Car Waxing Safe For Vinyl Decals

Mequiars product specialist michael stoops had this to say.

Car waxing safe for vinyl decals.

Check the amount of plastic present in your rv. If you re detailing a vehicle with an old bumper sticker or decal on the back glass try using isopropyl alcohol while you re at it. My research shows many various comments and suggestions for applying or not applying wax over graphics. For a wrap you can use your favorite car wax like ceramic wax pro from ethos car care.

If you have a gloss vinyl stripe or wrap you can and should wax it. Now this turtle wax t 477r ice spray wax does also have the ability to fill in some small swirls and minor scratches which is an added bonus. At the same time this spray wax does also come with a small amount of uv protection to help stop decals from cracking and degrading in the sun. And dont use armorall as it will clean them but it dries them out faster.

You can wax over vinyl stickers decals and graphics if they are smooth and glossy in appearance. A side note the sun beating on them in the summer is almost as bad as waxing vinyl is a pain but it looks so good. For stripes and cut graphics you should stick with a spray wax that won t give you. Some have had success while others have not.

While products like goo gone also work pretty well ipa is excellent for this type of application. Note that there are waxing products that might leave noticeable residues on porous and non glossy plastic parts including the door trim plastic body panels and bumpers. Smooth glossy decals can usually be waxed or even polished in most cases with any type of traditional polish or wax. I recommend waxing over cut vinyl areas by hand so you don t snag an edge with a buffer.

Check wax packages as most of them show whether they are safe for finishes with a clear coating. Gloss will last longer but may be a 3 or 5 year vinyl and they will go bad after a few years anyways. Since not all decals are created the same. I just wash mine when i was the car no extra treatments.

Washing and waxing after sticking the decals won t hurt. As for washing and waxing your car post decal application again there is nothing in the wax that attacks the acrylic adhesive or the vinyl sticker material so the wax probably simply adds a bit of protection to both the car s paint and the decal.