How to Clean Your Car Cover.

Collaborative Post

You use your car cover to keep your car clean, but when is the last time you cleaned your car cover?
If you allow your cover to get dirty and covered in debris, you may inadvertently shorten its lifespan. You could also potentially damage the paint on your vehicle.
Here’s how to properly clean car covers to ensure they last as long as possible. 

Check Your Cover

Before washing your car cover, make sure you check the directions on the tag. Those directions will help you know how to care for your car cover without damaging it. Nearly all covers are machine washable, but it’s still a good idea to double-check just to be sure. 

Use the Right Kind of Washer

There are many benefits of maintaining your car cover, including a longer lifespan and a more attractive appearance. However, you need to be careful with the cover when cleaning it. Never use a washing machine that has a central agitator, they can damage your cover and cause it to weaken. If you consistently wash your cover in a washing machine that has a central agitator, you can expect it to develop holes over time. That’s not what most people want to hear when they spend a lot of money on a car cover. It’s worth it to take your cover to a launderette or use a commercial washer that doesn’t have a central agitator.

Use the Gentle Cycle

Set your washing machine to the gentle cycle, then allow it to fill up with cold water while your car cover is inside. You don’t want to add your laundry detergent until the washing machine tub is full of water.  Adding the detergent first could lead to spots on your cover.

Use Mild Soap

You never want to use harsh soap on your car cover. Doing so could damage your cover and shorten its lifespan. Instead, add around 1/3 cup of mild laundry detergent to the water in your washing machine. To get all the soap out, put the cover through an extra rinse cycle.

Air Dry

Most custom car covers shouldn’t be put in the dryer. You can check the tag on yours to make sure, but if you’re ever in doubt, it’s always best to air-dry. You can use clothespins to hang your cover up on a clothesline, or drape it gently over the curtain rod in your bathroom if you don’t have a clothesline. Once it’s dry, you can put it on your car again.

Clean Off Dust Frequently

You don’t always need to wash your car cover to keep it clean. You can also use a vacuum cleaner to remove dust periodically. You should also shake your cover off frequently to remove any excess debris.

Do Car Covers Damage Paint? 

Are you wondering, “do car covers damage car paint?” the simple answer is, yes – but this is only if you don’t’ clean your cover. Dirty car covers can potentially trap dirt and other debris between the cover and the car, which could scratch the paint. However, if you keep your car cover clean, you won’t need to worry about this problem.