How to Maintain the Metallic or Pearl Sheen of Your Vehicle

A metallic or pearl sheen is added to traditional solid car paint — for pearly effects, mica is used. For metallic effects, aluminum or other metal flecks are added to paint — to give your car a more dimensional, sun-reflective coat of paint.

To preserve and maintain a custom sheen, the paint itself needs to be preserved. To do this, always wax your car as recommended by your auto body technician to keep your car's paint from peeling, fading from sunlight, or getting scratched.

Sunlight fades any car paint, so you should keep your car covered whenever you’re not using it. While it is believed that custom sheen paint jobs hold up to sun damage better than stock or traditional solid paint, you don't want to risk fading your custom hue or make the color uneven due to direct sunlight exposure.

There are many ways to protect your car from the sun:

Your custom sheen hue is also prone to scratches, although the paint is designed to hide most minor flaws well. It's wise to park your vehicle in a covered area and use a custom, water-resistant car cover at the same time.

If washing your car at home, use a simple garden hose or a low-volume power washer and traditional dish soap to clean your vehicle of debris and insects. Do not use harsh scrub brushes or abrasive chemicals that can scratch your paint job, reduce the sheen of the mica or metallic flecks in your paint, or peel away your car's protective topcoat.

Take your automobile to your auto body technician for professional washing, detailing, and waxing. While there is no hard rule as to how often you should wash your car, it's advised to clean your vehicle every other week and have your automobile waxed every few months.

Your auto body technician will give you a schedule for cleaning and waxing that’s tailored to the way you drive your car and the type of custom paint sheen your vehicle has.

Applied professionally, your car's unique metallic or pearl sheen will last for many years. If you need to have dents and dings touched up with fresh paint, then do not apply any paint to your vehicle yourself. The process to create an attractive paint sheen is time-consuming and precise, so leave this task to your professional auto body technician.

The beauty and luster of your car's custom paint sheen rely heavily on how you care for your vehicle's exterior. For all your auto body needs, rely on our expert team at Coats Auto Body and Paint. Our team will give your vehicle custom care.