Vinyl Decal Care: Car Washes, Winter and Sun

Vinyl decals are made to handle the outdoors. A few simple habits keep the edges tight and the colour crisp for years, even through Canadian winters.

The first few days

Adhesive keeps curing after you apply it. For about three days, skip car washes, avoid scrubbing the decal and do not scrape ice near it.

Washing

• Hand washing with a soft mitt is the gentlest option.
• Automatic washes are fine once the decal has settled.
• Keep pressure washer nozzles at least 30 centimetres away and never aim straight at an edge.
• Skip harsh solvents and abrasive pads on the decal itself.

Winter

Use your defroster to loosen ice before scraping, and scrape around the decal rather than across it. Road salt will not harm vinyl, but rinse it off regularly along with the rest of the car.

Sun

Vinyl resists fading, and parking in shade whenever you can helps any exterior finish last longer, decals included.