Show Your Vehicle Graphics Some Love
Show Your Vehicle Graphics Some Love
To keep your graphics looking spit-spot (and reflecting a crisp, clean image of your brand), here are a few maintenance tasks you should do regularly.
Pay attention to how you wash cars and trucks with vehicle wraps/graphics. NEVER pressure wash graphics; this can cause serious damage to your graphics. Soap and water is the best way to wash truck, car and van graphics. Use a soft cloth or sponge to clean, and never scrub a graphic with an abrasive cleaner. Cleaning solutions should be free of alcohol and solvent. Polishes, buffs, and waxes are not recommended. Also avoid letting the car dry in the hot sun; instead, use microfiber drying cloths.
To remove stubborn gunk, such as tree sap, try soaking the area with sudsy, hot water for several minutes. Follow up with rinsing and microfiber drying. If that’s still not enough to remove contaminants, spot wash the area with a mixture of one part water to two parts isopropyl alcohol or denatured alcohol. Again, do not apply abrasive cleaning tools. Finish your spot cleaning with a generous rinse; you want to remove all alcohol residue.
To keep car and truck graphics looking good as long as possible, our manufacturer (3M) recommends parking the vehicle in a covered area, or indoors.
If the decal starts to peel away in certain places, have no fear. You can re-stick it in place using 3M Primer 94 (contact us about availability).
If your windows have perforated graphic film installed on them, do not roll down or defrost the windows. Also avoid using windshield wipers. These precautions will keep your window graphics looking sharp.
DO NOT go through a brushed car wash with a wrapped vehicle; the brushes could scratch or catch the graphic. Moreover, many automatic car washes use harsh chemicals which could harm vehicle graphics.
With regular hand washing and drying, you can expect vehicle wraps to look good for about five years in the Portland area. Graphics and wraps tend to fade fast in polluted areas, under harsh desert sun, and in higher elevations. To stretch your original vehicle graphic investment, follow the maintenance recommendations listed above.
