I just received the Prius Hybrid Decal set that I ordered about a week ago- quick delivery. The instructions suggest to first clean the surface where the decal is to be applied, with denatured alcohol. Question: Is it really safe to use denatured alcohol as suggested? Any additional tips from someone that has done the install will be greatly appreciated! -Twiddles
Well, I've applied tons of decals at a sign shop I used to work at and I have always put a few on all of my cars and the only advice I have ever used or heard to clean the area is to use liquid dishwashing soap to clean the area and use PLENTY of water to wash it off. Dry the area off well, making sure that no stray cloth hairs are left on the surface. Then making sure that it's completely dry, go ahead and apply it. Using this soap will strip off all of the dirt and wax that has been used on that area before. But don't use this soap to wash your car.
Thanks for the reply. There have been several posts here about using Dawn dishwashing liquid to wash the entire car. I'll follow your instructions on preparing the surface for the decals. I would still appreciate hearing from someone that followed the instructions that came with the decals and used denatured alcohol to prepare the surface. How did it work out?
I used the rubbing alcohol for the surface prep for the decals and for the external XM antenna. I encountered no problems. If your car is brand new and you've had any paint protection applied, I'd check to see if there are any special concerns there.
Rubbing alcohol (isopropyl) is not the same as denatured alcohol (ethanol?). Denatured alcohol is used as a cleaning agent but I wasn't sure if it was safe to use on the car paint before applying the decals. I ended up just using dawn dishwashing liquid to remove any dirt and built up wax. The job came out fine.
make sure you re wax tha area which you applied the dawn dishwashing liquid. There is no paint protection after "dawning".
Having put on many decals in the past (I'm a video game nut and my Corolla is festively adorned with Sonic, Mario, and Mega Man decals) I would say the most important thing is making sure the area to be applied is absolutely clean. For the car body, I use dishwashing soap with a washrag. After rinsing the area very well with the hose, the decal is ready to be put on. For glass, I use this stuff. It's safe for plastic and window tints, and is hands down the best glass cleaner I've used for any type of glass. Mirrors, glass shelves, car windshields (both inside and out), the outside of aquariums, you name it... I've even used it on my monitor and glasses with absolutely no ill effects. You can buy it from Costco or Sam's Club in a 4 pack. It rocks. I won't use anything else: [Broken External Image]:http://www.bobborden.com/diary/images/sprayway.jpg If the decal is small or doesn't cover a lot of area, you can just stick it on dry. This is not recommended, since once it's on, it's on. If you slip at the last moment and there's a wrinkle you've ruined the decal, or you decide you want it just an inch to the left/right/top/bottom, tough. For large decals or ones that are prone to air bubbles (large solid areas), the wet method is best. I used plain old water. Lay the decal on wet, float it to the area where you wish to stick it, make final adjustments, and then smooth out as much of the water as you can with a credit card. Then wait for it to dry and the water will evaporate from under the sticker. If there are small air bubbles, you can usually work them out with the mentioned credit card. If you can't get them out, then you can prick them with a pin and squeeze the air out.
