How To Clean Up Your Car Before and After Holi

Here are some precautions to take with your car before you go out on Holi and some remedial measures too.

It’s that time of the year again, when car lovers cringe at the thought of their prized possessions getting dunked in colour. Let’s face it, not all colour is organic or dry and it can leave nasty stains on your car — especially pristine white ones.

But, you could take some precautions before Holi to ensure that your car stays safe during this festival of colours.

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Cover it Up

A car that’s all covered up is a relatively safe car. So if you have parked your car in the open and have a waterproof car cover, this would be a good time to use it. Wrap it down tight and secure it. Of course, there’s no guarantee that the cover would remain the colour it is after Holi.

But what if you have to drive out somewhere on Holi? You obviously can’t drive with the car cover on, can you?

Protect the Paint

Well, then it would be a better idea to take some precautions with your paintwork. A good dose of wax polish (the hard wax variety) would work wonders just a few days before Holi. Wax will form a preventive layer on the paint and prevent colour from staining it.

Or you could opt for a more expensive Teflon treatment for the entire car. This is similar to waxing it, but is harder and lasts longer.

If that’s not all, you could also get paint-protection film from companies like 3M installed on the car, which forms a permanent ‘wrap’ over the car’s original paintwork. It costs about Rs 450 a square foot, so it can be a tad expensive. But it comes with a five-year warranty and can be removed to restore the car to its original glory.

But what about the interiors? Fabric seats and leather upholstery can get ruined with colour, if you choose to sit in the car post a boisterous session of Holi.

Wrap the Interiors

This would be a good time to pull out those large plastic bags, rolls of newspaper and cling wrap from the kitchen. Cover the seats with the large plastic bags and secure them with tape. Cover the door pads, door handles and steering with cling wrap from the kitchen. Cover the music system too with cling wrap (and try not to use it). Use a wax or oil-based dashboard polish for the dashboard. Line the floor carpets with newspaper to prevent them from getting stained.

However, despite all these precautions, what if your car does get doused in colour? What if you hadn’t taken any of these precautions? Oh, the horror! Fret not, a lot can still be fixed.

Post Holi Clean Up Act

The first thing to do is to not let the car sit soaking in colour for too long — it will get stained. Wash the car immediately with a suitable car shampoo. Vacuum and dry-clean the interiors. Household stain-removers will work on fabric seats, but not on leather.

If the colour stains have got embedded in the paint and don’t come off even after a good shampoo wash, you will need to take some remedial action. Get the car professionally buffed with a rubbing compound. Follow this up with a good coat of wax polish to protect the paint, as rubbing compound can thin out the top layer of paint, which is the clear coat.

Of course, the easiest way to stay safe is to not use your car during Holi. Take a cab if you have to go somewhere.

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