How to wash/clean a car cover

[Heavy Duty]

Anyone have any suggestions? Mine is a little dirty. I spent all day Sat cleaning, waxing, polishing the vette. Then I put the cover on to keep it looking nice. This morning i took the cover off and the car was covered with lots of dust:ugh . So I think it is time to wash the car cover. What type, if any, soap do you use?. Is it ok to put them in the washing machine?

Thanks

H.D.

 

[Aurora40]

My car came with cover. I put it in the wash and the dryer and didn't have a problem. I have yet to use it on the car, though, as car covers make me nervous. It is a Wolf cover, the indoors-only kind.

 

[Heavy Duty]

My car came with cover. I put it in the wash and the dryer and didn't have a problem. I have yet to use it on the car, though, as car covers make me nervous. It is a Wolf cover, the indoors-only kind.

Thanks for the info. I do use mine on the car both indoors and out. I always make sure that the car is clean before I put the cover on. If it the car is dirty and needs a bath then I'll leave the cover off. They sure go a long ways at keeping them clean when setting.

H.D.

 

[JJS]

I take mine to the local laundromat, and put them in the heavy duty washer.
I'll put my "flannel" in a heavy duty dryer, but not my indoor/outdoor cover.
I let that one "air" dry. I've been told it will melt if I put it in a dryer. It's one of the multi layer "breathable" covers....kinda has a waffleing (sp?) texture to it, if you know what I mean. It came with the car when I purchased it, and I don't know the brand name.

 

[Heavy Duty]

The wife got mine this past Christmas. It looks like a "Wolf" cover and yes it is an indoor/outdoor cover so I know it would have to be air dried. Do you use any soap/fabric softner with yours?


H.D.

 

[Aurora40]

ah, yeah an outdoor would be trickier. Mine is just fabric. I'd wash it on gentle with laundry soap. I wouldn't recommend a fabric softener. In fact, I'd suggest adding distilled vinegar to the rinse cycle just to help remove any and all soap residue from the cover.

Also, I dried mine on the lowest setting. I doubt any of it is shrinkable, but better safe than sorry.

 

[Heavy Duty]

Thanks. That will be one of my missions this weekend.

H.D.

 

[JJS]

ah, yeah an outdoor would be trickier. Mine is just fabric. I'd wash it on gentle with laundry soap. I wouldn't recommend a fabric softener. In fact, I'd suggest adding distilled vinegar to the rinse cycle just to help remove any and all soap residue from the cover.

Also, I dried mine on the lowest setting. I doubt any of it is shrinkable, but better safe than sorry.

Sound advice from Aurora....just use regular detergent, NO fabric softener, and no anti-static sheets (for flannel - dryer).

If your daily driver is clean, you can probably put the cover on that to help it "air" dry faster.

-John

 

[55OHNO]

I have an Evolution cover. It started out ok. I've had it for about 2 yrs. without a problem , costing about $130.00. For the last 6 months I've noticed that when it rains it leaves a white dust substance behind. It's very annoying especially if you have spent an entire day cleaning it before the raiin. I checked on line to see if washing it would solve the problem. I washed it in warm water on gentle cycle with Fantastic as suggested, Well after $5.75 at the laundromat in the heavy duty washer and a couple of hours line drying, IT DIDN"T solve the problem at ALL. That tells me I need another cover. I WOULD NOT suggest buying this cover because it's almost like not haviing one. It may save the car from fading but you have double work. I have it on a 2000 corvette, it stays covered more than it's driven, so a good cover is a MUST for me. I'm looking for threads that will lead me to a good one that doesn't leave white residue, so if you hear of one HOLLA BACK ! I hope this helps.

 

[Heavy Duty]

Hey 550HNO, I have a Wolf cover that so far has been good. This is the cover that I was inquiring about washing. It did stay on the car all winter out side this past year. I seems to be holding up fine. I think i paid $140 bucks for it from Ecklers. The lining is a very soft terry cloth like substance. Now that my cars are inside i want to get a lighter cover for them.

The reason i wanted to wash it was because the terry cloth substance was leaving fine dust behind. Not dirt. So I too took mine to a commerical washer and washed it on the gental cycle using my All detergent that has borax in it. So far so good.

Hope that helps.

H.D.

 

[WhalePirot]

The 'super' covers are breatheable and allow moisture through, I have seen. This can drag dirt from the cover through to the car, but it needs to breathe as opposed to baking/steaming the car in the sunlight.

I have a new Wolf cover, but mostly use it indoors so far, with small dashes of sun-protective ouotside use. They are all a PITA to clean or shake the dust out of. I washed my old cover once with fair result. The laundomat owner was not happy with me for not telling him I had washed it.

For post-cover, dust-only removal, I really like the California Duster; especially on my black cars.

 

[Heavy Duty]

They are all a PITA to clean or shake the dust out of. I washed my old cover once with fair result. The laundomat owner was not happy with me for not telling him I had washed it.

For post-cover, dust-only removal, I really like the California Duster; especially on my black cars.

I washed mine in one of the heavy duty commerical washers. The owner of the laundromat seen me walk in with the cover. I didn't try to hide it. Put it in the machine, fed the machine $4.00 worth of quarters, and purchased one of those cheap boxies of detergent with Borax in it. I think the Borax helped out. After the washing event, I air dried the cover. So far, so good. No more dust.

I just bought one of the Cali dusters this past weekend while shopping at Wally-World. I've seen them used and on T.V. so I thought I'd give it a try. I noticed that they use paraffin to coat the fibers so it will pick up the dust. Only thing is if you wash it the paraffin will wash out and it will no longer pick up dust as well.

H.D.

 

[WhalePirot]

I think the papers that come with the CD says it actually works better as it gets dirty.

 

[Heavy Duty]

I think the papers that come with the CD says it actually works better as it gets dirty.

I'll have to read ALL of the paper. I read up to the part where it states that you have to age the CD on news paper before using. So that is what it is doing right now. Did it say anything about washing it?

H.D.

 

[Black Bart]

I washed mine in one of the heavy duty commerical washers. The owner of the laundromat seen me walk in with the cover. I didn't try to hide it. Put it in the machine, fed the machine $4.00 worth of quarters, and purchased one of those cheap boxies of detergent with Borax in it. I think the Borax helped out. After the washing event, I air dried the cover. So far, so good. No more dust.

I just bought one of the Cali dusters this past weekend while shopping at Wally-World. I've seen them used and on T.V. so I thought I'd give it a try. I noticed that they use paraffin to coat the fibers so it will pick up the dust. Only thing is if you wash it the paraffin will wash out and it will no longer pick up dust as well.

H.D.

Manufactures of covers say to wash in washer that don't have agitater. also do not use detergent soap.
They recommend woolite.
Wash California duster in woolite and cold water but it only needs washed once every 5 years or more because it works when very dirty.

 

[JJS]

I'll have to read ALL of the paper. I read up to the part where it states that you have to age the CD on news paper before using. So that is what it is doing right now. Did it say anything about washing it?

H.D.

I did that....I "aged" it in a rolled up newspaper, placed it in the bag that comes with it, and put it in my cellar. I've never used it, even though I purchased it three years ago. My cellar's becoming a black hole for car care stuff! I really have to clean things out.

Oh yeah, most of the people I've seen using these things don't use them properly. I believe the chemicals in the CD produce a static charge that's supposed to lift the dust off the car, so you never come in contact with the paint. You're supposed to make a pass over the car about 1/2"above the surface.

Most of the people I've seen using these things just wipe it right across the paint, and I believe this method can scratch the paint.

-John

 

[Heavy Duty]

I did that....I "aged" it in a rolled up newspaper, placed it in the bag that comes with it, and put it in my cellar. I've never used it, even though I purchased it three years ago. My cellar's becoming a black hole for car care stuff! I really have to clean things out.

Oh yeah, most of the people I've seen using these things don't use them properly. I believe the chemicals in the CD produce a static charge that's supposed to lift the dust off the car, so you never come in contact with the paint. You're supposed to make a pass over the car about 1/2"above the surface.

Most of the people I've seen using these things just wipe it right across the paint, and I believe this method can scratch the paint.

-John

When I re-read the directions they did state that the first few times that you use the CD that it would leave some of the chemical on the surface of the car. So I am assuming (bad word if you look at how it is spelled ass-u-me) that the CD is lightly used on the car. I too have seen folks rubbing the crap out of the paint with the CD. It did say that the chemical is paraffin which is a very light wax. I guess the excess paraffin is what is being left behind. The instructions say to just buff the paraffin off of the paint.

I know what you mean by the collection of car stuff. I don't have a cellar so the back porch serves that purpose right now. Extra rims for the C4, hood, extra top for the C4, old tires for the Z, assorted cleaning, wax, polishing products. You name it. If I were to have a yard sell and sold all this stuff I probably could pay the house off:L. However, since my new building/garage is up all that stuff will soon find a new home there.

H.D.