jisnardi

Being a new owner I would like to keep my car as nice as I can. I thought to purchase a good car cover for use inside the garage. My only concern is, will a cover keep in humidity, causing mold or odors inside the car?
I live in South West Florida and it is usually hot and humid here. My garage is not climate controlled.
Any feedback would be appreciated.

dcamick

I can get a lot of dust in my Garage over time.. If the car sits in the winter, I usually cover it....

cor66vette

You may want to think about a de-humidifier at the same time as a car cover

jisnardi

Thank You, next on my Lowes list

GTOguy

In my experience, car covers do more harm than good. If you want to keep dust off, a couple of cotton bedsheets that are readily washable will work fine. Commercial car covers can trap dirt and moisture, provide a hiding place for rodents, and don't fit in a household washing machine, so you end up getting the car dirtier with use. I use no covers and a CA duster in between 'dry' washing. Cars always look good and are always ready to drive without trying to fold and store an ungainly cover. BTDT, and it's not for me, personally.

Roger Walling

I have a few car covers that I never use.
I was tempted to use one on my convertible but I was afraid that the mice would enjoy it as a nice tent and nibble away all winter.
Instead, I rinse off the car just before I use it and only wash it when it starts looking too bad.
I think that sliding it across the paint does more harm than good. Especially when one thinks about the dirt that it can pick up while not on the car, or the dust that it acquired while driving it.

jisnardi

Thank You.

ricks327

I have used good quality flannel car covers for over 25 years. Never an issue, just make sure car is clean before installation.

Tiger Joe

I always think guys that don’t cover their cars don’t actually do any serious work in their garages. I have 7 different vehicles with covers on them. Keep them covered most of the time unless I’m driving one regularly. Can say for a fact my covered cars are WAY cleaner than my uncovered vehicles sitting in my garage.

GUSTO14

I agree and have pretty much done the same for 40+ years with no ill effects. What I do consider critical is to alwaysavoid using a cover on a dirty car. If you do this, I think you will avoid any issues as well.

Good luck... GUSTO

jtranger

^^^^

This. I have all 3 of my rides covered with a light flannel cover. I think if you are not having to dust and clean the car daily, you will have less scratches. Car stays dust free and ready to drive. Dust or clean before puting the cover back on.

65air_coupe

I'd recommend using a cover. I have a nice flannel cover that I would use when I drove it to work daily but rarely in the garage. But during the 40 years of ownership, the most damage my car received has occurred in my garage and had I put the cover on it, the damage would have been non-existent or minimal. Since I'm driving it almost daily, I'm still not covering it in the garage.

3JsVette

I cover my cars also. For years including my magazine featured multiple Goodguys awarded '55 Nomad. My suggestion is no matter what cover you choose how you put it on and how you take it off is what causes surface scratches. Don't cover the car if it's dusty. Once the inside of the cover is dirty you just made your life harder. The 1st time on is the hardest as you have to figure out front and back and that's where the cover starts getting dragged all over the car. That's why the car being clean is a must. When you take it off pull it over the front and rear bumpers first letting it hang in place. Now go to a side, Pull it away from the bottom and lift it up and pull it all the way up and lay it on the roof. Do the same on the other side, Now go to either the front or back and roll the cover off not dragging it across the hood and roof. You should wind up with what looks like a huge bed roll. When you put it back on (the car being clean) reverse the process either staring in the front or rear depending on how you took it off and roll it back on then dropping the sides reverse of how you took it off. You should stay relatively surface scratch free. Dust on the car contaminating the inside of the cover and dragging the dirty cover across the car are what causes the scratches and disdain for covers IMCO.
Good luck on what ever you choose to do.

Roger Walling

This tread reminds me of my father's 1956 Oldsmobile. He installed seat covers on it before he picked it up at the showroom.
I have never seen the original upholstery, but the used car dealer was very pleased when he tore them off before showing it to his customer.

I suppose that there are two different car owners.
One that uses his car as a trophy,
and one that uses his car.

morly1963

I dont live in Fla. but in NJ and it gets very humid in the summer. I have the car parked on a thick mil plastic with a cheap box fan in the front of the car to keep air moving.
The plastic keeps any moister from rising under the car. I dont use a car cover.
I put pieces of cut carpet around the side so as not to have a slip-n-fall walking around the car.

jim lockwood

I agree with this approach and take it one step further: I keep the hoods open so the engine bay with all that juicy, delicious wiring doesn't represent an attractive nesting place for rodents.

If I do feel compelled to cover a car, a cheap, plastic painter's drop cloth is an absolute barrier to dust and it doesn't scratch paint at all.

R66

Have car covers for both cars as the wife insisted on having them. I rarely use them unless I am doing dusty work (woodworking or welding, etc.) in the garage. As previously stated, you need to wash (not California dust) the car before you install a freshly washed car cover (in my opinion).
The rodents here in the woods love to find dark places to hide after the crops are out of the fields surrounding our house. If a vehicle sets for a week or less without being moved, they will make a nest and feed on wiring and other semi-soft materials. I have a 93 Doooooge 1 ton that I have to work on the wiring annually as it ether sets in the farm shed or outside and is very infrequently used and it is not covered. Another reason to drive them daily. I have trouble keeping them out of the garage attached to the house let alone the outbuildings.
I started out using flannel sheets to cover R66 and should have stuck with that in my opinion, much easier to put on by yourself and easier to wash.

corvetteed

I've used car covers on all my old cars for over 40 years w/no problems. I've used the high end, open weave type, bed spreads, painter's thin plastic drop 'cloths', medium grade form fitted custom made for my vehicle type, and everything in between. As others have said, the car must be clean when covered. Mold can be an issue, even w/a good quality cover. In that case, the best bet is to get the air circulation going in the garage w/extra vents, a fan, and/or a dehumidifier. The best prevention for the mold, if you can do it, is to take the vehicle "out" more often.

3JsVette

Just to add a side note car covers are associated with waxes as opposed to drivers. All my car covers are "water proof" not really but relatively speaking. I don't own a trailer and none of my cars have ever seen a trailer since I own them. As many "old cars" are not water tight (if you have ever looked at the cowl vent on a fat fender car or the tailgate on a Nomad you know what I'm talking about) the cover has saved me in torrential down pours at weekend events. When you're 500+ miles from home and the weather turns shelter is not always available. The cover can be a welcome safety net from having to dry up water from the interior. These cars are mostly driven in the summer and some "storms" pop up out of nowhere.
I know the O/P is asking about "in door" but for some of us the cover has more than one purpose.

Tiger Joe

in my experience mold is not an issue related to a cover, but the climate in the garage.