A dirty car requires a thorough wash to eliminate dust, grime, and other particles. But if it has a Plasti Dip, you may need clarification about whether you can do so. Plasti Dips can be pretty sensitive or may peel, so your worries are understandable.
Luckily, we've done some research and have the answers for you!
You can wash a Plasti-dipped car, but you must be wary about certain things. The most important thing to ensure is that the Plasti has already cured, there are no peelings, and your vehicle has multiple coats of it.
Additionally, though most car owners claim that car washes with spinning brushes are safe, it's still best to only have Plasti-dipped cars with touchless washing.
Are you still not confident about having a Plasti Dip go through a carwash? We'll ease your worries away with more explanation about this. Also, if you want to wash your car, we have this guide for you. Read more of everything we gathered about Plasti Dips below!
Is It Safe To Carwash A Plasti Dip?
Car washing a Plasti-dipped car is fine as long as it meets these three major requirements:
- It has finished curing
- No peels exist
- You have at least five coats of it
Plasti-Dip is waterproof, but this isn't enough to ensure nothing happens to them during a carwash.
Allow your Plasti Dip to cure for about four to five weeks before going through a carwash. Else, it may get removed as it's still saggy and easily damaged. Meanwhile, ensure that there are no peels or tears in it, as car washing may only worsen.
On the other hand, the dip may get damaged if your car only has fewer than five coats.
Multiple coats make the product more durable. While fewer and thin coats may peel or tear off during the washing process, especially if it involves spinning brushes.
If the Plasti Dip on your car checks all these considerations, you should be good to go with any carwash.
Although most car owners with a Plasti Dip on their vehicle parts report that the product is still fine even with spinning brushes, you can also get a touchless carwash instead to make sure.
Guide To Hand Washing A Car With Plasti Dip
Although an automatic carwash is safe for a Plasti Dip, hand washing is still most recommended. The process is just similar to regular cars, but to help you, here's how to do it:
Park In The Right Location
To start, park your vehicle in a shady location so the sun can't leave splotches on your car. In addition, if there are areas with gravel or grass that you can find, clean here to have it absorb the water you use as you clean.
Fill Your Buckets
Get three buckets. Then, fill two of them with soapy water, using an automobile cleaner of your choice.
Generally, soaps for cars recommend mixing a twenty-to-one ratio of water and soap. But you can also check for their directions to make sure.
Remember that you can't use dish soap for this as it can degrade the dip on your car or even peel it off.
Meanwhile, fill your remaining bucket with tap or regular water.
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Rinse Your Car
Rinse your car with water to soften the hardened dirt. Begin from the top and work your way to the bottom. If you want to use a hose, ensure that it doesn't have high pressure, which can scratch the dip.
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Wash Your Wheels
Start washing your wheels using a stiff brush and soapy water. Make sure to scrub the dirt off your tires.
But, for wheels with Plasti Dip, you can use a spray-on, no-scrub, and rinse-off cleaner instead to ensure that the product doesn't get scratched by scrubbing.
For this step, only use one of your soapy water buckets. Using separate buckets for your wheel and the remaining parts of your car is recommended, as the wheels are the dirtiest area of the vehicle.
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Wash The Other Parts Of Your Car
You can use a car wash mitt, sponge, or clean rag to wash the remaining parts of your car. Dip it into your clean soapy water and wipe your car with it.
Wash your car one part at a time in a top-to-bottom manner. Doing this lets the water from the top areas you cleaned drip to the lower parts of your vehicle.
During this step, remember to dip your mitt, sponge, or rag in your soapy water every few minutes, so the dirt it gets doesn't stick.
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Rinse The Soapy Water
Do not let the soap dry on your car; quickly rinse your vehicle as soon as you finish. Do this in the same top-to-bottom manner you did at the first rinse. After this, check if there are spots you didn't clean or rinse off.
Dry Your Car
Use a clean cloth to dry your car. Remember to only do this gently, especially on parts of your vehicle with a Plasti Dip. Similar to the previous steps, work in a top-to-bottom manner.
What To Avoid When Cleaning Plasti Dip
Whether an automatic carwash or hand washing, you must avoid several things and products when cleaning a Plasti Dip. Here's a list of some of these:
- Do not use petroleum, citric, or alcohol bases products on your Plasti Dip.
- Using WD-40 will peel off the product.
- Avoid using thinner solvents or gasoline that can cause bubbles or damage the dip.
- Do not use high water pressure to clean the product.
Does Plasti Dip Come Off With Pressure Washer?
Pressure washers alone wouldn't peel or tear off your Plasti Dip.
You can even use them to clean the product if you only use up to 1800 psi. If you applied the Plasti Dip correctly and allowed it to cure fully, pressure washing should be okay.
However, if you want to remove your Plasti Dip using a pressure washer, you can do so as long as you combine it with a dip dissolver with it.
Applying a dip dissolver and letting it sit for a while will remove your dip while using a pressure washer will allow you to rinse it off.
How Do You Make Plasti Dip Permanent?
You cannot make a Plasti Dip permanent as its main characteristic allows its users to peel off whenever they want a fresher look for a car or other surfaces.
No sealant or any product will protect a Plasti Dip to last permanently. But you can make it more durable by adding more coats.
How Long Will Plasti Dip Last On A Car?
Plasti Dips can last for as long as three years without retouching or reapplication. It is resistant to sun, cold, and considerable changes in temperature, so these should be the least of your worries.
Also, it can withstand racing events, so this should be the least of your concerns.
However, this is only true if you properly maintain and clean them. Additionally, the proper application plays a significant role in its lifespan.
To Finish Up
You can safely do a carwash with Plasti Dip on some parts of your car, and the product wouldn't dip in any way. However, ensure these Plasti Dip checks before doing so.
First, it should have already cured for four to five weeks since application. Second, there should be no peels or tears. And lastly, you should have at least five coats of it.
You can also avoid going through a carwash that uses spinning brushes. But, if it's unavoidable, you can still choose to go through them.
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