Pesky Pollen: How to Protect Your Car’s Finish
Finally, it’s Spring! It feels great to get outdoors again, do some gardening and perhaps take a drive around town with your car windows down. Unfortunately, as the trees, plants and flowers begin to bloom, a powdery substance called pollen is released into the atmosphere.
In addition to being a nuisance for allergy sufferers, this yellow substance settles on the surface of everything, including your car. At Collision Center of Andover we have auto body technicians with many years of experience dealing with vehicles that have lost their luster from pollen or other causes.
We know hot great it feels to have a car that looks as new as when you first bought it, and we work hard to do just that for customers across Andover and Wichita. Just check out our Before and After collision repair photos to see our work!
Spring Issues for Your Vehicle: Pollen’s Effect on Cars
While a single pollen grain is microscopic, it can wreak havoc on your car’s paint – ultimately causing substantial damage to its finish. Because of pollen’s tendency to stick to surfaces as part of the pollination process, pollen needs to be physically removed from your car surface before the natural acids cause damage. A simple rain shower rinse cannot fully prevent staining or premature oxidation.
Can I just rinse pollen off my vehicle?
It may be tempting to just give your car a quick rinse with the hose or use a soft brush to remove the annoying yellow pollen powder from your car, but experts agree this has the potential for long-term damage by scratching the paint. While you may have rinsed some pollen away, a substantial amount of damaging pollen will remain and merely spraying it can activate some of its acidic qualities. This is most often the case with pine pollen because even a rain shower has the tendency to activate the pollen’s acidity.
How to remove pollen from cars finish
To ensure a bright and shiny finish, it’s recommended you wash your vehicle thoroughly with soap to fully encapsulate the pollen and rinse it away. It is also vital to wax your car regularly to further protect the finish.
Steps to effectively remove pollen:
- Rinse your car to soften the pollen
- Fill large bucket with water and foamy car soap
- Scrub the car from front to back in small sections using a sponge or brush that won’t scratch paint
- Rinse car thoroughly
- Dry car thoroughly with a chamois or soft cloth
- Apply car wax according to manufacturer’s instructions and buff well
While pollen has the potential of ruining your car’s finish, a simple soapy hand wash and wax a few times a week during the peak of spring should protect your car from long-term damage from pollen. While hand-washing your car can seem time-consuming, you are potentially adding years and value to your investment.
If you need any work done, or existing damage repaired, contact the Collision Center of Andover at (316) 733-9310, and we will get you back on the road. We offer a variety of services to make your car looking and running like new such as complete vehicle repaint and restoration and window glass repair and replacement.
