How To Wash Your Car Cover (Custom or Otherwise) w/ Common Mistakes to Avoid!

Proper care and cleaning of your car cover is obviously very important.

Right to the point:

Doing so will increase longevity and prevent paint scratches.

Understanding the ins and outs of cover maintenance is A MUST for any car enthusiast.

Cleaning instructions are provided with every new car cover. At least they should be!

Follow them to a tee.

Take it from me…

Fabric performance can be severely affected by dirt that builds up on and within the material.

In particular, your windshield and paint can become fogged. Such a scenario would nullify any water resistant properties the fabric may have had.

The takeaway is this:

Cover cleaning will keep your vehicle clean, and also increase the service life of the cover itself.

Some Key Pitfalls to Avoid

-Do not clean a car cover in a washer with a center agitator (one exception)

-Do not use a fabric softener.

-Never put a non-woven or specialty type car cover in a dryer.


Perhaps you no longer have the instructions that came with your car cover.

If so, follow these generic (do-no-harm) cover cleaning tips:

Machine Wash Instructions

  • Using a large commercial washer (without agitator), wash the cover using 1/4 cup of Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner (some covers are compact enough for a normal size washer).
  • Put the cover in the washer and pour the cleaner in the tub AFTER it’s filled with warm water. Alternatively, you can pour it directly in the machine (some wall-mounted commercial units), then put in the cover and start the machine.
  • Rinse the cover twice to remove all the cleaner.
  • Air dry (unless it’s a cover that can be dried in a dryer with regular or low heat).

Be sure to learn about other ways to prolong your vehicle’s life here!