Long live! Hail damage and rust are the two most common car beauty problems, but not all aesthetic problems are attributed to these two culprits. From incorrect cleaning practices to sunlight, everything can affect the appearance of your car.

Here are some of the most serious criminals and how to avoid common mistakes.

When bird droppings fall on your car, they leave annoying stains. The ammonia and nitrogen content in bird droppings can cause discoloration of the vehicle surface. This is because the paint surface of a car heats up when exposed to high temperatures during the day, and then cools and shrinks at night. When it shrinks, mold will form around the paint surface, thereby destroying the reflective properties of the car paint surface.

Solution: You can leave the car in the garage, or you can make sure to remove the bird droppings on the car as soon as you see them.

Ultraviolet rays (UV) from direct sunlight and extreme sunlight can damage the body, rims, wheels and other decorative parts of the vehicle. Sunlight can also melt rubber parts, crack paint surfaces and cause upholstery to fade.

Solution: Make sure to park the car in a cool place as much as possible. Add seasonal wax or sealant to enhance protection.

When sap or leaves fall on your car, the damp sap will etch into the clear coating of the car, causing the paint surface to become dark, discolored and stained.

Solution: Avoid parking the vehicle directly under the tree.

Dust, dirt, dirt, and gravel seem to be easy to clean and are usually common, depending on how often you experience off-road. Unfortunately, the reality is that if improperly removed, dust particles can be difficult to clean and wear.

Solution: Always flush the car with as much water as possible to remove dirt. Avoid wiping to maintain good looks.

As you continue to rub the sponge to clean the car, the sponge tends to catch and retain the annoying dust particles that scratch on the surface of the car. This can cause dust and dirt to get into the car paint.

Solution: Avoid using sponges altogether.

Surprisingly, paper towels are one of the worst ways to clean a car. The paper towel is made of dry wood fiber. When you rub the paper towel on the car, it acts like sandpaper, basically destroying its finish.

Solution: There are special fiber towels specially used for cleaning the exterior of the vehicle, try to stick to it.

Use the gas station squeegee to clean anything other than the car windows, you are doing it wrong. Do not use the squeegee on the top of the car, the hood or the door panel. These squeegees contain dirt and dust particles that will darken the paint of your car and leave stains on the paint. In addition, the solution they store may damage the paint.

Solution: Use only the squeegee to clean the windshield and windows of the car.

You have 4 free articles this month

Join 500,000 readers and enjoy the free newsletter from Newsweek