Care guides
Vehicle wrap care & maintenance
A wrap looks after your paint; this page is how you look after the wrap. The methods, the products and the fortnightly routine - the same guidance we hand over with every finished vehicle.
The habits that keep film alive.
Hand wash
The gold standard - soft mitt, pH-neutral wash (the old rule of thumb: nothing outside pH 5-9), two buckets, top down. Rinse first so grit floats off instead of dragging.
Waterless wash & spray wax
For light dust between washes, a film-safe waterless product and clean microfibre keep the finish up without a hose. Always test on a small patch first.
Pressure washer - carefully
Keep it modest (the long-standing guidance: under about 1200 psi), a wide fan, and never point the lance at an edge or seam. Edges are where wraps die.
Every two weeks
A fortnightly clean is the single best habit - contaminants that sit on film etch it; contaminants that get washed off don't.
Never do these.
- Automatic brush washes - spinning brushes drag grit across the film and worry at every edge (touchless is fine)
- Petroleum-based waxes and cutting compounds - they attack the face film
- Letting fuel spills, bird droppings or bat marks sit - rinse them off the same day
- Untested products - try any new cleaner on a small hidden section first
- High-pressure water at edges, seams or trim lines
The rhythm.
First fortnight
Let the film settle - skip the wash entirely for the first week, and go gently in the second. Adhesive is still reaching full bond.
Every 2 weeks
The standing routine: rinse, hand wash with a film-safe product, microfibre dry. Spot-clean anything the fortnight left behind.
As it happens
Bird droppings, sap, fuel splashes and fingerprint marks come off easiest fresh - a soft cloth and mild soapy water beat a hard scrub next month.
Twice a year
Look over edges, seams and high-wear zones. If anything is lifting, come in - a five-minute re-tack now beats a panel re-wrap later.
Products worth knowing.
We've long pointed wrap owners to Avery Dennison's Supreme Wrap Care range - a cleaner, power cleaner and sealant developed by the film manufacturer for its own product. Any film-safe, pH-neutral product line used correctly will serve; what matters is that it was made for film, not for cutting paint.
For stubborn marks: soften with warm soapy water and patience, spot-clean with a film-safe cleaner on a microfibre, and always finish with a rinse. If a stain won't shift, stop before you polish through the print - bring it in and we'll look at it under the lights.
FAQ
Owners ask us these all the time.
How often should I wash a wrapped car? +
Every two weeks is the routine that keeps film looking installed-yesterday. Perth's combination of sun, salt air and bore water is hard on any finish - regular gentle washing beats occasional hard scrubbing every time.
Can a wrapped car go through a car wash? +
Touchless, yes. Brush washes, no - the brushes drag grit across the film and work at edges on every pass. If a wrap has one enemy in suburban Perth, it's the Saturday brush wash.
How do I get bird droppings or sap off without damaging the wrap? +
Fresh: warm soapy water and a soft cloth, then rinse. Dried: soak the spot for a few minutes first - never chip or scrub dry. The acid in droppings etches film the longer it sits, so same-day beats next-week.
Should I wax my wrap? +
Not with conventional waxes - petroleum-based products and cutting compounds damage film. If you want extra protection and sheen, use a film-safe sealant, or ask us about ceramic coating over the wrap.