Selecting a quality car cover

Maybe the thought of owning a car cover sounds a bit ridiculous to you. After all, you typically keep your car garaged, right? Besides, who wants to have an ugly tarp draped over a car anyway? Not you! Car covers serve a purpose even for the person who keeps their vehicle sheltered most of the time. Let’s examine the benefits of owning a car cover and how you can go about selecting one that is right for your car.

Keeps the bird poop at bay If you leave your car outside, there is a nemesis that takes aim at your car...birds! Yes, birds are all right, but their excrement is not. If you don’t wash it off right away, your car’s finish can be damaged. Some bird poop is so damaging that even a buff and wax job won’t completely restore the finish. A car cover will catch the poop before it does permanent damage.

Better than sun block While we humans can slap on sun block, no finish can completely do the work of protecting your car. Better to have your car covered over instead of exposed to the sun’s damaging rays.

Not so shady So, you think keeping your car out of the sun by parking under trees will help, do you? Not so fast! Whereas most sun rays may not get through, your tree loves to drop sap, buds, leaves, sticks, and branches...right on top of your car. Some car covers are thick enough to help your car resist those small branches that fall from time to time and take aim at your car!

Who goes there? Funny isn’t it when you own a nice car everyone likes to peer inside to check it out. Leaning and rubbing up against the car’s body can scratch the finish in no time. Besides, do you really want everyone gawking at your car’s expensive audio system? I don’t think so!

Rain, rain go away Some car covers offer top protection by keeping rain, snow, ice, mud, dirt, and dust away. Yes, even if you park your car in the garage, dirt, dust, and indoor pollution can take their toll.

Follow the bouncing ball Your neighbor kid loves to whack his soccer ball around...too bad that it takes dead aim at your car. A quality car cover can withstand small “insults” that can scratch or dent the body.

So, how do you select a car cover? Well, for starters what do you want from a cover? Some covers offer minimum protection and will absorb bird poop, tree sap, and diminish the sun’s rays, but not much more. On the other hand, certain car covers made of four layered breathing material offer the most protection. Even better are those heavy duty car covers that come with side mirror pockets. Why are they a good idea? Well, they offer a snug fit and are crafted with the exact make/model of your vehicle in mind. No worrying that your car cover will work loose because it isn’t fitted properly.

Yes, a car cover can be a great idea even for the garaged vehicle. The whole goal of owning a car cover is to protect your vehicle’s finish and then some. Not all car covers are alike, so do some comparison shopping for the one that is best for your car. Oh, by the way, there is no “one size fits all” car cover [you want one custom sized to your vehicle's dimensions]. If someone tries to sell you one, you would do better to run to your home supply store and findng a tarp for your vehicle!