---
title: "Take Leaves off Your Car As Soon as You Can"
date: "2024-10-01"
modified: "2024-10-01"
authors:
  - name: "Andrew P. Collins"
    job_title: "Executive Editor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/andrew-p-collins"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/take-leaves-off-your-cars-as-soon-as-you-can"
categories:
  - "Cleaning & Detailing"
  - "News"
  - "The Garage"
---

# Take Leaves off Your Car As Soon as You Can

![Andrew Collins' BMW E46 coupe and F31 wagon](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/leaf-stains-on-BMW-paint-img_9238.jpg>)
*\<em\>Andrew P. Collins\</em\>*

Two pieces of advice I like to crow about every [autumn](<https://www.thedrive.com/guides-and-gear/how-autumn-weather-contributes-to-your-cars-downfall>): Try pumpkin coffee drinks from anywhere besides Starbucks, and more importantly, peel the fallen leaves off your car as soon as you see them.

Dead leaves are full of acids. When they dwell on paint, they can leave stains that are a pain to remove. Rarely *impossible* to remove, but still, taking the leaves off when they're fresh is far easier than any amount of scrubbing. If you do end up with stains, regular car soap usually gets them off. But stubborn ones might force you to escalate to [sap-removal techniques](<https://www.thedrive.com/guides-and-gear/how-to-remove-tree-sap-from-your-car>).

![Leaf stains on car paint.](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/leaf-stains-on-paint-img_9154.jpg>)

![Dog hair somehow sticking to car paint.](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/leaf-stains-on-paint-img_9155.jpg>)

![1998 Mitsubishi Montero with rally graphics.](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/leaf-stains-on-paint-img_9153.jpg>)

As with any paint-marring factor, the better protection you have the less you have to worry. A good ceramic coat or paint-protection film will go a long way to staving off leaf stains. But since leaves are so easy (dare I say, satisfying?) to remove from your car by hand, you might as well just pluck them. It's barely even an issue if you drive your car regularly—you'll probably only have a handful to pull off by the time you get to work.

One other leaf issue to have on your radar is blockages to under-windshield vents. Leaves can collect in these areas near the top of your hood, creating miniature dams that keep water stuck in places it should be drained from. Take care of those too—you don't want plant debris leading to rust or inefficiencies in airflow.

![BMW wagon with leaves.](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/leaf-stains-on-BMW-paint-img_9240.jpg>)
*Getting leaves out from under my BMW F31's hood is particularly annoying. *Andrew P. Collins**

As for my beef with Starbucks, I just think the current-gen Pumpkin Spice Latte is too sweet for human consumption. Now that pumpkin coffee has almost as much mass appeal as water, you can get it anywhere, and indie coffee shops usually do far tastier versions.

There, I just gave you an excuse to blow those leaves off your car. Find yourself a new coffee spot and try some small-batch pumpkin flavor syrup.

![BMW E46 coupe and F31 wagon chilling in the fall.](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/leaf-stains-on-BMW-paint-img_9239.jpg>)
*It sure is a pretty time of year in northeastern America, though. *Andrew P. Collins**

## Author
As Executive Editor, Andrew touches everything on the site from daily news coverage to feature stories, sponsored content, product reviews, road testing vehicles, ecommerce, and more. He's held pretty much every role there is to have at an automotive news site and has been with The Drive's publisher Recurrent since 2020. Andrew's a lifetime gearhead and longtime writer with a particularly strong penchant for road trips, off-road adventures, and archaic vehicles. His passions outside of the automotive world include skiing, obsolete video games, and his dog Bramble who occationally helps review cars.

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://instagram.com/andrewatlarge>)  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetercollins/>)