Saharan dust is coming - How to protect and clean your car
Another wave of Saharan dust is rolling towards Germany. This is how you protect and clean your car!
In the next few days, the Sahara will once again send its greetings to Europe. With these tips, you can clean your car properly.
- If possible, park the car in the garage
- Rinse and check pollen filter
What to do in case of Saharan dust?
There is again a greeting from Africa. Southern air currents bring Saharan dust to Europe, as they did at Easter. So what should you do to protect your car? Ideally, the car can of course be stored in a garage and can thus escape the dust. If this is not possible and the car is left outside for a long time, you should quickly start washing off the dust layer.
The dust not only looks ugly, it can also significantly restrict visibility and impair safety in the headlights, taillights and windows. In the worst case, sunshine can even burn the dust layer into the paintwork and can then no longer simply be washed off.
If you want to clean now, you should remember that washing your car by hand is prohibited in many places. Where permitted, it is first important to rinse with plenty of water. When scrubbing or rubbing with the cloth, there is a risk that the dust will scratch the paintwork or rub into it. This then leads to dull paint. With so much water, it is worth going to the car wash.
Don't just clean the outside
As soon as the exterior surfaces are sparkling clean, you should open the doors and flaps of the car and take care of the rest of the car. To do this, soak a cloth and wipe once over the concealed sheet metal surfaces in the car. Wash out the cloth frequently so that the dust does not simply carry on. Then it's time for the interior.
Here you should first say everything you can to get rid of the simpler dirt. Then you should wipe the cloth over the dashboard or another surface. If the cloth then turns yellow directly, all surfaces in the interior must be cleaned. Again, wash out the cloth frequently so as not to simply carry the dust on.
You can find more tips on cleaning the interior here: Cleaning the car interior
Finally, you should take a look at the cabin filter (also called pollen filter). If this has not been changed for a long time, it could empty towards the interior if overloaded. So an exchange is a good idea after the weekend. Depending on the make and model, the filter can be replaced by hand.
You can find more tips for maintaining and caring for your car on our topic page: Maintenance, repair and care