Vinyl/Sticker Care

[WaspHunter]

Alright, here's one that relates to tuner cares:

Are there any specific methods for taking care of brand stickers/vinyls on the body?


I've put this one in the last few months, and basically I wash around it but get soap on and rinse it, then dry very lightly with my water magnet. I've been told to wax around it as well.

Its a self-adhering vinyl I received 'free' with my rims. I use the term 'free' loosely, considering what I paid for them.

Is there anything else I can do to prolong its life? And what sort of life should I expect from the vinyl before I need to remove/replace it?

[Murr1525]

This is more of a question than an answer...

I dont know whay you couldnt wax on it, other than getting wax build up around the edges if you dont wipe away the excess well?

[WaspHunter]

Maybe someone can set that straight once and for all too? I've been told previously to avoid waxing vinyl strips, on the Detailing 101 forums.

[MaximusZTS]

I dont know if I can staigthen it out but my thought would be if you polished or cleaned your paint with vinyl on the paint, you are not treating the paint under the vinyl. Vinyl is not meant to perminate, so once it was removed I would think the two surfaces would be slightly different. (slight but different.)

[rascal]

Vinyl stickers are a little tricky, especially where they are located. I have them on my windows instead of my paint. I'm not crazy about putting stickers on my paint since they can leave marks from the adhesive over time. The problem I see with any sticker on a car is the corners. They tend to curl up over time, especially if you keep your car clean.

I watched Mike Phillips web video on washing your car with the two bucket system. He makes a comment on washing stickers that are on paint and windows. He states to make a light pass over the area and constantly rub over it many times. Doing that will cause the sticker to curl on the corners prematurely.

I don't see any problems about polishing/waxing over stickers, but be careful not to peel them up by accident when doing so.