Can a Wrapped Car Go Through a Carwash?

If you’ve just invested in a vinyl car wrap, the last thing you want to do is damage it. Before putting your vehicle through a carwash, you should check to see whether a wrapped car can go through one.
Melbourne Car Wraps has put together some useful car cover cleaning advice to assist you in cleaning your vehicle correctly without causing harm to the vinyl wrap.

Using a Carwash to Clean Car Wraps

Wrapped automobiles may be washed; however, make sure the carwash has a touchless system since a brush carwash can harm the vehicle image by dulling, scratching, and lifting the vinyl edges.
Car wraps may also be cleaned using pressure washers if the following requirements are met:

• The water pressure is maintained below 2000 pounds per square inch.
• The water is maintained at a temperature of fewer than 80 degrees Celsius.
• The pressure washer uses a spray nozzle with a 40-degree broad-angle spray pattern.
• The nozzle is maintained at least one foot away from the vinyl image and is utilized at a 90-degree angle.

Cleaning a Vinyl-Wrapped Vehicle by Hand

While a carwash or power washer may clean a wrapped vehicle, hand washing is ideal for cleaning a car wrap. Be careful to wash your vehicle regularly, or at least anytime it seems unclean, since pollutants on the car wrap might become more difficult to remove with time. Follow these easy procedures to wash your vinyl car wrap properly:

1. Using a spray nozzle attached to a garden hose, rinse the graphic.
2. In a clean bucket, combine water and a moderate carwash detergent.
3. Using the water and soap combination, soak a sponge.
4. Starting at the top and working your way down, clean the image to enable the unclean, tainted water to flow downhill.
5. Using the hose, rinse the graphic with clean water.
6. Allow the graphic to air dry or use a microfibre towel to dry it.
7. For further protection, use silicone or Teflon-based polish made for vinyl car covers once it has dried.

Getting Rid of Difficult Contaminants

Suppose your vinyl wrap has tough contaminants, such as bird droppings or tree sap. In that case, you may soften them by immersing them in extremely hot, soapy water for several minutes before thoroughly cleaning and drying the area. Avoid vigorous scrubbing or abrasive equipment to remove impurities from your car wrap since they will harm the film.

If you spill gasoline on your vinyl car wrap, clean it off as soon as possible to avoid the vinyl and adhesive from deteriorating. After cleaning up the spill, follow the easy procedures above to wash, rinse, and dry the area.

Advice on Restoring Vinyl

If you want to keep your vehicle wrap looking new for as long as possible, avoid using abrasive polishes or cutting chemicals. Vehicle wraps with a matte or textured film should not be polished or waxed, and any wax or waxy residue that does get on the wrap should be cleaned off with an all-purpose cleaner.

Please feel free to contact Melbourne Car Wraps by completing a contact form on our website if you have any questions regarding whether or not a covered car can go through a carwash and if you are interested in one of our vehicle wrap services.