While the amonia in Windex is bad... It's not the only problem.
It's the same reason you tell (or should) tell people not to get a car wash with wax before a vehicle install.
Windex has chemicals to make it streak free - it gives a waxy like substance and lessens the surface adhesion of the vinyl. Wipe your finger on a window and feel how much resistance you get... Then spray it with Windex ,even let it dry and then try... It leaves behind an anti streak film that's similar to a wax.
It's akin to offgsssing vinyl in a solvent printer though. Some people use it a lot and swear by it... Will it ruin your install? 9/10 times unless your drenching the vehicle with it... No. But why risk it when baby soap / water is 1/10 the price and provides no risk?
I was not aware of that before, thanks! More specifically, I didn't know that Windex waxes whatever you spray it on. Could I theoretically try putting the soap/water mix you talked about in an empty (and thoroughly cleaned) windex spray bottle and have it work well?
Taryn, not related to this thread in any way.. but I'm really curious about how yall live on a small island. Who does the town's signs? I couldn't find actual sign shops that are located there. Do outsiders have to boat in and install signs there? How does that work.
For the most part, we do! The boss's dad cuts PVC boards for us since we've found those physically last a long time in the weather here. Along Main St and on our dock ramps have a good few examples of what we've done. Sadly, one of our longer lasting signs as of *almost* nine years did get busted because of a traveller being a bit too silly, so I am waiting to see if the local market does want me to redo that sign for them. If it's going outside for more than a couple weeks, then we try to get 14oz banners. If it's going up for only a couple weeks, then we get coroplast boards. For the most part, people getting signs from us already know exactly how they want them installed and know the boss personally (he is a bit of a hardass) so they do it themselves. I did mention earlier that ACE Electronics also does vinyl for boats but, as I've never been and really only tangentially know them by face, I have no idea what all they offer for vinyl services. Supposedly they do signs, but they don't look all that great either.
There was also the year that the school district (read: actually just one senior class parent in particular) decided they don't want to do stuff with us anymore because we were too expensive, got a quote from a sign shop in Juneau, and then came back and told me they want exactly the design the Juneau shop designed for them. The Juneau shop wanted something like $200 per 36"x96" banner plus shipping. They were suddenly okay with $175 per banner.
Closest business I could find that does vehicle graphics is in Juno. Tex, you're too close to Dallas. It's not the same as a small, remote, isolated population. People make do with what they've got, and hopefully strive to do more.
Google says that's 10hours and change "by car", too. Most of the out-of-town people that get lettering from us are from Wrangell and (S)Ketchikan, and that's mostly shops that either build boats or fix the whole boat. I like to think it's because of my personality
but they're also good friends with the boss. I would like to do the cool boat wraps I've seen online (and I think on a couple of reality shows?) eventually, but I have wayyy more experience to get before I can reasonably attempt it. The distance can be nice, though -- coming from someone who grew up in a city before high school, people from cities are kind of assholes when they go anywhere.
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