Tips for Maintaining and Caring for Your 3M Paint Protection Film
A 3M paint protection film provides you with superior sun protection and can keep your vehicle looking brand new. Although the film is built with high-quality materials to ensure its durability, you still have to give it proper care and maintenance if you want to get the most out of its use. To ensure your paint protection film's longevity, below are tips and tricks the best auto body shop would use.
Recommended Cleaning Products and Methods
Taking care of your vehicle's 3M paint protection film is easy as long as you know what products and techniques to use. Below are cleaning solutions and methods that professionals recommend.
Approved Cleaning Products
One of the best tricks to maintaining your car's paint protection film is to keep is to keep your windows spick and span. However, you have to consider what cleaning products to use to avoid damage to the surface. Commercial shampoo is often suitable for regular cleaning. Don't forget to rinse and dry after cleaning to get a smooth and shiny surface.
Remember to avoid using cleaning solutions that contain alcohols, strong alkalines, or acids, as these can permanently damage the protection film.
Cleaning Techniques
As tempting as it is to drop your vehicle off at a car wash, hand washing is still the best method if you want to ensure your paint protection film's longevity. That's because the brushes at car washes may dull and scratch the film's surface, causing permanent damage. They also increase the chances of lifting the film's edges, so they peel quickly.
If you have to send your vehicle through a car wash, choose the touchless option. Thus, your car won't have to endure abrasive brushes, keeping your car and protection film flawless. Additionally, make sure not to wash your car for 72 hours after installing your protection film. This is to make sure the adhesive fully sticks to your car's surface, ensuring its durability.
Handling Minor Damages and Scratches
The great thing about 3M paint protection film is its self-healing properties. Thus, if your film obtains minor scratches, you can easily remove the marks by applying heat to the surface. You can use hot water or a heat gun for quick touch-ups. When repairing, keep the heat source moving so you don't overheat the film. Additionally, remember to allow the area to cool down and repeat the process if necessary.
If you're dealing with small tears, you can cut a small patch of film from your repair kit. With a brush, apply a thin layer of adhesive to the damaged area before placing the patch. Make sure to align the film patch with the tear so it's undetectable. You can also use a squeegee to smooth out any air bubbles. Lastly, use a microfiber cloth to remove excess adhesive, and you're good to go!
Addressing Non-Healing Damages
Although a 3M protection film has self-healing properties, its technology can still have its limits. Unfortunately, the film won't be able to repair non-healing damages like deep cuts and permanent stains. You'll know if your film has acquired a deep cut when the damage appears pronounced, and you can feel it with your fingernail. You'll know a stain is permanent if you can't remove it through cleaning and gentle scrubbing.
If that's the case, you might need to replace your film and hit "cosmetic auto repair near me" on the search bar. It's recommended that you let a trained and experienced professional install a new protection film for your vehicle to ensure its quality and durability.
Long-Term Care Tips
Remember to inspect your car's surface regularly to ensure your paint protection film is holding up well. This step helps you catch any scratches and damages early so you can repair them before they worsen. Aside from deep scratches, lifted edges are also a good sign you might need to replace your protection film. That's because loose protection film can tear away from a moving vehicle, which can cause bigger damage.
If you come across any stains on the surface, you can remove them by soaking a microfiber cloth with isopropyl alcohol or distilled vinegar. Hold the cloth on the stain for 5-10 minutes before rinsing the area with water. If the stain remains stubborn. You can try exposing it to the sun for a whole day. Otherwise, you might need to get a fresh film from a reputable auto cosmetics shop.
Conclusion
When applied properly, a 3M paint protection film can provide your car with superb protection against scratches and damages. But if you want to ensure your protection film lasts long, you have to know how to care for and maintain it properly. The great thing about a 3M film is that it has self-healing properties, so you can repair minor scratches and tears at home. If you want to get the benefits of high-quality protection film, you can have it installed at a reputable auto body shop like Auto Med Solutions. Contact us now to get a free quote today!