Make your vehicle as clean as it was when it left the showroom before applying for a car paint protection. Do you use a car cover to protect your car, truck or SUV? If not you should consider it. A quality car cover will last four to five years. That means you can use a high quality cover for $40 to $100 per year, depending on the product you choose. In this article you will discover how you can get more from your cover and how to use it properly to avoid potential issues.
Choose the Right Cover
Do you park
your car indoors, outdoors or a combination of both? Do you live in a
humid climate or a dry climate? Does your car need protection from heavy
rain fall or snow? All of these questions and more help determine the
type of vehicle cover you need. By this I don’t mean the brand; I’m
talking about the material.
A quality cover can cost between $175
and $500, so you’ll need to check your facts to make sure you get the
right one. The fabric you choose will have a lot to do with how well it
works for you.
In some cases you will need to make some trade-offs
or be prepared to buy two. For example, if you want to use your cover
both inside and out, a heavy-duty waterproof car cover will probably
drive you crazy. In this case, choose a material that’s light enough to
use inside and can tolerate moderate weather conditions when used
outside.
When you first start looking, the choices in fabrics
might seem overwhelming or unnecessary, but I assure you each material
has its benefits and distinct purpose. There’s too much information on
this subject to share here.
Make Sure Your Car Is Clean
One
of the horrible mistakes I see people make is using their car cover on a
dirty car. If your vehicle is just a little dusty, you’ll get fine
swirl marks in your paint. If your vehicle is really dirty it may start
to look like someone scrubbed it with steel wool.
Here’s a tip.
Get a California Car Duster. I’ve had mine for over twenty years and
it’s fantastic. I prefer the original version with the wooden handle,
but it’s also available in plastic.
All you need to do is dust off
your car with the duster and you’ll be good to go. It takes about two
minutes on a large vehicle. I kid you not, it’s fast and easy.
In
case you’re wondering if they scratch, the answer is definitely no. The
paraffin wax in the fibers of the duster work wonders, even on black
cars.
Make Sure You Put It On Correctly
Nothing
drives me nuts more than watching someone yank a cover off their car,
wad it up into a ball, then toss it into the trunk or the back seat.
Talk about a recipe for disaster. Let me explain.
Car covers use a
lot of fabric; yards and yards of it, in fact. If you don’t fold it
neatly, how will you ever know the front from the rear? While you’re
trying to figure that out you’re sliding it all over the car,
potentially making more swirl marks and scratches.
Here’s a better
way. To remover your cover, always start at the front. Fold the front
lip up towards the windshield in 12 to 18 inch laps. Once you get to the
middle of the roof, do the same thing from the rear. Now go to the
passenger side of the car and begin rolling the cover towards the
driver’s side. Stop half way and finish from the other side.
To
put it back on your vehicle you simply start from the driver’s side,
hold the loose end, and toss the roll to the other side. Next, unfold to
the rear, unfold to the front and you’re done. This way you completely
avoid dragging the fabric over the paint surface.
Avoid Windy Conditions
A
little bit of wind is not an issue. Heavy winds can be a disaster. If
it’s going to be super windy, you may be better off removing and storing
your cover. Imagine the damage that can occur if you live in a dessert
or beach area and sand gets between your car and a cover that’s whipping
in the wind.
Some products fit very snugly and have accessories
to keep them in place in windy conditions. Be sure to read the
instructions for proper use of the wind control devices and the wind
conditions they can withstand.
Keep It Clean
It
should be obvious with all that I have said that you need to keep your
car cover clean. You might be wondering how to wash it. After all, if
you have a large vehicle the sheer size of the ball of fabric won’t fit
in most household washers. One way is to take it to a coin operated
laundry. If you do, be sure to use one without a center agitator, as it
will tear the fabric to shreds.
I do it another way. I literally wash it on the car itself. I hose the car down first, put it on and wash it with car wash shampoo. When the outside is clean I turn it over and do the underside. I rinse it well, allow it to drip dry for a while, then toss it in the dry to tumble dry for thirty minutes or so. Just make sure you don’t put it on your car wet and let it sit out in the sunshine.
I hope this article has helped you to be a better car cover user. They are a wonderful way to help you take better car of your car, but only if you take care to use it properly.
To learn more about custom car covers and how to choose the best car cover for your vehicle, visit David Bynon’s Autopia Car Covers website.
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