(SOUTHERN COLORADO) — As pretty as fall foliage is, turns out that leaving those leaves around your house, especially on cars, could actually cause a lot of problems in the long term.

Leaving leaves to pile up on windshields of cars or where your wiper blades are can cause damage, specifically to the paint. As leaves decompose, they release acidic tannins or terpenes, common chemicals used to make turpentine, the solvent that is used to thin paints.

Essentially, leaving a layer of leaves on the car to decompose could act as a paint thinner on the body of your car. In addition, wet leaves can also get caught in your cooling and filtration systems and eventually send mold spores into your car’s cabin.

These effects are not necessarily for the short term, but if the leaves are left on the car during the winter months, they will cause certain chemical reactions. So while you are out raking leaves in the yard, spend some extra time clearing the leaves off any cars, too.