1002 C Street, Sparks, NV 89431     (775) 331-1100      M-F     8AM-5PM    No appointment necessary

Search
Close this search box.
Search
Close this search box.

How to Wash Your Vehicle Wrap

One of the most common concerns that people have about motorhome wraps is making sure that they last a long time. Because motorhome vinyl wraps are a big investment, you want them to last as long as possible. These wraps last a minimum of around five years but if you want them to last as long as possible, you have to know how to maintain them. A big part of maintaining your wrap is washing it. It doesn’t matter whether you have a box truck wrap that’s only used on a few occasions or a bus wrap that is used on a daily basis, you have to take special care when washing it. Here are some pointers on what to do and what not to do.

Should You Wash It Regularly?

If you want the car wrap to last a long time, you have to wash it on a regular basis. You should shoot for once a week at the very least. However, you will need to wash it whenever the vehicle is noticeably dirty. The reason for this is because if you leave contaminants on the graphic too long, it will be hard to wash off. As a result of this, you may have to put more effort in washing off the contaminant which can result in tears in the wrap. To clean your wrap, you want to hand wash with a non-abrasive detergent and a soft fabric to avoid any damage.

Should You Pressure Wash?

There are mixed opinions on whether you should pressure wash or not. On one hand, pressure washing makes sense if you need to cover a large surface areas like motorhome wraps. On the other hand, pressure washing can cause the wrap to lift around the edges and mess up the film. If you are dealing with motorhome vinyl wraps that cover a large surface area and want to save time, you can pressure wash if you follow a few conditions. You want to keep the temperature below 80 degrees C, keep water pressure below 2000 psi, and wash from a foot away while aiming straight at the wrap. You also want to avoid the edges of the wrap and hand wash those areas instead.

How to Dry Your Car

After you’ve washed your car, you want to rinse thoroughly with water. Then, you want to remove as much water as possible with a squeegee or microfiber cloth. Leaving the water to dry off by itself will result in water spots. Water spots can hurt the look of your vinyl wrap and even lead to damage. Don’t rely on a hot and sunny day to take care of the drying job either. Exposure to the sun shortens the life of your vehicle wrap. If anything, you want to keep your vehicle out of the sun as much as possible.

Is Car Wax or Car Polish Okay?

A lot of people like to use car wax or polish on their vehicles because it keeps their vehicles looking sleek, evens out the surface and protects their paint from damage. However, it should not be used on a vehicle with a vinyl wrap installed. Car wax and polish protects paint but it will deteriorate the film. If you’re spot treating areas of your vehicle with wax, be on watch of wax buildup and make sure that it doesn’t get near the vinyl wrap. Ideally, you shouldn’t be using car wax or polish at all.

How to Deal with Stubborn Stains

Stains like tree sap, bird droppings and bug splatter can be hard to get rid of. You can get rid of these stains by spot treating it with hot, soapy water. If you feel you need to use cleaning solution to get rid of the stain, test it on a small area and see how the area is affected after a day or two. If everything looks okay, then it’s probably fine to spot treat it with the cleaning solution. When in doubt, look for the manufacturer’s site to get a list of cleaning solutions that are wrap friendly.

If you need a new vehicle wrap or customization on your existing one, let Grafics Unlimited help you. We’ve been designing high quality graphic wraps for commercial vehicles for over 30 years. We’re also certified installers of the leading suppliers like Oracal, 3M, UASG, and more. We offer a wide range of services from exterior wraps, clear bra installation, custom stickers, magnetic signs, to cut vinyl lettering.

Contact us and we talk about your project.

Questions? Need a Free Estimate?

Our team is always happy to help!

Call us at 775-331-1100 or fill out the form below to contact us.

Name(Required)
Drop files here or
Accepted file types: jpg, png, Max. file size: 128 MB.
    This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.