How to Buy and Use a Car Cover

Expensive paint jobs such as the one on this car deserve the protection of a car cover.

Car covers can be a misunderstood lot. There are those car enthusiasts who spend thousands on creating their dream car, devote countless hours researching and learning about their beloved autos, and then spend less than five minutes picking out the very product that can be most vital to its protection. We see it all the time: a pristine car trapped underneath a "shower cap" that a painter wouldn't use to cover a floor. When asked why one would even think of using such an unworthy roll of cloth over their car, the answer is invariably, "Eh, a car cover is a car cover, right?" Wrong.

Technology and chemistry have caught up with the car cover, making today's covers marvels of protection. The key is not so much choosing one particular brand over another, but taking the time to consider exactly what it is you want from a car cover. That may sound strange, considering the "a cover is a cover" mentality, but modern covers offer a variety of features and options tailored to the needs of you and your car. To investigate this, we spoke with Bruce Williamson, Director of Sales & Marketing, Nonwoven Fabrics, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, makers of BLOCK-IT(R) car cover fabrics, to learn about what car owners need to keep in mind when searching for the perfect cover.

Protection from What?
Ask a 100 car enthusiasts what they want a car cover for and you could very well get a 100 different answers, but the common thread will be protection.

"Car owners," Williamson begins, "are mainly concerned about protecting their investments, but for a variety of reasons. They may want protection from tree sap, rain, snow, sleet, or sun. Or if they're close to the ocean, salt. But protecting the investment is almost always the main concern."

Even big rear wings aren't a problem for custom made car covers.

High quality outdoor car covers are specifically designed do this with UV protection and waterproof, breathable fabrics to guard against the elements. Breathability and UV chemistry are paramount to the lasting protection of an outdoor cover. Without breathable fabrics moisture can become trapped under a car cover and ultimately damage your car's paint, while UV protection blocks the sun's harmful ultra-violet rays to prevent fading. Just how important UV protection is can be appreciated by learning that UV chemistry is generally one of the most expensive parts a manufacture puts into their covers. For example, Kimberly-Clark puts the same UV chemistry in clear coat paints as they do in their car cover fabrics.

But what about the people that only park their precious cars in a garage? Do they need all that breathability and UV chemistry? Few car lovers are aware of many indoor covers that don't feature the same element protection of outdoor covers but are perfect in for them in two other ways.

"When we hear from folks that park their cars inside," Williamson says, "they mainly have two concerns: dust and objects falling against the car."

Most people do not have a garage as clean and tidy as top Nextel Cup teams, so there are bound to be rakes, shovels, bicycles, pets, or a hundred other objects just waiting to topple over and scar a vehicle's finish.

"For that reason, we encourage people to get a thick four- or five-layer cover to protect against items falling in their garages," says Williamson.

Protection from the elements and damage are certainly the most common reasons why people buy car covers, but there are more hazards to consider such as protection against theft.

"A car cover, obviously, works to protect the outside of your car," Williamson says. "What is seldom thought of, however, is that they also serve to protect the inside of your car as well."

How? The old cliche works here: Out of sight, out of mind. Sure, an anti-theft device such a car alarm or steering wheel lock work well as deterrents, but what they don't do is conceal your car and its interior. Potential thieves rarely go for what they can't see and besides a garage a car cover is the next best thing in cloaking your car from prying eyes and crowbars.