Every spring, we go through several weeks of pollen filling the air. While it’s worst this time of year, pollen also continues throughout the summer and even into fall. This can wreak havoc on your car’s paint job. But is there anything you can do about this issue? Here are our best tips on how to keep pollen off your car.
Why Pollen Sticks to Cars
Pollen doesn’t just stick to cars. If you walk outside in the spring, you’ve likely noticed a yellowish-green blanket over everything. It sticks to clothing, sidewalks, outdoor furniture… everything. This happens because pollen has microscopic hooks, which attach to insects and animals so the pollen can spread.
Dioecious trees such as willow, white ash, red cedar, aspen, and many other trees planted in cities have some trees that are male and some that are female. Male trees produce pollen and female trees produce fruits and seeds. Unfortunately, many cities plant only male trees, in order to cut down on fruit and seed clean-up costs. However, since male trees are typically the ones that make pollen, it means that our cities especially are covered in the stuff every year.
Unfortunately, although pollen is good for nature, it is not good for your vehicle’s paint job. Pollen is acidic by nature, and can cause corrosion and staining.
Removing Pollen from Your Car
If your vehicle is covered in pollen, the best thing you can do is remove it as quickly as possible. Avoid just wiping off your car, as this can cause scratches. Also, don’t just hose off your car. Simply put, adding water or relying on rain showers to rinse the pollen from your car can just intensify the acidity. Instead, you’ll want to wash your vehicle with soap.
That said, this time of year it can feel like a losing game. Even if you just washed your vehicle yesterday, you can walk outside today to see it covered in pollen yet again.
That’s where we come in! Here at Kernersville Auto Center, we have a high-quality automated car wash. While we do offer one-time washes, we also offer monthly car wash memberships. With a monthly membership, you can run through our car wash as often as you’d like. It’s perfect for this time of year, when your car can benefit from frequent washes. Here are a few benefits to a monthly car wash membership at our shop:
- Our car wash is open daily, even on weekends.
- It saves an incredible amount of time when compared to washing your car yourself.
- We filter and recycle the water, so there’s as little waste as possible.
- Our wash uses high-quality cleaning products to help protect your car’s paint job.
- We have three different membership options, so you can choose the wash features that are right for you.
Click here to learn more about our Xpress Turbo Wash.
Prevention: How to Keep Pollen Off Your Car
The best way to avoid pollen is to never deal with it from the start. This can be a challenge if you don’t have a garage or shed for parking. Even a covered carport can help, but if you don’t have the space, ability, or money to cover your parking spot, here are a few options for how to keep pollen off your car:
- Wax your car. Car wax makes your vehicle shiny after a wash. Waxing your car also helps protect the clear coat over your paint. Our monthly Turbo Complete Wash package includes hot wax, or you can upgrade any individual wash to include hot wax.
- Get a car cover. Car covers are relatively inexpensive and can protect from not only pollen but other environmental contaminants such as sun, dirt, insects, and bird droppings. They aren’t just for luxury vehicles.
- Have your paint re-sealed. Make sure your car is thoroughly cleaned and any paint issues are touched up. Then, have professionals apply a new clear coat to help protect the paint and ensure the pollen doesn’t stick as well.
If nothing else, make sure your windshield washer fluid is filled and come in to have your wiper blades replaced if needed. You don’t want the pollen to compromise your ability to see as you are driving.
FAQs About Protecting Your Car from Pollen
Our car maintenance professionals are happy to answer any questions you may have about your vehicle’s care. Here are a few common questions we hear, especially about pollen:
Do I need to change my car filters to protect against pollen?
Clean air filters can absolutely help keep your engine running well and improve the air quality inside your car. If you’re not sure if you need a new air filter, we can check it and help you get on a regular maintenance schedule.
Is your car wash a good deal?
We take pride in helping our customers get high-quality car maintenance, whether that means a car wash, an oil change, or any other kind of vehicle repair or upkeep needed. Here are a few real reviews from our customers:
“I have a dark vehicle, and their car wash is the best!” – Noelle Hairston
“Always top notch service, they know the names of all their customers and treat your vehicle as if it’s theit own. Their new car wash is amazing!” – Lathan Durner
“Being a busy owner of my own business I know the importance of excellent customer service. These guys know what they are doing on all levels. My wife now regularly uses them for her weekly car wash as well. Highly recommend!” – Stephen Bagby
You can click here to read more customer reviews.
Do I need an appointment for a car wash?
No. You can stop by whenever our Kernersville car wash is open with no appointment needed:
- Monday through Friday – 7:30am – 6pm
- Saturday – 7:30am – 4:30pm
- Sunday – 8:00am – 5pm
For other vehicle services, while we do accept walk-ins Monday through Saturday, it is always best to have an appointment. This allows us to get you in and out as quickly as possible. Click here to schedule your car maintenance appointment today.
