UV rays come primarily from the sun, even on cloudy days, and over time can prematurely age paint, tires, bumpers, mirrors and vehicle interiors. Car covers provide over-all vehicle protection. Fabrics like Ultra’tect®, Sunbrella®, WeatherShield®HP and WeatherShield®HD use special solution-dye fibers that are highly UV resistant.
The only type of rain to be concerned about is “acid rain” which doesn’t occur that often now due to more stringent regulations by the EPA. Industrial burning of coal and other fossil fuels released waste gases containing sulfur and nitrogen oxides into the air – and when they mixed with water vapor in the atmosphere they formed acids. Average rain water shouldn’t harm the exterior of a vehicle and, if a cover gets wet, it will eventually dry -- how quickly is dependent on weather conditions (dirt can have an impact on the water repellency of a cover, so periodic washing can help). In high wind conditions, we recommend that the cover be removed to avoid damage. NEVER use a waterproof cover/fabric on a vehicle because any moisture trapped under the cover/fabric will be forced into the paint and will not come out.
Since all our fabrics are breathable, a cover can be left on for extended periods of time in the snow, even for months at a time. Use care when removing a snow-covered cover because moisture in the fabric could turn to ice and bond to the vehicle. The cover could tear if not careful.
Both can damage vehicle paint surfaces and be easily protected against by using a car cover.
Dust particles are so fine they can manage to sift through almost any woven fabric. But DUSTOP® indoor fabric by Kimberly-Clark uses a bonded multi-layer non-woven construction process so there is no pathway for dust to reach the vehicle finish – almost always the vehicle is just as clean when you uncover it as when you covered it. WeatherShield® HP, with its patented EPIC by Nextec finish bonded around the thread, creates a super tight weave. It’s our best outdoor fabrics for dust protection, as well as being highly water-resistant, super compact for easy storage, and machine washable in most front-load washer/dryers.
For ding protection, you need the multiple-layer K-C fabrics like 380 Series, Evolution®, NOAH® and Dustop®. Their unique manufacturing process which bonds layers of extruded fibers together provides a little padding to the vehicle surface. More layers = more protection.
All of our best indoor fabrics feature soft inner layers to pamper fine paint finishes. Flannel, Fleece and Form-Fit® are exceptionally soft, and Dustop’s inner layer is what is used for Huggie’s diapers – you know it’s soft if it goes against a baby’s skin.
By breathability we mean a fabric’s ability to allow condensation under a cover to easily evaporate. This is critical because moisture trapped under a cover has nowhere else to go but into the paint and, once it’s forced into the paint and clouds the paint color, you can only repaint to fix the problem. Moisture can penetrate a cover during a heavy rain storm (remember rain water won’t hurt a car’s original finish), from heavy dew or melting snow. Rain isn’t your car’s worst enemy – sun and bird droppings or tree sap do the most damage! Because our fabrics are breathable, they dry fairly quickly once the storm has passed.
See our Car Cover Fabric Comparison Chart »
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