A clean car sure looks nice, right? But you’ll need to take a few extra steps with your vehicle graphics to ensure a long life. Here are a few tips about caring for your vehicle graphics.
First, try not to wash your car or truck too often. When you do, use a wet, non-abrasive detergent with a soft, clean cloth or sponge. Rinse thoroughly with clean water. To reduce water spotting dry it immediately with a clean microfiber cloth.
When using an automated car wash, the brush-type systems are not recommended because they can wear down the wrap film, cause the edges to lift or chip, and can even dull the film’s appearance. Brushless car washes are preferred. Hand washing is best.
If you use a pressure washer make sure that the water pressure is below 2,000 psi and keep the temperature below 180 degrees. We recommend using a spray nozzle with a 40 degree wide angle spray pattern. It should be kept at least one foot away from the vehicle, and perpendicular to the vehicle. Holding the nozzle at an angle to the graphics can cause the edges of the graphics to lift off your vehicle’s surface.
If your vehicle has matte or textured films, don’t use any polish or wax. But the other types of wrap films and laminates can be polished and waxed if necessary (typically, cars and trucks do not need to be waxed anymore).
Are your vehicle graphics insured? A licensed vehicle in the state of MN must have liability, personal injury protection, uninsured motorist, and underinsured motorist coverage. But if you have a wrap, graphics or vinyl lettering on your vehicle, it is NOT automatically covered. Call your insurance agent and talk to him or her about the options for protecting your vehicle graphics. If you’re in an accident or sustain hail damage, you may be able to recoup the cost and replace them, which is important to your business!