Car wrap aftercare.

A wrap is easy to live with if you treat it like soft paint. Every finish follows the same washing rules; the difference is what you're allowed to put on it afterward. Here's the routine we hand every customer at pickup.

Here's what you'll find below:

• The short answer
• How to wash a wrap
• The never list
• Gloss wraps
• Satin and matte wraps
• Ceramic coating a wrap

The short answer

Hand wash with two buckets every couple of weeks, rinse grit off before anything touches the film, clean bird droppings and sap the same day, never polish it, and never run it through a brush car wash. Gloss can take a sealant; satin and matte get matte-only products and nothing that shines.

Treat a wrap like soft paint and it looks new for years. Treat it like a truck bed and it won't.

How to wash a wrap in 6 steps

1. Rinse the grit off first
2. Two buckets, pH-neutral soap
3. Straight lines, light pressure, cool panel
4. Keep pressure washers off the edges
5. Dry it, don't let it dry
6. Quick wipe-downs between washes

Let's go over each step.

1. Rinse the grit off first

A hose or foam cannon takes the sand and road grit off before a mitt ever touches the film. Grit under a mitt is what scratches vinyl.

2. Two buckets, pH-neutral soap

One bucket of pH-neutral car soap, a soft microfiber mitt or sponge, and a second bucket of clean water to rinse the mitt between panels. No dish soap: it strips the plasticizers that keep vinyl flexible.

3. Straight lines, light pressure, cool panel

Wash top to bottom in straight lines with light pressure, in the shade, on a panel that's cool to the touch. Wash about every two weeks, and sooner if it's dirty.

4. Keep pressure washers off the edges

Keep the nozzle at least a foot away, at an angle, and never aim it at an edge or seam. Water forced under an edge is how wraps start lifting.

5. Dry it, don't let it dry

Dry with a clean microfiber or a blower. Hard water left to dry spots any finish, and on matte the spots don't come out.

6. Quick wipe-downs between washes

A rinseless wash or a wrap-safe spray detailer on a clean microfiber takes off dust, pollen and fingerprints in a few minutes. Keep a small spray bottle and a towel in the car for bird droppings, bugs, tree sap and fuel spills: soak, lift, don't scrub, same day.

The never list

• No brush car washes. The brushes carry grit from the last 200 cars and catch edges. A touchless wash is fine now and then.
• Never polish or compound a wrap. Light scratches in gloss film often relax out with heat, so bring it in before trying anything.
• No cleaner waxes, abrasives or clay bars.
• Don't let messes bake on. Bird droppings, bugs, sap and fuel eat into vinyl within a day in the sun.

Gloss wraps

Gloss film can take a spray sealant, an SiO2 spray or a wrap-specific detailer to add UV protection and shine. Skip cleaner waxes and anything with abrasives.

Satin and matte wraps

Satin is cared for exactly like matte. The finish is a texture that scatters light, and anything that fills that texture makes a shiny spot you can't remove. So: no wax, no polish, no dish soap, no silicone dressings, and no "matte-compatible" products that promise to darken or enrich the finish, since that's gloss sneaking in. Use a soap, detailer and sealant made for matte, and apply the sealant by hand, never with a machine.

If a satin wrap goes chalky, the film makers' own fix is a wash with hot water and a citrus cleaner, then a wipe with one part isopropyl alcohol to two parts water. Read the full matte wrap care routine, including winter and salt season.

Ceramic coating a wrap

The best protection you can give a wrap is a ceramic coating made for vinyl. It blocks UV, makes bird droppings and road salt rinse off instead of staining, fills micro-scratches and cuts washing time in half. On satin and matte it keeps the finish non-glossy while deepening the color a touch.

We work with a trusted detailer who can coat your wrap after install. The ideal time is the week you pick it up, while the film is spotless. Ask us and we'll set it up.

Wrap care FAQ