Xpel PPF care what do you use

[ViperOne]

I’m new to PPF. What do fellow Mach 1 owners with paint protection film use or do to keep it in good condition? Xpel says to use their sealant and ceramic boost spray. I have Nex gen ceramic spray and Adams Graphene in my car care kit. Any issues using one of them instead of the Xpel products? Just curious what you guys would recommend? Thanks for any advice!

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[MACHtobers Very Own]

I treat the car like any other car with or without PPF.

2-3 times a month
proper wash with soap
Dry with a drying aide
Use same drying aide as a finish after car is done with windows/trim etc

in the wash section "what's in dfb's closet" there's some great insite but if you aren't going down a rabbit hole I would say proper wash habits should keep it solid

 

[skinnyb]

Agreed, caring for PPF is pretty much the same as without. Just watch the edges with a pressure washer, I use a nice wide 40 degree tip on mine and it works like a charm... I only have PPF in a few spots though...

 

[Stumptown Photog]

I put XPel on my Roush R2 immediately post purchase. A ceramic coating s applied after install. I first use a Griot's "foam cannon" (attached to a garden hose) as first wash to take off the big chunks. Follow that with the ceramic coating makers wash soap (Feynlab) with a hand wash using strokes that mimic airflow. Rinse off with a shower from the hose. Dry the car with an electric leaf blower (no touch). Follow with a ceramic spray (I use NexGen).

 

[cstunkard]

I had my whole car PPF'ed with XPel. The shop that installed it, which has done a lot of GT350's and 500's and also does a lot of exotics, recomended using Meguiar's M27 Pro Hybrid Ceramic Sealant.
I have been very happy with the M27 product and started using it on my other cars as well.

 

[Turbeau]

All great points above - Don't sweat minor scratches/swirls. DIrect sunlight makes them disappear! X2 on being aware about the edges when pressure washing.

Another thing - This product is technically a consumable. If it gets chewed up with rocks, etc just replace it. It will not last the life of the car. I hear a lot of guys complaining that their PPF got nicked - that's the point!

 

[murick]

I am doing the "standard" procedure as if I did not have a PPF using a "contactless" wash.
1) wetting the car with plain water
2) spraying with "active" foam
3) washing with warmish water and some chemicals
4) washing with demineralized cold water
5) drying everything up with a heavy duty car towel
The key is to wash the car as soon as possible (e.g. from bugs or some other aggressive pollution) and drying it right afterwards. After 3 years still looks like new.

Only once, after I had my car parked in fields by a dealership for four months I had to clay bar it as apparently the dust and other contaminants (ash) from air pollution got baked into the PPF surface and I was not able to wash it, not even with a mitten.

 

[Skye]

I have Xpel PPF applied across the car.

I use three products.

Gyeon Bath (not Bath+); this is my maintenance soap. Use it as often as you like.

https://gyeonusa.com/collections/wash-soaps/products/q2m-bathe

Gyeon PPF wash. Once a quarter, I use this as my decon soap. It's a modest decon, for PPF. Gyeon says you can use it more often, but I do not.

https://gyeonusa.com/collections/wash-soaps/products/q2m-ppf-wash

Gyeon PPF Maintain. A sealer, for PPF. I apply this after washing with the decon soap.

https://gyeonusa.com/collections/ppf-wash-maintain/products/q2m-ppf-maintain-redefined

Application is super easy:

- Shake the bottle well

- Spray onto a dry microfiber towel. You want enough for the towel to be damp, but not soaked

- Slow-walk across the panel. The product will flash over quickly. Simple, back-and-forth motion. Re-up the towel as necessary, while doing the rest of the vehicle

- With another dry microfiber towel, rub and polish

In step two, the surface of the vehicle will feel quite rough. The towel won't catch and stop, but you'll notice. In step four, the PPF will take on a luxurious, conditioned feel. There is no effort in removing. No residue. Just a great feel and appearance.

I've been using these products for almost two full seasons and have never been disappointed. "Hydrophobic"; it's like anti-magnetic against water.

This season, I started using this mitt and towel.

https://gyeonusa.com/collections/wash-mitts/products/q-m-smoothie-evo

I found the mitt to be just the right size. Feels good in the hand. Unseen, there's a cleft stitched into it, for your hand to hold onto. Very comfortable.

https://gyeonusa.com/collections/drying-towels/products/q-m-silk-dryer-evo

This towel rocks. Uber absorbent. Leaves traces of nothing. I have two. I can almost completely dry the car with one. Slowly take the towel across the surface. One pass is all that's needed.

I am using three buckets now:

- Wash, body
- Rinse, body
- Wash/rinse, tires and rims only

I practice separation as much as possible. While I have not experienced any damage, moving to a wheel-only bucket made sense.

My rims are general aftermarket wheels. Being black, it's easy to see that, as the wheel rotates, the static electricity generated causes road grit to stick to the rim. Grit that has the potential to make it to the body surface. The third bucket prevents that.

I do use grit guards in the bottom of all buckets.

Wash using the water coming out of the tap, on a cool car. On wash days, I will first park the car in the garage, pop the hood and let it sit, for 30 minutes or so; this cools the engine/hood and the brakes. Then, I'll back it out to wash. I always wash in the morning, when it's coolest. Never when the car is hot, or at the hottest part of the day.

Almost three full years of use, the PPF looks as good as the day it was installed. Virtually everyone that walks by Skye when I'm washing compliments on the appearance and the color.

 

[skinnyb]

I have Xpel PPF applied across the car.

I use three products.

Gyeon Bath (not Bath+); this is my maintenance soap. Use it as often as you like.

https://gyeonusa.com/collections/wash-soaps/products/q2m-bathe

Gyeon PPF wash. Once a quarter, I use this as my soap. It's a modest decon soap, for PPF. Gyeon says you can use it more often, but I do not.

https://gyeonusa.com/collections/wash-soaps/products/q2m-ppf-wash

Gyeon PPF Maintain. A sealer, for PPF. I apply this after washing with the decon soap.

https://gyeonusa.com/collections/ppf-wash-maintain/products/q2m-ppf-maintain-redefined

Application is super easy:

- Shake the bottle well

- Spray onto a dry microfiber towel. You want enough for the towel to be damp, but not soaked

- Slow-walk across the panel. The product will flash over quickly. Simple, back-and-forth motion. Re-up the towel as necessary, while doing the rest of the vehicle

- With another dry microfiber towel, rub and polish

In step two, the surface of the vehicle will feel quite rough. The towel won't catch and stop, but you'll notice. In step four, the PPF will take on a luxurious, conditioned feel. There is no effort in removing. No residue. Just a great feel and appearance.

I've been using these products for almost two full seasons and have never been disappointed. "Hydrophobic"; it's like anti-magnetic against water.

This season, I started using this mitt and towel.

https://gyeonusa.com/collections/wash-mitts/products/q-m-smoothie-evo

I found the mitt to be just the right size. Feels good in the hand. Unseen, there's a cleft stitched into it, for you hand to hold onto. Very comfortable.

https://gyeonusa.com/collections/drying-towels/products/q-m-silk-dryer-evo

This towel rocks. Uber absorbent. Leaves traces of nothing. I have two. I can almost completely dry the car with one. Slowly take the towel across the surface. One pass is all that's needed.

I am using three buckets now:

- Wash, body
- Rinse, body
- Wash/rinse, tires and rims only

I practice separation as much as possible. While I have not experienced any damage, moving to a wheel-only bucket made sense.

My rims are general aftermarket wheels. Being black, I've noticed that, as the wheel rotates, the static electricity generated causes road grit of all kinds to stick to the rim. Grit that has the potential to make it to the body surface. The third bucket prevents that.

I do use grit guards in the bottom of all buckets.

Wash using the water coming out of the tap, on a cool car. On wash days, I will first park the car in the garage, pop the hood and let it sit, for 30 minutes or so; this cools the engine/hood and the brakes. Then, I'll back it out to wash. I always wash in the morning, when it's coolest. Never when the car is hot, or at the hottest part of the day.

Almost three full years of use, the PPF looks as good as the day it was installed. Virtually everyone that walks buy Skye when I'm washing compliments on the appearance and the color.

LOVE Gyeon products. Especially the drying towel. I have just about every drying towel on the planet, and the Gyeon Smoothie Evo is my FAVORITE by far. The wash mit is nice too

 

[CrazyHippie]

I’m new to PPF. What do fellow Mach 1 owners with paint protection film use or do to keep it in good condition? Xpel says to use their sealant and ceramic boost spray. I have Nex gen ceramic spray and Adams Graphene in my car care kit. Any issues using one of them instead of the Xpel products? Just curious what you guys would recommend? Thanks for any advice!

I stuck with Xpel products for the first year. Now I'm using Reset -Amplify-Ghost. Huge difference in the ease of application and final result. I found Xpel products to leave an annoying film that never quite buffed out. The new combination is magic.

 

[Joker721]

I have the Xpel PPF and their premium 8 year ceramic coating. Have been very happy with it.

For cleaning I use McKees 37 carbon ceramic Graphene auto wash followed by Xpel’s Waterless Wash to remove any water spot and then their Ceramic boost to finish.

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