How to Care for a Wrapped Car in an Ohio Winter

A wrap is one of the best things you can put on a car before an Akron winter — it keeps salt and stone chips off your factory paint (we explain why in How Wraps Shield Your Car from Salt and Snow). But the wrap itself still needs a little care. Here is what we tell every customer who picks up a car from our shop.

1. Wash it often — but skip the brushes

Salt left sitting on any surface is bad news, so rinse it off regularly, especially after a storm when the roads are white. The safest options are a touchless car wash or a hand wash with a soft mitt. The spinning brushes at some automatic washes can scuff the film and lift edges over time.

2. Don’t blast the edges with a pressure washer

If you use a pressure washer, keep the nozzle back from the car and don’t aim it straight at the edges and seams of the wrap. A strong jet aimed into an edge can lift it. Wide spray, from a distance, at an angle.

3. Brush snow gently — never scrape the body

• Use a soft snow brush or foam broom on wrapped panels, and push snow off rather than grinding it in.
• Never use an ice scraper on the paint or the wrap. Scrapers are for glass only. If the body is iced over, let the car warm up and the ice will slide off.
• Knock packed slush out of the wheel wells and lower panels by hand or with a rinse, not with a tool.

4. Clean up spills and grime quickly

Fuel drips at the pump, bird droppings and tree sap are worth wiping off soon rather than leaving for the weekend. A damp microfiber cloth is usually all it takes.

5. Matte and satin need their own rules

Matte and satin wraps and spray wraps look their best when they stay flat. Skip wax, polish and “shine” products on them — they can leave glossy patches. Plain soap and water is the safest bet. Gloss finishes are more forgiving.

6. Park it out of the elements when you can

A garage or carport helps all year round — less snow and ice on the car in winter, less harsh sun on the finish in summer.

7. Give it a once-over in spring

When the salt trucks stop running, give the car a proper wash and look along the edges — bumpers, mirrors, door edges. If anything has lifted, come by the shop and let us look at it before it gets worse.

Thinking about a wrap before winter?

The best time to protect your paint is before the first salt hits the road. A spray wrap starts at $1,000 with a typical 24-hour turnaround, and a full vinyl wrap starts at $3,000. We are on Manchester Road in Akron and work with drivers from all over Summit, Stark and Medina counties.