Should Truck Bed Covers Go Through a Car Wash?
Spinning brushes, dryer fans, pressurized water, and waxes are all important factors to consider before taking your tonneau cover through an automatic car wash.
Many tonneau cover manufacturers suggest that you remove their tonneau before going through a car wash. Most covers are easily detachable, and only take moments to remove. Completely removing the cover also allows for the entirety of the bed to be cleaned. This is a win-win situation: your tonneau stays in perfect condition and your outside truck appearance comes out of the car wash looking as clean as it did the day you drove it off the lot!
However, it is easier said than done to remove your cover before every car wash. If removing your cover is a hassle due to the weight or not having anyone to lend a hand, it is important to make an educated decision before getting a car wash with your accessory still attached.
Considering your tonneau's construction is the number one factor when choosing to go through an automatic car wash. Hard-top and hinged tonneaus are constructed of strong plastic or aluminum. These are more heavy-duty options over soft folding covers made of vinyl.
Along with construction, the finish is a following factor. If your tonneau paint job is customized, it is recommended to skip the automatic car wash and go for a traditional hand wash. Brushes and bristles can scratch the finish and leave it looking less than ideal.
Before making a final decision, do your research and check with your specific manufacturer to see if your design is durable enough to withstand an automated car wash.
Tips To Preserve Your Valuable Equipment:
Stay Away From Wax
If your car wash offers extras, do not opt for wax. Getting any kind of silicone or wax treatment on your bed cover can leave residue on your tonneau cover and could result in an interference with equipment parts of your rolling or retractable tonneau. Something to keep in mind is that in some extreme cases, getting wax on your tonneau cover can also negate your warranty.
Choose A Touchless Car Wash
Each car wash has its pros and cons. Automatic car washes can be soft-touch and use moving brushes and cloths, or not touch and just use soap and water jets.
One factor to keep in mind is the use of spinning brushes in some automatic car washes that can damage your tonneau cover. Brushes in automatic car washes clean trucks with friction, which can damage and ruin the aesthetic appeal of the surfaces of tonneau covers if they are painted. Just to be careful, if you want to keep your tonneau and its paint job in good shape, take advantage of touchless automatic car washes. These car washes clean your truck, but they will also be less likely to damage your paint job and ruin your truck's aesthetic appeal.
Hand Washing Is Your Best Friend
The best way to clean your tonneau cover is through hand washing. This way you will be able to avoid the friction-causing brushes that automatic car washes use to clean your truck. Hand washing trucks allow you to not have to remove your cover (if you have to remove your cover for automatic car washes) and you can wash your cover carefully according to certain manufacturer’s directions and get it clean as your truck.
Shopping for a new tonneau cover? Check out the different tonneau covers that EliteTruck sells, and feel free to chat with one of our product experts on our website Elitetruck.com or give us a call at 855-919-2087 and let us help you make an informed choice on a tonneau cover that will best serve your needs.