My wife gets angry at me because I’m not too careful about dragging some snow (on my coat or on the newspaper bag) into the car on snowy days, and some snow gets on the upholstery. She’s worried that over time it will ruin the upholstery. Is this something we should be concerned about?
Make an effort not to as it is her pet peeve. We all have them.
Most cloth in cars can withstand this without staining.
The major concern is you add more moisture to the vehicle on winter days and must run defrost with AC running(automatic on most cars) to get it out. Otherwise you get foggy windows.
Happy wife = happy life.
Generally minute amounts of snow/water will not ruin cloth.
However if it is continually moist, then mold/mildew etc. can grow. This can happen if the moisture is excessive and gets down in the seat foam.
Also, typically snow will include some amount of sand/salt, which can ruin the upholstery.
Hey man,
Pick your battles very carefully. Some battles are not survivable even if you “win” :))
While it is not necessarily appropriate to answer a question by posing another question, I will do that.
On rainy days, do you and your wife somehow manage to thoroughly dry your clothing prior to getting into the car?
If you do not thoroughly dry your rainy clothing before getting into your car–(obviously!)–then the rain scenario is no different than the snow scenario. When the snow melts, it is exactly the same as the rain that you both bring into the car on rainy days. Why does your wife believe that snow is any different from rain?
It is only logical to try to limit the amount of precipitation that gets onto your upholstery, but much of this unavoidable. Simply shake off as much snow or rain water as possible prior to sitting down, run your A/C or defroster to dry out the interior, and motor on without getting overly concerned with this situation.
Angry? Really? Too bad.
The upholstery in modern cars is designed to withstand almost anything you, your kids, or your dog can drag into the car. A little snow or rain will not hurt anything. If the seats get slightly dirty you can use regular upholstery cleaner to clean them.
I can’t even open the doors on my vehicles without some snow falling onto the seats.
She who must be obeyed is right. Over the next 20 -40 years it will cause a problem. If you are wise and want to enjoy the next 20-40 years you will adjust and become more careful. Hopefully you fee she is worth that little effort on your part.My wife never fusses about car issues, except when she believes that I might be fussing about car issues. It’s only a car and it will show signs of use no matter how we try to prevent it. You can get even. The next time you are asked if an outfit makes her look fat, you can say “it’s OK, you have to wear something”.
Get a can of Scotchguard and apply liberal (sorry skipper) amounts. This stuff really helps protect fabric from water and dirt. Reapply once a year.
I daresay I agree with the posters.
While I readily admit I’m not perfect, (Did I just say that?) when it comes to our vehicles I may tend to slightly overdo things.
My biggest problem is with taking way too long to close the door (on snowy or rainy days) which causes water to run down into the door (armrest) mounted switches.
Most of us know what happens then eh?
I disagree. She is obsessive and domineering. If you give in here, you don’t know where she will stop. Shout and curse the next time she mentions it. Stomp your foot and shake your fist.
Yes! Stand up for your rights!
Also, learn how to do your own cooking and sewing, since you will soon be doing those things for yourself.
;-))
You could always get seat covers…