Wash a car cover ?

Can a car cover be washed? If so, it looks too big for a standard washer. Any ideas?

I have dropped several at a local laundry to be washed and they have come out okay.

Mildew stains won't come out but all the dirt does.

My last was pretty new and I asked them to use a mild detergent and it came out great.

A couple of these were for a D3500 Crew Cab Dually with a camper shell so they were big.

The large capacity centerless ones they have at larger laundromats

First, shop vacuum the dust out of the cover while it on the car or hanging on a clothesline. While on a car it easier. You'll see night and day difference right there.

After that, if you have compressed air, blow it out from the inside out.

Then, wash it.


**I've found that vacuuming every 1/2 to full year is great maintenance.

Laundromat, they have washers and dryers large enough to handle the size and usually a large spin/rinse unit to handle that too. Maybe check with the cover manufacture if it is possible to wash, spin and dry?

Not sure on manufacturer or type. The cover came with the car. I was just worried it would fall apart or something. I assume air dry only? I give it a try, thanks to all.

I wash my old cotton, non-elastic covers every couple of years & they get dried in the dryer.
Old in this case means about 35-40 years old.
Quite a bit of lint in the dryer filter, but the covers are still holding together.
One at a time fills the washer & dryer, which are normal household size.
I shake them out before washing to get the dust off.

I've washed & dried the quilted Dually cover at a laundromat - it's huge.
f t was a tent, it would have an occupancy rating of at least 12 .

I don't own one of the expensive covers, just a basic nylon one. All I want to do is keep dirt and dust off the car, not keep it warm and cozy! That said, I routinely wash mine in our washer. It used to get knotted up around the spindle but we now have a "front loader" so it doesn't have that issue any more. And I either toss it in the dryer or on the line. Being nylon it dries in no time.

Aren't a lot of the newer covers basically paper now?

Does the cover have a tag with how to wash instructions? I want to say some of the water proof outdoor rated covers have specific instructions on how to clean them so as to not mess up the waterproofing feature.

If it's just dusty I would grab a helper and shake it out really well, and/or vacuum it.

Drying it could be done on a hot summer day just by putting it outside spread over some lawn furniture, etc. to keep it off the ground.

nylon cover will turn into a solid ball in dryer, play it safe air dry

no instructions, tag says Oxgord

There's always that one person ...



Bought the cover around 1989. Wash it at least twice a year and almost always toss it in the dryer. And its on the car right now !!!


Nylon 6 fibers are tough, possessing high tensile strength, elasticity, and luster. The fibers can absorb up to 2.4% of water, although this lowers tensile strength. The glass transition temperature of nylon 6 is 47 °C. Nylon 6 is generally white as a synthetic fiber but can be dyed in a solution bath before production for different color results. The tenacity of nylon 6 is 6–8.5 gf/D with a density of 1.14 g/cm3. Its melting point is 215 °C and can protect heat up to 150 °C on average.
The applications of nylon 6 include construction material in many industries, including the automotive industry, electronic and electrotechnical industry, aircraft industry, clothing industry, and medicine.

215*C is 419*F ... you roast a turkey at a lower temp than that !!!

I bought one of the kimberly clark magic outdoor covers back about 94 or so as the car was parked outside. The cover always had a strange dirty feel to it. Washed it several times at a laundromat per instructions and air dried. It did its job but was prone to tearing at the antenna hole.

My other cover that was purchased in about 83 is 100% cotton and still hanging in there. Don't think I'll ever buy anything but a cotton cover again

I have two Nylon stretch covers. wash in cold water with two rinse cycles. Use wool lite for detergent.
In the dryer run on no heat or fluff and it will dry very nicely. Keep an eye on it so it doesn't ball up or put tennis balls in the dryer with it.

COLD WATER AND DRY NO HEAT.

A friend of mine with access to commercial washers has done mine before. No issues.

I take mine to the local drycleaners. They have industrial size washers. Comes back folded in a box. Mine is 25 yrs old and looks like its still new.