Xpel PPF Wrap done ... now what....

[agarabaghi]

Just had my car fully wrapped in PPF. Spoke with the installer about it, and we chatted about washing and quick detailing.

They basically said hand washing and using water less wash was the best method.

So looking for suggestions on some products.

I saw xpel has quick detailer.

The shop uses Adams waterless.

Was also looking at some Si02 ppf sprays.... so looking for suggestions on anything? Should I just stick with xpel? Detailer and Boost?

[The Guz]

This is a good opportunity to apply a ceramic coating to the ppf to make your maintenance easier. It can also be washed like normal assuming you follow good washing practices.

[joebruin77]

I've had Xpel PPF installed on my 2018 Tesla Model 3 for the past 4 years, so I am very familiar with how to care for it.

I actually recommend rinseless washes as your main weekly wash. I have also done waterless washes on the PPF, but find that the rinseless washes clean the PPF more thoroughly. I now do waterless washes if I want to clean the car between my weekly rinseless washes. Optimum No Rinse has been my main rinseless wash, but have also used Mckees37 N-914 and, most recently, P&S Absolute.

As Mike G suggested, a ceramic coating is the best protection on top of the PPF. It won't inhibit the self-healing properties of the PPF in any way.

If you don't want to go the coating route, then a ceramic-infused spray sealant works well. Just make sure any sealant you use is PPF safe and does not contain any naphtha or petroleum distillates.

Here are some of the ceramic-infused sealants I have used on my PPF over the past 4 years: Griots Garage 3-in-1 Wax, The Last Coat 2.0, Turtle Wax Hybrid Ceramic Spray, 3D Bead It Up, Technicians Choice Ceramic Detail Spray, Xtreme Solutions PolySeal, and Opticoat HyperSeal. My current favorites are the Griots Garage 3-in-1 and Technicians Choice Ceramic Detail Spray.

[dlc95]

We install Xpel films where I work. Unless they get the Fusion film that has the coating in it already, we can coat with Cpel Fusion Plus. We have also used the Ceramic Pro ppf specific coating. If they don't want to pay for us to coat it, we'll at least use Xpel Ceramic Boost so it's slick and has some sdditional protection.

When we got my gf's full front clip done I coated with Carpro Skin.

Seemed to work ok, but I probably botched the install. I'm not very good with set up times, knowing when to remove, etc, etc, so a couple weeks ago I lightly polished with Optimun Hyper Polish, hit with Optimum Paint Prep, and re-coated with Optimum Gloss Coat, which delivered the results I had been hoping for, another bonus is that it now matches the rest of the vehicle which has also been coated with Gloss Coat.

That vehicle usually gets washed with ONR and an occasional treatment of Opti-Seal. In the winter we take it through the touchless a few times.

If I use a waterless it's Optimum Opti-Clean. If it just need a light "dusting" I'll use Optimum Instant Detailer and Gloss Enhancer.

I have an BMW M3 coming in that is going to get the same treatment my gf's Jeep got - which is just the front clip ppf and the the rest will be ceramic coated. Probably going to use the one "new formula" Gloss Coat for it, or Carpro Skin for thebPPF, and UK 3.0/Gliss for the paint, Dlux for the wheels.

[agarabaghi]

What is the opinion of diving a ppf wrapped car through a touchless wash? We have a new one that has the option to just use pressure sprayers but not sure if that is safe? I usually just drive my car through, then dry it off and use a quick detailer / ceramic spray as a simple lsp. Would save a lot of time if I could continue driving it through the wash, then finishing with some kind of ceramic spray.

What am i looking for in a ceramic spray to ensure it is safe for PPF?

[joebruin77]

What is the opinion of diving a ppf wrapped car through a touchless wash? We have a new one that has the option to just use pressure sprayers but not sure if that is safe? I usually just drive my car through, then dry it off and use a quick detailer / ceramic spray as a simple lsp. Would save a lot of time if I could continue driving it through the wash, then finishing with some kind of ceramic spray.

What am i looking for in a ceramic spray to ensure it is safe for PPF?

I only do rinseless washes on my Xpel PPF myself, so I cannot speak about touchless washes from personal experience. I would have two concerns about touchless washes. First, I would be concerned about the high pressure water lifting the edges of the PPF, especially with repeated washes over time. Second, I would be concerned about the high pH soaps often used in touchless car washes affecting the film over time. I remember seeing on an Xpel website that they advised against using high pH soaps.

As for PPF safe ceramic sprays, either look for products that say that they are safe for PPF. If PPF is not mentioned, then you can contact the manufacturer and ask them. You can also search for and download the Safety Data Sheet. If the SDS lists naphtha or petroleum distillates with a concentration greater than 5% then it is not safe to use on PPF. Finally, water-based products tend to be safer for PPF than solvent-based products.

One last idea. When I first got my Xpel PPF film, I contacted Xpel customer service and asked them what products I could use on my PPF. They actually emailed me a list of waxes and sealants that they themselves tested and approved as safe for use on their PPF. So I suggest you contact Xpel customer service and request their most updated list.

[John U]

On their site they recommend this: XPEL PPF Sealant - (473 mL) (16 oz) (0.47 L)
or ceramic FUSION PLUS Ceramic Coating | XPEL | Surface Protection

[agarabaghi]

I reached out to my touchless wash and they provided the soaps they use in the system. They are all low or neutral ph. The low is ph of 3. the neutral is a ph of 6.6

The jets are probably my only concern at this point. So far doing a wipe down with a quick detailer works great. I guess the main benefit of the stealth ppf is not having to worry about swirls and light scratches from contamination and wiping down the panels?

[chefwong]

agarabaghi - While I would easily say use any of the spray sealants/sio stuff. If I recall Xpel doesn't recommend any petroleum distilliates, so if you want to take a deep dive into getting MSDS in the product you plan to use (if published), you can explore the rabbit hole if that and their recommended *non use* of PD on their film

I'd skip any touchless or high pressure wash system unless you were doing it yourself and you knew where the - jet- was spraying.
Definitely can induce film lift on edges.

[agarabaghi]

Looks like ill be going back to manual washes every so often. Def going to try the rinse less approach nex time i make an order. So far using Cemical Guys Meticulous matte as a wipe down seems fine. then using xpels ceramic boost.