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Car Cover Care
A home washer is not large enough to accommodate your car cover and
provide proper cleaning. Covers should be taken to a commercial
laundromat and washed in large automatic washers without agitator. Use a
quarter cup of Fantastik All-Purpose Cleaner or Woolite (no soap or
detergent). Wash your cover using the "Normal" or "Permanent Press"
cycles in cold or warm water. DO NOT WASH IN HOT WATER! Run the cover
through two rinse cycles - it is important that all the cleaner be
removed in order to preserve the cover's water resistance. Air dry the
cover. DO NOT put the cover in an automatic dryer (the fabric can melt).
DO NOT dry clean covers. Another way to clean dust from the inside or
outside of the cover is to put it on your vehicle and hose it off. To
clean the inside, put the cover on inside-out, rinse off and then leave
on to dry. To clean the outside, put the cover on normally, rinse and
then leave on to dry.
Car Cover Selection
Choosing the right cover for your car, truck or SUV will help protect it
and maintain its value. Factors such as where you live, the prevailing
weather conditions and where your vehicle is stored should be considered
when making your selection. Your car is among the most important
investments you will make. We maintain a very large inventory of
custom-fit car and truck covers and, in most cases we will have yours in
stock.
Can a car cover help prevent my vehicle from being stolen?
Yes it certainly can. A thief wants to get into your vehicle,
start it, and drive off as quickly as possible. As soon as a thief starts
to make an entry, they are exposed. A car cover takes a few minutes to
remove, so the thief's exposure time is increased. With so many cars
uncovered, why would a thief want to increase the risk of being caught? A
cover also helps protect the contents of a vehicle. When radios and other
items are out of sight they are less likely to tempt a thief.
How can I prevent my car cover from being stolen?
The lock and cable accessory
kit will certainly help. You should also put your name on the front of the
cover. The name works better than the license number. The instruction
sheet gives details on the correct way to mark the cover.
Is there a correct way to install a car cover?
In general, always cover the front and rear bumpers as the last
step. If the cover has mirror pockets, place the pockets over the mirrors
first. If you have an old car you should cover the roof and windows first,
and then the front and rear of the car. On some coupes and roadsters made
prior to 1932, you might be unable to install the cover at all if you start
with the front or the rear bumper.
What is the best way to fold a car over when taking
it off the vehicle?
The easiest way I've found is
the way we picture it in our instruction sheets. Simply fold each side up
onto the roof and refold it as necessary so the material ends up about 2
feet wide. Then, starting at the front of the vehicle, fold the cover
towards the back in increments of about 3 feet. This way you don't drag the
cover over the vehicles surface, and it's easy to reverse the process for
installation.
Can I put a wet car cover on a vehicle?
If your vehicle is clean, it's actually the best way to dry the cover. If
it's a Covercraft cover, as the temperature warms up, all the moisture will
evaporate, since all of our fabrics are breathable.
Any suggestions on how to keep my vehicle cooler when
I use a car cover?
Other than parking in the shade, because most of our better fabrics will
protect against bird droppings and tree sap, the best thing to do is
to lower your side windows about two inches. Ambient temperature builds
inside enclosed spaces, and if you open the windows slightly you'll allow
air to circulate, just like it circulates under the cover. Some of our
fabrics offer more heat insulation than others, simply because they are
multi-layered and are more effective at keeping heat away from the vehicle
surface, but any cover will help reduce the vehicle temperature on a
hot day.
What are UVR inhibitors?
Most fabrics are degraded by Ultra Violet Rays (UVR) from the sun. To slow
down the degradation process, chemicals are added during the production of
the fabric. You won't be able to see them, smell them or feel them. The
chemicals are expensive so your best bet is to buy a cover from a reputable
manufacturer who believes in quality. To reduce cost, one of the first
things a mill will usually cut is the percentage of UVR inhibitors being
used.
How often should I wash my car cover?
There is no magic number since it depends on where you live and
how you use the cover. Don't be afraid to wash a car cover! Dirt particles
can compromise the effectiveness of the water resistance of the fabric. Be
sure to follow the washing instructions for the cover you own.
Will treating my car cover with Scotchguard® make it
more water resistant?
In almost every instance, a good car cover fabric has been
treated with some sort of DWR (durable water repellency) treatment during
it's manufacturing process. The effectiveness of such a treatment will also
depend on the construction of the fabric. If you can hold the fabric up to
light and see small open areas between the yarns, no treatment will increase
the fabrics water resistance. Adding additional treatments will not help
and aren't worth the cost.
My wife is about 5 feet tall and wants a car cover for her
car. What fabrics would you suggest?
First off, lighter is not necessarily better. A thin nylon cover
or plasticized paper type cover can be very difficult to use in any kind of
breeze. A heavy cover is also difficult for a person of small stature to
handle. Fabrics that weigh between 4 and 7 ounces per square yard are
considered ideal, and that is our target weight for most Covercraft covers.
The other property that is important to consider is bulk. Bulky covers are
hard to handle and hard to store. |
