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DC Car Care Customer Greg Drinkert asked the following question:
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I see nothing in your archives regarding car covers. I drive 45 miles to work, so my car is dirty the day after I wash it. Then I must leave it bake in the California sun all day. To make matters worse, I work in one of the smoggiest parts of the world. I have considered a car cover to protect if from the sun and airborne chemicals, but I worry that the cover will flap it the wind and grind the dust into the paint. The car cover manufactures claim this
won't happen, but of course they want to sell their product. Do you have any advice on covers?
Thanks,
Greg Drinkert
Ventura, CA
Greg, Thanks for asking your question, it is a good one. I have several
good car covers in my garage. Key words "in my garage." You
won't find me putting a cover on a car when it is outside, either for
day/overnight parking or long term storage.
I can guarantee that if you put a car cover on a dirty car, indoors or out, even with very light
dust/dirt, that the paint will suffer. Also, even if the car is perfectly clean...putting a cover on where wind can get to it, will guarantee worn spots in the paint.
Water dripping on stone can wear a hole in the stone in just a few months/years. Paint is a LOT softer than stone! A fabric cover moving on a corner of your car
can wear the paint to primer or metal in a month or less.
Strapping the cover down tight doesn't help much either. If the cover can move at all, the paint will wear.
Also, dirt gets in the tiny fibers, no matter what they say, and eventually will
work its way through to the paint. Be sure to shake out and beat covers
from time to time, and wash them at least once a year. I find that most commercial
coin laundries have one or more large washers that can handle a car cover.
NOTE: use 1/4 or less of the usual detergent when washing car covers. For
some reason they foam up something awful if you use a full measure.
Actually, you can use just plain water for most covers. Also, use COLD
water and the LOWEST setting in the dryer when drying covers, especially those
made of cotton. Don't let the cover dry totally, just let it tumble till
it starts to get dry, and let it dry the rest of the way over an outdoor clothesline.
Outdoor drying for a cover is preferable if you can do it.
Use covers only in indoor storage where the wind cannot reach it! My favorite
covers are the type that are 100% cotton with a flannel inner layer. These
are thick enough to protect somewhat from dings and things hitting stored cars,
and they are soft to the paint. I am not a fan of the three or more layer
synthetic "fabrics". Use the cotton covers. Several
companies sell them.
In the situation mentioned in the question, the best solution is covered
parking. If that isn't possible, second best is to put those heat shield things in the front and back windows and use dark tint
on the glass, if possible, to cut down on sun damage to the interior. Try to leave a window cracked if you can, but not when it might rain.
I have seen solar powered fans that can help keep temperatures inside a vehicle
down, but I haven't tried them. They might be worth a try. Excess
heat has been known to bust out windows, and it will cause deterioration to
vinyl/leather and even electronics inside your car. Also remember
that CD's and cassettes don't like excess heat. Don't keep them in your
car if you park in the sun a lot in high heat climates. Cars in Northern
climates, even during summer aren't in as much danger as those in the south.
A good coat of wax at least every 2-3 months will help protect against acid rain. Use rubber/vinyl dressing on tires to help from UV rays. Also use a good dressing
on your interior parts with a UV protectant.
Lexol Vinylex has a great UV protectant and is perfect for all vinyl parts and works great on
tires. But a product even better for tires is Wurth Tire
Foam. Check out our deal on Tire Foam and the new Wheel Shield to keep your rims clean when you apply dressing.
Lexol Leather cleaner/conditioner should be used on the leather every three months at least to help prevent drying and sun damage. Don't use Vinylex or ANY "all purpose" vinyl/leather product on leather. Leather has unique properties and needs a specific cleaner and conditioner.
Try to wash your car at least once a month by hand with Ivory Liquid dishwashing detergent. This will help get out any contaminants and won't remove wax any faster than "car wash" products, but it WILL clean the surface better than most and will let your wash mitt glide over the surface rather than drag.
Use Wurth Rubber Care on all outside rubber and plastic seals/handles/trim. This helps prevent UV damage and keeps them looking like new. Use this every wash if possible, at least every quarter. Indoor
storage presents few problems, but I recommend that you use those mouse poison
bait things around the perimeter of the building to keep mouse/rat populations
down. If you don't want to kill the little critters, then you can try the
noise maker things that plug in, or the non-lethal mouse traps that catch them
live. But you then need to check the traps every day or the same result
(death) will happen, except much slower! A tip for indoor storage where other
people can't get to your car: Use old bed sheets to cover your car.
These hand-me-downs are usually free, and work great. They just take a bit
more work. I love the combined bottom/top sheets from a waterbed.
Use the bottom on the roof. The corner pockets work great over the mirrors
to keep things on, then let the top sheet cover the hood. Use another
sheet to cover the trunk. Don't worry if the sheets don't cover to the
floor. Dust doesn't settle on vertical surfaces. You don't
want your cover touching or coming close to the ground anyway. The reason
is that mice and other critters can use the cover to crawl up and into your
stored car. Now go out there and keep your car in top shape the right way!
Don Mallinson, President
DC CarCare
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