I get it, really I do. Buying a new car cover is a lot more affordable than building a garage or paying a company like Racing Green Car Storage to care for your car.

But what if that car cover went on to damage your car?

What if you ended up needing to have the bonnet and wings resprayed because the cover, despite the maker’s claims to the contrary, had done more harm than good?

If you think I’ve got a vested interest, think again. I speak from bitter personal experience…

In the late 2000s, I owned a Mercedes 190E 2.5 16. In case you’re struggling to remember the car, it was Mercedes’ answer to the BMW M3 and Ford Sierra Cosworth, and like the latter it came with a Cosworth-tuned four-cylinder engine built for motor sport, but unlike those other two this wannabe touring car was somewhat more stealthy as it had four doors. Also, it cost less than half the others at the time. So being the canny car buyer I am – and fuelled by fond memories of my father running a 190E 2.3 16 courtesy car for a couple of weeks while one of his Saab 900 Turbo 16S was in for repair – I took the plunge and bought a super-tidy, 70,000 mile example, with the rare manual gearbox and obligatory chequered-flag cloth/leather seats.

It was sold to pay for a new kitchen, a few years later. Needless to say, I should have held onto it, but we all have one that got away, right?

Getting back to the point, that car was immaculate when I bought it. But it lived outside, as neither of the two homes we owned consecutively had garaging.

So I bought an outdoor car cover. The first one, a mid-market product, survived being stolen by some drunk teenagers, but didn’t survive the harmful effects of the weather, and its protective outer shell soon started to break up.

So I invested in the best you could get. The claims made by the reputable manufacturer were impressive. It was said to prevent UV damage, was waterproof yet breathable too, resisted bird droppings and sap, was soft enough underneath to not damage paintwork, and it fitted snugly with wing-mirror pockets and three sets of adjustable straps for keeping it secure in wind.

To cut a long story short, it was a mistake to use one. Slowly but surely the cover proved abrasive, wearing all four corners of the car over the years as well as the rear spoiler, as it shifted about in the wind. But there was worse to come: over the winter months, the cover stayed damp and clung to the bonnet of the car, and caused microblisters to form beneath the surface of the bonnet’s paint.

I stopped using it and rented a garage instead. It was a more expensive solution to storing the car, but one I wish I’d used in the first place.

It was a lesson learned. And if you search online for ‘car covers’ and ‘micro blistering’, you’ll see I’m not the only one to regret using an outdoor car cover.

So my advice is simple. If you care deeply about your car but don’t have a garage, rent one. Make sure it’s not damp, well ventilated, and won’t place your car at risk from falling, half-full paint pots or garden rakes!

But if you can’t find a garage local to you, do consider turning to a professional car storage company, like Racing Green Car Storage.

Our immaculate environment is climate controlled by a Cotes industrial dehumidifier, which means it is maintained at the optimum relative humidity level of 55% RH.

The only car cover applied is the very softest of dust covers, sized correctly to your specific make and model of car.

If you would like to know more about Racing Green’s services, or arrange for your car to be placed in our care, please speak with a member of the team, on 03330 909722, or email us at enquiries@racinggreencarstorage.co.uk