This is the best way to remove leaves from your car

However, when you talk about leaves, you also have to think about needles that fall from trees. Although it provides an at first glance innocent (and perhaps colorful) covering for your car, we can make some comments about it. It is better to take action and keep your car free of leaves and needles.

Needles and leaves on your car have acid that acts on them

It is not immediately noticeable, but the needles and leaves that can cover your car also contain resin. This resin is acidic and can affect the paint. This means that the paint can be damaged, despite a protective layer of varnish. Don’t leave those leaves on your car for too long!

It is best to remove the leaves with a soft (microfiber is our favorite) cloth or glove and lukewarm water with a good car shampoo. Apply it gently and let it work for a few minutes. Then you can wipe everything away without too much pressure. Just rinse and your car can handle it again.

Tip: apply car wax

Especially during this time, it helps if you apply car wax after your wash. This wax layer provides extra protection for your paint, so that the resin is less able to penetrate the paint itself. Also, because the wax makes the surface smoother, you can remove the mess more easily.

Leaves clog drains

The leaves and needles fall on your car and also end up in the collection container under your windshield. In addition, they can clog the drain. That can become quite a mess if you leave it behind. You can usually easily remove ‘fresh’ leaves from the car with your hands. If it remains there longer, the leaves will rot. That makes the blockage worse. The excess water can even run into the ventilation ducts of your car. How do you notice that? You can get wet! Those rotting remains also attract other dirt. And that can only encourage rust. And three guesses: those places are difficult to get to.

Also remove leaves from under the windshield wiper

It may sound tempting to think of blowing away the leaves on the windshield while driving. Otherwise, the movement of the windshield wipers will remove them. Also remember that if the windshield wiper takes the leaves across the window, you will get streaks when wiping. In addition, it causes greater wear and tear on the windshield wipers.

Remove leaves from the sliding roof

Even if you have a sliding roof, you will have to take care of the leaves that get into the opening, especially if you want to open the roof. On the one hand, this prevents the leaves from rotting. You can also see that when closing the stem of a leaf is not clamped by the rubber. That can cause water to seep in even faster!