Care guides
Caring for a colour change wrap.
You've changed the colour - here's how to keep it looking like install day. The first fortnight matters most, the routine after that is simple, and matte finishes have two extra rules.
The habits that keep film alive.
Gentle hand wash
Soft mitt, film-safe pH-neutral wash, straight lines instead of circles. Circular buffing is how gloss film picks up swirl.
Park like it matters
UV ages film exactly as it ages paint. Undercover at home and shade at work buys your colour years - the cheapest care there is.
Detail film-safe
Quick detailers and sealants made for wraps keep the finish slick. Anything designed to cut or polish paint stays off the film.
Keep the fortnight rhythm
Same rule as every wrap: a gentle fortnightly wash stops contamination becoming etching.
Never do these.
- Brush car washes - the fastest way to dull a fresh colour change
- Cutting compounds, clay bars or machine polish on the film
- Petrol overfills left to dribble down the quarter panel - rinse fuel spills immediately
- Dressing overspray - tyre shine drifting onto matte film leaves gloss patches
- Washing in the first week while the adhesive reaches full bond
The rhythm.
Week one
No washing, no products - the film is still settling onto the panel and reaching full adhesion. Dust is fine; leave it.
Week two
First gentle rinse and hand wash. Check the finish over in good light - anything that doesn't look right, photograph it and call us.
Ongoing
Fortnightly hand wash, film-safe products only, same-day cleanup of droppings and sap. That's genuinely the whole job.
Matte and satin - the two extra rules.
Matte film's look is its texture, and anything that fills or polishes that texture changes the finish permanently. Rule one: no gloss products, waxes or dressings anywhere near it - a matte-safe cleaner only. Rule two: blot, don't rub - aggressive rubbing on one spot can burnish a shiny patch into the sheen that no product will undo.
Gloss and satin films are more forgiving, but the principle holds across every finish: wash gently, use products made for film, and let the workshop handle anything that looks like damage rather than dirt.
FAQ
Owners ask us these all the time.
When can I wash my car after it's been wrapped? +
Give it a week untouched, then go gently in week two. The adhesive reaches its full bond over the first fortnight - early aggressive washing is the one owner mistake we see in fresh wraps.
How do I care for a matte wrap? +
Matte-safe products only, and blot rather than rub. Gloss products fill the texture that makes matte look matte, and hard localised rubbing can burnish a permanent shiny patch. Treated right, matte film stays even for its whole life.
My wrap has a scratch - can it be fixed? +
Often, yes - a single damaged panel can usually be re-wrapped without touching the rest of the car, which is one of film's quiet advantages over paint. Photograph the damage and send it through; we'll tell you straight whether it's a re-wrap panel or a live-with-it mark.