If you need to clear leaves from your car, do it carefully, picking them out with your hands or by using a leaf blower with light air pressure. (Too much pressure can cause leaves to become lodged in hard-to-reach places.) To unclog sunroof drains, you might be tempted to remove debris with a wire hanger, but that can tear the sunroof lining. Instead, use a vacuum to draw out the leaves. Pop the hood to clear leaves near the base of the windshield, where the car’s heater intake system is located. Then give your car a good rinse.
For tree sap, dab spots with rubbing alcohol on a cloth or try a tree sap remover, such as Turtle Wax Bug & Tar Remover, $7 (not tested by CR). “To be safe, test any store-bought cleaner on a small spot of paint first,” Ibbotson says.
Waxing your car once a season also helps protect the paint. If you can’t avoid parking under trees, consider investing in a car cover. Better ones tend to cost at least $100 and are made of multilayered material. (Cheaper, single-layer covers risk trapping moisture and scratching your car.) And don’t forget that wet leaves can be just as slippery as ice, so increase your following distance when driving on leaf-strewn roads.
See the best leaf blowers from Consumer Reports’ tests.
And if the car is damaged, see our Car Repair Assistant to get an estimate or find a repair shop near you.
