The oily substance is notorious for leaving nasty stains on vehicle upholstery
Motorists who make this hot weather mistake could face a £200 repair bill, it was been warned. As Wales is currently experiencing a heatwave, don’t get caught out by this costly error.
Drivers have been warned to avoid contaminating car seats with sunscreen or sun cream – as the oily substance is notorious for leaving nasty stains on vehicle upholstery that can be a nightmare to remove.
Motorists might ultimately have to pay for their vehicle’s cabin to be professionally cleaned, an expense which can cost £200.
Managing director at Select Car Leasing, Graham Conway, said the water-resistant nature of sun cream is what makes it “the nemesis of car seats”.
He explained: “When the temperature rises, sun cream is a must, particularly if you’re out and about in the car, as harmful UV rays can penetrate both windscreens and side windows.
“But sun cream and car seats are also a recipe for stains that can be near-impossible to remove.
“Sun cream is, by its very nature, water resistant so that it doesn’t disappear from your skin at the first sign of sweat or moisture.
“But because it’s resistant to water, sun cream also repels common interior car cleaning products. If it’s left too long on vehicle upholstery, you might struggle to get rid of the stain at all.”
According to experts at the British Skin Foundation, there are two main types of sunscreen in the UK; chemical sunscreens and mineral sunscreens.
Mineral sunscreens often appear much whiter on the skin and contain the chemicals titanium dioxide or zinc oxide. And it’s these oxides that can leave a stubborn white residue on car seats, particularly leather or artificial leather.
Mr Conway added: “Prevention here is better than cure – if you accidentally slap sun cream on your car seats, try and remove it with a cleaning wipe as soon as you can.”
For more stubborn sun cream car stains, the advice differs between experts, with some recommending using a mild degreaser or applying white wine vinegar to the stain. Other advice is simply to use baby wipes – with a pack of wipes costing just £1.
American YouTuber and dermatologist Dr. Scott Walter’s advice has been viewed more than 35,000 times.
In the video, he says: “I love sunscreen but one thing I hate about it, it gets all over my car. I finally found something to clean it without doing any damage – baby wipes. Baby wipes do a fantastic job of removing it without hurting the leather or other parts of the car.”
Mr Conway said that when the sun is out people should use at least SPF 15 sunscreen with UVA protection when in their car.
But he added: “You should avoid leaving a bottle of sunscreen in your car’s glovebox.
“While it might be convenient when it comes to applying protection before you set off on a journey, some of the active ingredients in sunscreen actually break down when exposed to high heat from sitting in your car, rendering it less effective.”
