A car cover can be a very handy tool for keeping the exterior of your car protected and clean. By using a car cover, you are protecting your vehicle from leaves, sap, dust, bird droppings, and all sorts of other debris that can impact the aesthetic of your car.
Of course, if your car cover is protecting your car from these things, it means that the cover itself is susceptible to getting dirty. When you notice the cover getting dirty, there are ways to properly clean it. Washing a dirty car cover makes your car look much nicer when under the cover, and also increases the life of the cover.
Method 1 of 2: Washing your car cover by hand
Materials Needed
- Bucket
- Car cover
- Hose
- Laundry line (or another place to hang dry)
- Mild liquid detergent
- Water
Step 1: Place the cover on your car. Install the cover onto the car, and ensure that the entire cover is exposed.
- Pull the cover over the car relatively tight. This will make it more effective when you are cleaning.
Step 2: Spray the car cover with cold water. Use a hose to spray cold water over the entire car cover, making sure that the whole cover gets wet.
Be sure to use the water carefully and gently, so you don’t cause any damage or ripping to the car cover.
Tip: If you have a garden hose spray nozzle on your hose, use it on the shower setting for a gentle but effective spray.
Step 3: Make a diluted detergent solution. Add some mild liquid detergent to a bucket of cold, clean water, to create a simple cleaning solution.
Step 4: Wash the cover with a sponge and the detergent solution. Dunk the sponge in the detergent solution, and then gently scrub the entire car cover.
Immerse the sponge in the cleaning solution any time it gets dry to ensure that the entire cover gets properly washed.
Tip: You can buy a large, soft sponge at a hardware store to make this job extra easy. However, if you don’t purchase a large sponge, you can just use a soft household kitchen sponge.
Step 5: Invert the car cover and repeat. If you would like to clean the inside of the car cover, simply take the cover off the car, turn it inside out, place it back on the car, and repeat the washing process.
If you don’t want to wash the inside of the cover, just skip this step.
- Warning: If the inside of your car cover is lined with a soft fleece fabric, then avoid washing it, and only clean the outside of the car cover.
Step 6: Air dry. After you are done cleaning your car cover, let it air dry for at least six hours.
- If you have a laundry line, simply dry the car cover as you would a sheet. You can also drape it over railing or porch, or stretch it out across a deck.
Method 2 of 2: Using a commercial washer for your car cover
Materials Needed
- Commercial washer
- Laundry line (or another place to hang dry)
- Mild liquid detergent
Step 1: Place the car cover in a large, commercial washer. A commercial washer is powerful enough that it will help remove tough substances, like tree sap.
Step 2: Use cold water and mild soap to wash the car cover. To keep the cover in excellent condition, use a mild soap and cold water setting in the commercial washing machine.
This will thoroughly clean the car cover without damaging it.
Make sure that the detergent your are using is appropriate for the washer.
Tip: If the washer has different settings to choose from, you should choose the “delicates” option.
Step 3: Rinse the car cover multiple times. For optimal results, use the commercial washer’s rinse cycle multiple times when washing the car cover.
Step 4: Air dry. After washing the car cover in the commercial washer, air dry it for at least six hours, at which point it will be clean and ready to be used again.
Either one of these methods will keep your car cover clean and looking great. Taking care of you car cover will also increase its lifespan, so that you won’t need to buy a new one anytime soon!
