5 Tips to Keep Your Car Looking New with PPF

Here at American Wrap Company, we want you to love your paint protection film (PPF) year after year. That’s why we’re committed to educating you with insider tips on how to keep your car looking fresh and flawless long after we’ve installed the PPF.

Here are five simple tips to keep your vehicle looking new for years to come.

1. Don’t Touch the PPF After Installation

While you may feel tempted to run your hand over your car’s smooth surfaces after PPF is installed, please resist the urge to do so! It can take several days for the film to settle and cure. Touching it may damage the film. Higher humidity may delay the curing process. So if it feels extra sticky outside, avoid touching your vehicle’s exterior.

Additionally, don’t wash your car right after the PPF is installed. Hold off for at least a week.

2. Wash It Regularly

Many people believe that they don’t need to regularly wash their car after installing paint protection film. However, we strongly encourage you to regularly bathe your car. However, you should skip the commercial car washes and carefully wash your vehicle by hand.

To properly wash your car, you should:

Apply a gentle car wash soap solution and use a clean microfiber mitt
Allow the soap to soak on tough-to-clean areas for several minutes
Use a lacquer thinner or 99% isopropyl alcohol on extra-dirty areas that are hard to clean
Use a microfiber towel to dry the coating
Skip using paper products, brushes, or terry cloth on your car as they can dull and damage the surface
Never use any abrasive materials on your car

3. Never Wash Your Car in Direct Sunlight

If it’s a particularly sunny day, don’t wash your vehicle in direct sunlight. This can cause the water to quickly evaporate, leaving ugly water-spots on your car. The heat from the sun will also activate the PPF’s natural “healing” abilities, causing dirt and other debris to damage the film.

We recommend always washing your car in a shady area and not on brutally sunny or hot days.

4. Utilize the Two-Bucket Cleaning Method

When washing your car, try using the two-bucket method. Have a bucket filled with car wash soap and another one filled with pure rinse water by your side. After you have used your wash mitt, there may be dirt or debris left over on your mitt. Before dunking your mitt in the car wash solution again, thoroughly wash it off in the bucket full of rinse water. This will vastly reduce the possibility of reintroducing debris onto your vehicle.

Always wash and rinse one section of your car at a time to reduce swirl marks.

5. Don’t Air-Dry Your Car

Allowing your car to air-dry can cause water-spotting. Always use a waffle-weave towel or air-blower to thoroughly dry your vehicle.

Additional Tips to Consider

Here are a few other tips to keep your car looking great after a PPF installation:

If you use a pressure washer, steer clear of film edges
Remove tree sap, bird droppings, and bug splatter immediately
Don’t use aggressive chemicals or force when washing your car
Don’t use a power buffer on PPF

With these tips, your PPF will keep your car looking like new for years to come!

For more tips or information, call American Wrap Company today at 661-878-5587.

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Tyler O'Hara

Owner/Founder at American Wrap Company

Ever since I was a young boy in elementary school I have dreamt of working on cars. My mom still has a folder of sketches that were takin away from me because I was drawing cars during class. I have always had a deep passion for cars, trucks, motorcycles and any thing fast! When I’m not working I love to escape from the city with my dogs and go camping, fishing, surfing, dirt biking and anything else outdoors and away from the city! I was born and raised in Thousand Oaks California and have lived in Ventura County most of my life. I was raised by a middle class blue collar family and was taught to have strong values. I have a very high level of respect, honesty, integrity, kindness to all people and compassion.