30th March 2021

Pollen & Sap – Sunshine’s evil brothers, doing their best to ruin your shine!

Being British, we all have a lot to say about the weather and we are constantly amazed at what nature throws at us. We are also all too familiar with pollen and the effect it has on our eyes and senses. You may be surprised to hear of the damage that pollen can actually do to your cars paintwork and interior. While allergies are the most common sign of spring being underway, we delve deeper and explore the real issue with pollen and your paintwork…

How can pollen Damage my car?

If you look at pollen under a microscope you will see it isn’t a smooth object at all. It has spores that act as little “hooks” and these hooks are designed to latch onto our hair, our clothes, and although nature didn’t plan it that way, to our cars as well. Pollen can also be highly acidic and that acidity can eat away at the paint on your car. If pollen is allowed to sit on the car, the paintwork will be stained and ultimately you will suffer early oxidation and perhaps rust. Our tree pollen season starts around the end of March and will continue until at least June. During that time you may also experience Pollen’s little brother that we know as Sap and a sunny day parked under a healthy tree could transform your pride and joy into a sappy mess, perhaps with an ample coating of pollen mixed in for good measure!

What Not to Do

It might seem like an easy answer would be to simply wipe the pollen off your car with a non-abrasive cloth. The problem is that while the cloth may not scratch your car, those microscopic hooks can. With sap in the mix, a dry cloth is useless.

Secondly, a simple wash won’t fully do the trick either. As we stated earlier, pollen is acidic and when it comes in contact with water, the water can activate the acidic qualities of the pollen. This acidity will begin to ruin the paint surface on your car and may eventually eat into the layers in some areas.

How Best to Protect Your Car

What a headache this little yellow dust can cause! Fortunately help is at hand with this simple guide of how to manage the problem.

1) Clean - Give your car a thorough wash with a quality car shampoo. The soapy water will neutralise the acidity of the pollen and allow efficient pollen removal. Car shampoo makes the job much easier than a detergent like washing up liquid as they are formulated to easily remove bugs, road grime, sap and pollen and this means that the job will be much easier.

2) Rinse - Thoroughly rinse all soapy residues and leather the car dry.

3) Protect - Apply a wax or ceramic coating to your fully clean and dry car. This will                   create a protective layer making it harder for pollen to stick to your paintwork.

4) Watch where you park! – If you can park your car in a garage, carport or covered area, do, even in the warmer months. Where that is not an option, avoid parking under trees. At first glance they offer refreshing shade but many trees are hot spots for pollen and sap damage.

5) Cover your Car – While we are a little biased, using a cover throughout the year is an excellent way to protect your car and paintwork from pollutants and that pesky tree sap. If your street or driveway is tree lined you will probably know the problem of sticky paint and windscreens only too well. The time of year creeps up on you and you make a mental note not to park under that big tree but then you arrive home in the dark and the next morning is beautifully sunny and there is your sappy mess, needing a complete wash and wax. You try the wipers and washers but they just make nasty smudges that are so stubborn to remove…..

A Reasonable Solution

Actually our cheapest tailored covers offer the perfect solution. Coverzone ‘Voyager’ car covers are lightweight and very sturdy. They are supplied in a handy zipped storage bag that is about the size of a standard laptop. They have fitted mirror pockets and a snug fit allowing fitment in just a few seconds. Importantly they are machine washable so once yours is a sticky mess, pop it on low temperature wash and drip dry and it will be as good as new. Voyager car covers start at £64 and bike covers are from £29.

Pollen and sap are a couple of troublemakers leaving our cars coated in an abrasive yellow sheen or tacky mess. Don’t let them wreak havoc in your road!