- Matte Wrap vs. Glossy Wrap: How Does Car Washing Differ?
- Cleaning Products and Other Supplies
- Washing Process for Matte Wrapped Car
- Protecting Matte Wrap: Ceramic Coating
- Typical Pitfalls
What to Consider When Washing a Car with Matte Wrap?
There are several important factors to consider when washing a car with matte wrap. In this blog, we’ll go through the correct cleaning products and methods to avoid costly mistakes and effectively wash your car.
Matte Wrap vs. Glossy Wrap: How Does Car Washing Differ?
High-quality and tested cleaning products are the key to washing the entire car, and it’s not worth cutting corners. During the prewash phase, it’s important that the cleaning products clean the car – rather than using a pressure washer or cloth. By choosing the right cleaning products suitable for matte wrap, you’ll put less strain on the wrap. The pH value of the cleaning agent should be between 3-11. An excessively high or low pH value may damage the matte wrap, requiring it to be replaced, as matte wrap cannot be polished or waxed.
While light hairline scratches or other marks can be removed from glossy wrap by lightly polishing with a foam pad and a Rotary machine, glossy wrap can also be damaged by excessive polishing.
Cleaning Products and Other Supplies
When choosing a cleaning product for a matte-wrapped car, check the mixing ratio and follow it carefully. The pH value of the cleaning agents must be between 3-11. An excessive amount of detergent may raise the pH value too high and cause burns or runs on the wrap, damaging it.
When choosing a detergent, consider the type of contaminants: select an iron remover for iron contamination and specific products for bugs or road salt. Always use products with caution by carefully following the instructions. When choosing shampoo for cleaning a matte-wrapped car, remember that the shampoo should not contain silicones or other polishing agents. Otherwise, the matte surface may begin to shine, and in the worst case, permanently, damaging the wrap.
We recommend using the two-bucket method, with the first bucket containing water for rinsing the mitt and the second bucket containing clean shampoo water. If possible, use a bucket with a grit guard.
After washing, drying the car is crucial, as water droplets left on the surface act like magnifying glasses in the sun. The sun burns everything inside the droplet, such as lime, detergent residues, and other impurities, onto the wrap. So, invest in a large, lint-free drying towel that allows you to dry as large areas as possible at once. Never use a blade for drying.
Finally, drying should be enhanced with compressed air. You can buy these devices for home use. During washing, you can use a matte surface “wet coat” or other quick wax to deepen the matte effect. After washing, finish the surface with a seamless, soft microfiber cloth.
Here are the cleaning supplies you’ll need:
- Pre-wash foam/foam
- Iron remover
- Flight rust remover
- Hydrocarbon solvent (in winter)
- Synthetic microfiber mitt/lambswool mitt
- Wax-free and silicone-free shampoo
- Two buckets with grit guards
- Two drying towels: one for the surface and one for the door gaps
- Soft, seamless microfiber cloths
Washing Process for Matte Wrapped Car
Pre-wash is the most crucial stage of the entire washing process and should be performed very carefully. If you don’t wash the car thoroughly and touch the surface with a mitt, dirt will stick to it, potentially scratching the matte surface.
Summer Wash:
If you’re washing the car in the summer, park it in the shade or wash it in the evening. Due to the hot surface, the detergent can burn onto the wrap and ruin it completely. Burnt detergent cannot be removed from the wrap without further damaging it.
Start by rinsing the car’s surface with cool water to keep it as cool as possible. Adjust the pressure washer’s water temperature to about 50-60 degrees Celsius. Apply the cleaning products to the surface and let them sit for 1-2 minutes. Apply pre-wash foam to the surface and let it sit for 1-2 minutes. Remember to apply detergent to door gaps, fuel cap recess, and wheels. Rinse the car thoroughly and spend as much time as possible on pre-washing.
Clean the door gaps thoroughly to remove all sand and avoid scratching the surface. Be cautious around the corners and seams of the wrapped car. Maintain a distance of about a meter and always wash the car from top to bottom. After pre-washing, start washing the car with a mitt from top to bottom. If you’re worried about shampoo drying on the wrap, you can wash the car in three parts. Wash the front and front doors and rinse them, then continue with the rest of the car. After rinsing off the shampoo, apply a neutral pH iron remover to the wrap and let it sit for 2-3 minutes. Rinse the surface thoroughly.
When drying, ensure that the towel does not catch the edges or seams of the wrap. Be careful when drying the bottom edges of the doors to avoid the towel touching the ground. If you use compressed air for drying, be cautious around the seams and edges to avoid lifting the wrap seam, as re-adhering the wrap is usually impossible.
Ensure that all water is completely removed from the car’s surface. Dry the door gaps with either a chamois or a soft drying towel, and you can finish drying the gaps with compressed air. If there are streaks left on the wrap after drying, you can use a microfiber cloth and quick detailer to finish them off. Make sure the quick detailer does not contain silicones or polishing agents.
Winter Wash
The washing process in winter is almost the same as in summer. Ensure that the winter washing agents do not freeze on the surface and use the correct detergents to remove dirt. In winter, roads are often covered with road salt, which only dissolves with a solvent. Always choose a solvent suitable for matte-wrapped cars.
If your car is covered in ice and snow, remove these first. Apply the solvent to either a wet or dry surface. Let it sit for 1-2 minutes and apply pre-wash foam on top. Rinse the car thoroughly from top to bottom. Clean the door gaps and fuel cap. If you’re unsure if you’ve removed all the salt, you can gently touch the lower edges of the car’s sides, and if you feel roughness in the wrap, repeat the above process. Once you’re sure the surface is clean, you can continue the washing process as in summer. Always use two buckets and a clean mitt. Dry the car thoroughly after washing to prevent water from freezing onto the wrap.
Protecting Matte Wrap: Ceramic Coating
It’s equally important to protect matte wrap with ceramic coating as it is for unwrapped surfaces. There are many different types of ceramic coatings, so it’s essential to research which one would be most suitable for your car. Some ceramic coatings are not suitable for matte wrap, especially for matte black wrap.
Therefore, choose a coating installer who definitely offers coating for matte wrap. If you’re installing the wrap coating yourself, make sure not to leave streaks of coating during the installation process. Some coatings dry very quickly, and if the coating dries onto the wrap, it can ruin it. Glossy wrap can sometimes be salvaged by light polishing, but matte black wrap is always ruined.
That’s why we recommend using a professional for coating installation. The Zvizzer ceramic coating we use is perfect for matte wrap. This coating does not add gloss but enhances the matte effect of the wrap.
What does ceramic coating help with? A ceramic-coated wrap or painted surface is highly hydrophobic, repelling dirt and other road contaminants. To enhance the hydrophobic effect, you can use quick wax on ceramic-coated wrap. Choose a quick wax/wet coat suitable for matte wrap.
Ceramic coating also adds depth to the matte wrap. In summer, light maintenance washes keep the wrap clean without the need for strong pre-wash detergents every time. Be careful when assessing when you can use a lighter washing method.
Typical Pitfalls
The surface of a matte-wrapped car is sensitive, requiring extra care and caution from the owner to avoid damage. In summer, trees drop sap, tar, and small insect (aphid) excrement, which adheres very tightly to the wrap. If you notice any of these substances on the wrap, wash the car as quickly as possible. You can also use quick detailer and a soft microfiber cloth to gently remove these impurities.
Bird droppings contain corrosive substances that leave unpleasant marks on the car’s paint and wrap when they dry. These should also be removed as quickly as possible by washing or gently wiping. If there’s a mark from bird droppings on the wrap, you can try to remove it gently by heating it with a hot air gun. Sometimes this method can remove marks left by mosquitoes, leaves burned by trees, or marks left by bird droppings, especially from a coated surface.
However, avoid touching the wrapped car unnecessarily outside the washing process. If you touch or wipe the dirty wrap surface even gently, you will scratch the wrap with each stroke.
When washing the wrap, be careful with the wrap seams and edges. Sometimes a seam has had to be made on the wrap due to a challenging shape, the technical limitations of the wrap, or some edge has had to be left “visible”. If you use a pressure washer to wash these too close, water can get under the wrap, potentially ruining it. Always keep a distance of about a meter. Also, remember to inform car washes where the wrap corners and seams are located to avoid unpleasant damage.
Be cautious when drying the car to prevent water droplets from drying onto the wrap. A dried droplet always requires mechanical “scrubbing” to remove the mark, increasing the risk of scratching the wrap.
When walking near your car, make sure that grocery bags, bags, or other loose items do not touch the wrap surface of your car, as even the slightest touch will leave a mark on the wrap. When opening the car door, place your hand directly into the handle recess to avoid unnecessary contact with the surface above the handle. This is the most common place for scratches to occur.
Always remove your glove before opening the door, as it may touch the wrap surface unnecessarily
The drying towel should be large enough to reduce mechanical contact with the surface.
On the left, the matte tape has been polished. The tape starts to shine very easily.
The matte tape is coated with a coating that dries very quickly.
Be precise when choosing a coating to ensure it is suitable for matte tape. These marks cannot be removed from matte tape.
You can buy high-quality ceramic coatings, washing tools, and chemicals from Restyling Point or the following online car care stores:
autodude.fi/fi
autonhoitokauppa.fi
chemicalguys.com
https://www.kiiltopiste.fi
Do you want the work to be done responsibly, on time, and with the best value for your money? Ask for a quote from Restyling Point professionals, who do this with quality standards, values, and love.
WhatsApp: +3580445050624
Phone: +3580445050624
Email: [email protected]
Restyling Point Oy – The leader in wrapping and protection treatments in the Nordic countries
