How did you clean your vehicle?!?!

[TyrantDesigner]

Had a customer come back from yesterdays job with letters missing and some lifting. went and inspected it and dirt was forming in a circular pattern not in the way I cleaned the vehicle yesterday. He asked why it was doing it, and plainly I apologized said there must be some residual wax or something I missed and I would replace the lettering that was peeling. His response was dumbfounding. "well I waxed it with (a professional automotive wax) before I came to do your signs to clean the vehicle ... will I have to rebuff it when you're done?" it took me a minute to realize that he said that. I have no idea how to clean the wax off that is that fresh nor how to make them stick without buying a wax remover. I'm still going to replace the lettering that is missing ... but darn it if that does not just burn my rump. I'm now expecting that ALL the lettering (about 12 feet of vinyl) is going to come off now because when I asked "anything I should know about the surface" and listed examples which included wax ... got a big no. How to start your morning when you just run out of coffee.

 

[J Hill Designs]

first things first...

GET MORE COFFEE

 

[signmeup]

Wait till he hits that vinyl lettering with the power buffer! What a maroon.

 

[WrapperX]

I generally tell our customers that when I'm doing any sort of vehicle work, wraps, lettering, whatever - to have it prewashed to get an all over clean. I also make sure that I tell them NOT TO WAX it. Because the vinyl doesn't stick to it. After this is done and they drop the vehilce off I will inspect the vehicle and clean off any residual grease or tar or anything else with a degreaser then after this or if this isn't needed I wipe it down with a denatured alcohol or an Isopropyl Alcohol. This usually removes any light oils or residues from the detergents in most cleaning agents.

As to your problem. The customer openly admitted to pre waxing the vehilce BEFORE he brought it to you? And you asked him prior to the install if he had done anything to the vehicle and said no? I would explain to him why the vinyls came off - most likely due to the fact that he waxed it right before he came over and explain to him why that was bad. Maybe he will be honest about it and offer to cover the replacement since it isn't your fault. Not likely though. Deffinately not the way you want to start your day.

 

[Maxphobia]

then get u some heavy duty dish soap...that removes wax like a pro. then spray water on the paint and see if it beads if it does then you need to do it again and if it still does it move up to rubbing alcohol that should get it.

wouldn't recommend using an actual wax remover from like a auto shop those u have to be very careful with and could damage the paint.

Then charge the guy for waxing his ride before getting it lettered that's a lot of time wasted.

 

[CheapVehicleWrap]

No offense but you should have prepsoled the vehicle prior to installation. And you should have it in stock. You can not control when the vehicle was last waxed. What if he waxed it a week earlier and you stated 'do not wax' during the pre-wash the day earlier?

 

[TyrantDesigner]

Any time I have to do lettering on a vehicle, I always hit the surface with a grease/adhesive remover, next go to the denatured alcohol then finish it up with soapy water and if it's a rather humid day will just just a little rubbing alcohol to dry up residual moisture.

none of which will work on wax that fresh or done with a buffer. and had he have told me that he waxed his truck with a professional grade wax I could have taken steps to fix the surface. (which is why I ask)

 

[Joe Diaz]

We mainly do vehicles... lots of semis... and a large percentage of them come in with wax. The customer doesn't and will never know any better. We don't even ask if the vehicle has a coat of wax on it, and we don't rely on them to clean it themselves. Every job, vinyl, painted or pinstriped, gets wiped down with Wax and Grease Remover, a home made cleaner we make in house, then followed up with rubbing alcohol (which mainly kills the static and cleans off the cleaners). Then we do the squeak test. If you rub your finger (make sure its clean) a cross the paint service and you don't hear a squeak, their is a good chance that you didn't get all the wax off.

 

[sardocs]

We use wax and grease remover on every surface we put vinyl on, including coro, fresh painted mdo, polycab and acrylic faces. Windex first, wax 'n' grease remover second. We treat every surface like its covered in ebola. Do this first and even Avery film will stay put.

 

[Joe Diaz]

Do this first and even Avery film will stay put.

That's a bold statement. :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:

 

[john1]

I have been using rapid tac 1 and 2 for over half a decade with no problems. I clean all glass and painted surfaces with it then do the finger test as well. If your finger sqeaks across the surface your good

I also use a good bit of Avery with no problems.

 

[jholbrook]

That's a bold statement. :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:

Now, that's pretty funny. LOL!

 

[ProWraps]

careful with prepsol. it causes brain damage. or possibly cyclopsy.

 

[MikePro]

"anything I should know about the surface" and listed examples which included wax ... got a big no.

i would never take anyone's word for it. for all you/he knows, his wife or employee recently took it through a car wash and had no clue that they have a fresh layer of wax on the car.

know your surface and ALWAYS clean more than you think you need to.

 

[CheapVehicleWrap]

careful with prepsol. it causes brain damage. or possibly cyclopsy.

Agreed, but it's perfectly safe if you keep your eye on it. And it's cheap.

 

[klemgraphics]

careful with prepsol. it causes brain damage. or possibly cyclopsy.

That's why I'm losing my mind, and all this time I thought it was from dealing with ridiculous demanding customers.