Flying pollen is a sign that spring has really sprung. Good news for people who hate winter, but bad news for hay fever sufferers and drivers without a garage. Or is it not so bad for the latter group?
Car owners who park their cars outside are out of luck, because the pollen seems to be made to stick to car paint. That means more washing, because according to some, the layer of pollen is just as bad for your car paint as resin, bird droppings and Sahara sand.
Yet that is a misconception, because the yellow pollen does not damage the car paint. “Pollen do not affect the car paint because it is very, very soft,” Vincenzo Lucà of the German test organization TÜV Süd told the German channel last year. Bayern 1.
Drain holes clogged
According to him, problems only arise when it binds to Sahara sand, for example. “When you turn on the windshield wipers of the car, this combination of pollen with sand or dirt can scratch the windshield. If you have also parked under a tree, or the car has been outside for a long time, it is therefore better to spray the windscreen briefly with a bucket of water or the garden hose before driving away.
Even if the pollen itself does not damage the paint, you should wash the car regularly in the spring. Because the pollen that is produced when it rains can, according to the TÜV expert, clog the drainage holes, for example at the bottom of the windscreen. This is especially the case with vehicles that have been standing still for a long time. “If you regularly wash your car in a car wash, you don’t have to worry about pollen,” says Lucà.
Honeydew
To remove stubborn pollen after a long time, it is best to use a high-pressure cleaner. The nozzle must be at least 30 centimeters away from the car to prevent possible damage. When the car is waxed after washing, pollen can also adhere less well to the paint.
It is also important to use a summer window cleaner instead of antifreeze. Otherwise, together with the pollen, a mixture will form that is even more difficult to remove from the windshield. In addition to pollen, other resinous substances such as honeydew can adhere more stubbornly to the paint. This can make the stains particularly difficult to remove, especially at higher temperatures.
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