Caring for your Vehicle Wrap and Graphics

Caring for your vehicle wrap is very important. To keep your investment looking great we offer the following tips & suggestions –

Washing

Keep your vehicle clean! Hand washing your vehicle regularly with a soft, clean cloth or sponge is ideal. We recommend rinsing off as much dirt and grit as possible with a spray of water and using a wet, non-abrasive detergent such as 3M™ Car Wash Soap 39000 or Meguiar’s NXTGeneration® Car Wash or Deep Crystal® Car Wash.Rinse thoroughly with clean water and to reduce water spotting, immediately use a silicone squeegee to remove water before finishing with a clean microfiber cloth.

A high pressure sprayer can be used on most vinyl wraps from a distance – keep the nozzle at least 300mm away from the surface and perpendicular (90 degrees) to the surface. It is critically important to never put the nozzle directly on your wrap or against a seam, as pressure washers obviously have a lot of power and the vinyl could rip or tear if blasted with a pressure washer from up close. Never use a high pressure sprayer on the edges of a glass window that is wrapped in see-through one way vision film (perforated vinyl). The sprayer will likely blow the material off or at the very least cause damage the material.

Also, never take your vehicle through an automatic car wash with bristles as the bristles can damage your vinyl wrap.

Difficult contaminants such as bug splatter, bird droppings, tree sap and similar need to be softened by soaking them for several minutes with very hot, soapy water. Rinse thoroughly and dry. If further cleaning is needed we recommend using either Meguiar’s Gold Class™ Bug and Tar Remover or 3M™

Citrus Base Cleaner however it is advisable to test the product first in a small, inconspicuous area. Do not use rough scrubbing or abrasive tools as these will scratch the vinyl film. Wash and rinse off all residue immediately.

Fuel spills should always be wiped off, washed, rinsed and dried as soon as possible to avoid damage to the vinyl.

Film Restoration

To help keep your vehicle wrap looking great it is important to use the right products for the type of vinyl you have on your wrap. A gloss finish will require different treatment to a matte finish, and other products such as carbon fiber need to be treated different also. Here are our recommendations –

If you have a GLOSS finish on your wrap you can hand wax your vehicle with a polymer based wax. Under no circumstances use an electric buff! Waxing your vehicle at least once every 3 months will help keep your wrap protected from the elements. The waxes we suggest you use are 3M™ Perfect-it Show Car Paste Wax 39526, Meguiar’s Gold Class Carnuaba Plus Premium Liquid or Turtle Wax Ice.

If you have a MATTE or SATIN finish on your wrap, we recommend using an isopropyl alcohol and water mixture (ratio 2:1) as a quick detailer. Matte wraps (especially white)can be difficult to maintain as oil is almost impossible to remove and dirt can build up on the surface area quickly. The best product that we have found for these types of finishes is made by Croftgate and is called Wrap Care JP-Matte. This product is perfected suited for matte vinyl wraps. It safely and effectively cleans oil and dirt from the surface as well as adding a protective layer that keeps oil and dirt from building up on the surface for months while, at the same time, keeps the film from drying out. If unavailable another product that can be used is Simple Green® All-Purpose Cleaner, but be sure to test this on a small area first.

If your car is wrapped with carbon fiber or a brushed metal texture type of vinyl, we have found that using 3M Tire Restorer or Meguiar’s Natural Shine Protectant can be a great aid in keeping your wrap looking its best. Meguiar’s Ultimate Black Plastic Restorer can also be used successfully on black carbon fiber finishes such as 3M’s 1080-CF12. These types of surfaces need to be treated with great care due to the textured nature of the vinyl film.

Please note that if you have a professional detailer take care of your vehicle make sure the cleaning products and wax they use is safe for the type of vinyl that your car is wrapped with.

Storage

Try to park your vehicle in a garage or undercover whenever possible as vinyl wrap films (just like paint) are degraded by prolonged exposure to sun and atmospheric pollutants, particularly on the horizontal surfaces such as the bonnet, boot lid and roof. Keeping the car under cover will help protect the car from dew or rain, which may contain acidic pollutants (a common problem in many large metropolitan areas). When a garage is not available, consider using a cloth car cover at night.

Also, try to avoid parking under trees for long periods of time. Sap from certain trees can damage your investment and ruin your wrap.