I searched and this question got asked a lot over the years, but I didn't find any from the past couple of years. The instructions that come with the cover says 2 cups of Fantastik. In the past, some people said you're supposed to use a type of Fantastik that's different from the ones you can get from a big box store but all those links to the "correct" product no longer work. Others said all Fantastik is the same.

Others have suggested using Woolite, which is something I have on hand and might be easier for others to find compared to Fantastik. So, for those who used Woolite on their car covers over the years without issues, which type did you use (regular or dark) and how much (lines in the Woolite bottle cap)?

Thanks in advance.

 

All I will add is to have a buddy (wife or whatever-maybe train a lab) to spread the cover out (any car cover-I go through a lot as I park in an airport every month) and shake the living daylights out of it to get as much dust and dirt out before you put it in the machine for cleaning. A good breeze can help.

 

I'd add to take it to a laundromat instead of using your machine at home. Cover is big and once wet will be super heavy, I wouldn't use my washer at home to do it.

 

Thank you both for the suggestions. I already shook it out and was surprised at how much dust came off of it! So I figured it was time for a wash. And yes, definitely taking it to a laundromat.

 

So... How did the wash go?

 

Worked out OK from what I could tell. Haven't put the cover back on to know for sure, though.

 

I dry cleaned mine. Worked out fine.

 

It really is important, if you care about the condition of the paint, to avoid covering the car if it is dirty. If it is light dust, one of the "California Dusters" on a wand thing works well to remove dirt that might cause fine scratching.

 

I was curious about washing mine as well. I got mine used. The previous owner claimed to have used it a couple times. It came with pilling on the outside. I was able to remove all the pilling using one of those handheld devices, but it took 1-2 hours to do so. I'm afraid that washing it will further thin out the material, bringing back the pilling of the cotton.

 

In a recent overseas trip I came across this multi-fabric, multi-fabric, multi-layered car cover. An addition option allows license place viewing by relevant authorities.

The spirit of car care is universal.