Owning a vehicle is a lot of work. You're responsible for its routine maintenance, external appearance, and overall health. Sometimes -- and despite your best efforts -- outside influences exert themselves on your car with a vengeance: fluids begin to leak, wheels lose their tread, and your shiny paint job gets dinged and scratched out of seemingly nowhere.

That last one is exceptionally frustrating due to its simplicity; unfortunately, the $42 billion auto body industry thrives on it. Though there are a number of factors that contribute to vehicular paint damage, we're going to take a look at the top five today.

1. Temperature Changes: If you live in an area that constantly experiences fluctuations in temperature, don't be surprised if your car reflects that fact. The paint expands and contracts along with the temperature, which eventually creates cracks that water, salt, and other chemicals can penetrate. If not repaired immediately, the area may begin to rust quickly.
2. Shoe Polish And Shaving Cream: Try to resist the urge to paint "Just Married" on your back windshield if you plan on driving away from your wedding in your own vehicle. If either finds their way to the car's paint, they will be extremely difficult to remove and will most likely leave permanent marks behind.
3. Concrete: Do your best to avoid construction areas; if a speck of wet concrete gets onto your car, it will need to be scraped off -- and will almost always bring the paint with it.
4. Bird Droppings: Bird droppings naturally contain chemicals that eat away at car paint and expose the underlying layers. Try to wipe the offending messes off as soon as you notice them to protect your paint job.
5. Gasoline: Gasoline and other vehicle fluids cause paint to peel, and your car itself is not immune to them.

Fortunately, you can correct the blemishes left behind by these irritating substances and situations with vehicle touch up paint kits. They exist for a variety of cars: you can find Chevy touch up paint, Nissan touch up paint, and Acura touch up paint -- and in colors that perfectly match your vehicle -- with little effort. So, the next time your Chevy Tahoe experiences the wrath of bird poo, reach for your Chevy touch up paint kit and forget it ever happened!