Caring for Your Car After a Paint Repair

You've just picked up your newly painted vehicle. You may be wondering how to best care for it. Here are our tips for keeping your paint job looking its best. WASHING Your vehicle is being returned to you freshly washed, so you should not need to wash it immediately. If you can wait a week or two before washing, that is ideal. However, if you must wash your vehicle before them, you may safely hand wash it. We advise against using a commercial car wash in the first 30 days. WAXING AND POLISHING Though we have followed industry procedure and baked the new paint onto your vehicle, the solvents in it need time to breathe and cure properly and the catalyst needs time to "lock" down, which can only occur with time. This breathing time allows the atoms to expand and bind properly with each other and with your vehicle. Waxing your vehicle before this process occurs essentially stunts their growth and traps them in an immature state, which shortens the lifespan and performance of your paint. Therefore, we recommend refraining from waxing for the first 3 months after your repair. If and when you do resume waxing, use only non-abrasive wax or polish. Wax at a maximum frequency of once every two months. SEALING For the same reasons explained in waxing, we recommend waiting until 3 months after your repair before applying any kind of sealant to the newly painted portions of your vehicle. BIRD DIGESTION AND TREE SAP For the first two or three days, try to avoid parking where birds or trees may drop on a newly painted surface because these substances contain acids which can damage your finish. Whenever you see these things on your car, but especially during the first few days following new paint, remove them as soon as possible with warm water and appropriate soap. SUN While it's always preferable to park your vehicle in the shade for a variety of reasons, especially in our harsh Arizona heat and sun, there are no additional or special precautions that need to be taken at this time. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, JUST ASK! We're always just a phone call away if you have any specific questions about how to care for your paint job.     We stand behind our work. If you are not happy with you repair, let us know. We want to make it right.