car wax prevents oxidation by acting as a sunscreen and hence protects the car paint from the sun.

This product helps protect the car’s paint by filling in small scratches and imperfections. It stops them from getting worse when exposed to sunlight for a long time.

It also:

• Restores color to faded areas
• Adds depth and shine
• Creates a barrier against dirt and grime particles

Paint Protection Film:

PPF, or paint protection film, is a clear layer that shields vehicle paint from UV rays. It protects the original paint from sun damage and fading. 

The film also guards against debris like dust, dirt, and scratches. It can be applied to new or used cars to keep them looking new. 

PPF is a good option for those who can’t park their car indoors.

Check Tire Pressure More Often:

Tire pressure is one of the vital elements of your driving. 

Refrain from regular tire pressure checks to avoid unforeseen damage. This oversight may result in tire blowouts and increased wear due to underinflation.

By monitoring tire pressure more frequently, beyond a monthly basis, you can enhance fuel efficiency and prevent uneven tire wear.

New and old cars have their recommended pressure listed on a sticker inside the driver’s door.

The pressure of the tire can depend on many factors, such as high-speed driving and the weight of passengers. If you have no idea about recommended tire pressure, check your owner’s manual.

Use The Car Umbrella:

The use of car umbrella to protect car paint from sun is a recent addition to the market, offering protection from both UV rays and rain. Its compact design allows for convenient transport and storage.

These umbrellas are user-friendly, requiring minimal effort to open and close.

Similar to personal umbrellas that shield us from the elements, car umbrellas are designed to safeguard vehicles parked outdoors.

Protect Car Interior From Sun:

The summer heat effects on the car interior can be quite severe. This is because constant sunlight coming through the windows will increase heat and damage upholstery and other surfaces.

However, the following are the ways that can help you to protect the car interior from the sun. 

Clean The Interior More Often:

You want to protect the car interior from the sun. And one of the best ways to do that is by cleaning the interior more often. People often forget to clean the inside of their cars, focusing mainly on the exterior. This is where extreme heat can harm the interior.

Sunlight heat can cause a lot of degradation leading to decrease shine and cracks all over the interior.

Harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun can penetrate the car’s interior, and dust and filth can accumulate on the dashboard and seats. These impurities, if not removed, can wear down a car’s upholstery and other components.

Hence, cleaning protects the interior from degradation and maintains the originality of the interior. 

Car Dashboard Protection From The Sun:

Sunlight can have a huge effect on your car’s dashboard. The dashboard in vehicles is the main source of visibility for drivers, so it is important to know how sunlight affects this area. 

The dash can become extremely hot due to sunlight exposure, leading to the dash becoming dry, discolored, dull, and possibly cracking.

Likewise, dust and debris can result in scratches if they remain untreated for a long time. 

To ensure car dashboard protection from the sun, make sure you clean it more often. Using dash polish is another great option. You can also opt for a dash cover to add an extra layer of protection for the car dashboard protection from the sun. 

Keep The Windows a Little Down:

As discussed earlier, UV rays cause extreme heat and are a real enemy of the car interior and upholstery. To protect the car interior from the sun, it is critical to keep the temperature at a normal level. 

Keeping the windows a little down is a good idea to decrease the heat from the interior. This will allow air to circulate through your car’s interior and prevent high temperatures. 

But before doing so, keep the crime rate in your mind. We don’t want you to lose your car while maintaining its temperature normal.

Close the Panoramic Sunroof:

Due to their aesthetically pleasing design and practical utility, panoramic sunroofs have become a standard on many modern vehicles.

These sunroofs are great for the appearance of the car, but the added heat from the sun could cause the interior to fade.

If the panoramic sunroof is open, it will let the sunlight directly into the interior and unexpectedly increase the temperature. 

Closing the sunroof is a good way to prevent extreme heat in the interior. This can protect the car interior from the sun by preventing UV rays from getting into other areas. This is also the best way to protect cars parked outside.

Use Window Shades:

Doing a few simple things like installing window shades is a good way to protect the car interior from the sun. Window shades can help to reduce the amount of sunlight that enters your car interior. This will keep the interior cool, thus protecting the internal plastic components from extreme heat. 

Window shades are useful in blocking out UV rays. This is because they are made of a thin fabric that blocks out UV rays. 

You can also install rear sunshades. But I would not recommend it while driving because it will affect your rearview. 

These products come in different shapes and sizes for different cars. You can grab a pair of these budget-friendly products for as low as 10$. Isn’t it amazing?

Install Seat Covers:

If you reside in a region where the sun is particularly strong, investing in seat coverings is a wonderful idea to keep the interior of your car looking like new. Long exposure to sunlight, while your ride is parked, will cause the upholstery to get dull and damaged faster.

Car seat covers are a great way to protect the car interior from the direct sun UV rays, gradually damaging the upholstery. 

As a result of exposure to UV rays, colors get dim and the substance deteriorates. However, contemporary car seat covers are fabricated from materials that are resistant to these impacts, so drivers need not worry about their vehicle’s interior deteriorating quickly.

Install Tint For Windows:

Over the past few years, more and more people have installed tint for windows on their cars. While some people do it for aesthetic purposes, others do it to protect the car interior from the sun damage. 

The sun can cause your interior to fade and even damage leather seats, which is an expensive fix. Installing window tint is a relatively inexpensive way to protect your car’s interior from direct sunlight.

Installing tint on windows prevents extreme heat by blocking ultraviolet rays, especially in summer months hence safeguarding upholstery and leather seats. 

Tinting your windows also offers privacy for those inside the vehicle, as it blocks out some outside light and keeps the interior cool. Tinting is a popular option for those who live in warmer climates or spend a lot of time in their car.

However, each state has its own tinted windows laws. Before tinting your car windows, learn how much intensity of tint is legal in your state. 

Install Windshield Shade:

There are many ways to protect your car from the sun. One of the cheapest is to install a windshield shade. These shades protect your car’s interior from sun damage on the seats and steering wheel. It can be placed over the front windshield and will provide protection all day long.

Covers for the windshield protect the interior from damaging sunlight. It blocks the sun’s rays, so the inside stays cool. One way to achieve this effect is to adopt a light-blocking substance or a light-reflecting film.

Depending on the model, certain covers are designed to fit flush against your window while others can be stuck to your console or windows These inexpensive products are truly the best way to protect cars parked outside. 

Use Leather Conditioner:

To shield your car from the sun’s rays, you can also use a leather conditioner. Leather conditioner is a chemical treatment used to recondition and safeguard leather.

Leather typically uses animal skin, which is very photosensitive. The conditioner creates a barrier on the leather’s surface, blocking harmful UV rays from reaching the material below.

Protecting the leather with a conditioner before it’s exposed to the elements will keep it looking like new for a longer period of time.

FAQ:

Conclusion:

In conclusion, it is important to take preventative measures against damage from UV rays. The best way to protect your car from the sun is to park it in a garage. However, if you must park in an open parking lot, there are other methods you can use. 

To protect the car paint from the sun, you must try car covers or car umbrellas. However, UV car protection spray and Wax are also ideal options for UV car protection. 

Likewise, you can use window and windshield shades, seat covers, tint, and leather conditioner to protect the car interior from the sun. Using dash polish is another great option for car dashboard protection from the sun.

Thanks.