I once had a conversation with a pizza delivery guy in which he told me that he didn’t have a car of his own but that his boss allowed him to drive the brightly-wrapped company Fiat, provided he kept it clean and shiny. I thought that sounded like a good win-win proposition—he had wheels and the boss had a mobile billboard. But apparently it wasn’t as cool as it first seemed.
Pizza Guy complained that he couldn’t just run the car through an automatic wash like any other vehicle. He said that the high-pressure hot water would damage the vinyl wrap. This is a major disadvantage in Canada’s winter of filthy cars and freezing weather. Who would want to hand wash a car outdoors in sub-zero temperatures?
I wondered if the graphic shops issue car-wrap care and maintenance instructions to their customers. So, I did some research and found what Pizza Guy needs to know and what every graphic shop should be telling its customers . . . (1) Hand wash with water. (2) Pre-rinse and then wash gently with a mild detergent. (3) Use a soft cloth and don’t scrub. (4) Rinse with clean water. (4) Dab dry.
There are waterless products for cleaning wraps but Pizza Guy would have to be careful using these because the product he chooses will depend upon whether his wrap is gloss film or matte. This is where he has to consult the shop that did the wrap.
I hope that the Pizza Guy’s of this world have their Fiats wrapped by reputable shops that understand the concept of added value such as nicely prepared care instructions.