While the top of the list reasons for getting the windows of your car tinted are always the same, to protect it and your family from UV (Ultra Violet) and IR (Infra-Red) and to imbue your car with a little extra privacy, security, and shade, the secret reason, the one that we all claim that we don’t care about when we really do, for having it done is that we want our ride to look good.
There’s no shame in admitting that you want people to stare at your car while it’s rolling down the road, that you want it to be a real head turner and the sort of automobile that everyone wants to be sat in.
After all, your car is a direct reflection of who you are and ensuring it stays in tip-top shape and condition, and always bewitches anyone who stares at it is part and parcel of owning a stunning vehicle.
It’s an inescapable part of the human condition, which means that by extension, it’s part of who, and what your car is because anyone who has spent any time at all around cars knows that they have a soul, and that soul needs to be fed and spoiled by being waxed and washed as often as possible.
Needing to look good is probably why you’re thinking about having tints fitted so that you can carry your car to the next level so that it can, and will look even better than it already does, there are a number of cosmetic questions that you’ll probably want answering before you fully commit to an all window tint, and that’s why we’re here.
To provide open and honest answers to the nagging doubts that have stood in the way of you and your car driving straight into tint city. So let’s begin…
Can Rain Affect A New Window Tint?
If you’ve ever wondered if rain can and will affect a new window tint, don’t worry you’re not alone as it’s an incredibly commonplace concern and one that we get asked a lot. And the answer is no, as long as you listen to, and follow the advice of the shop that fits your tint, you won’t have to worry about rain damaging or wreaking havoc on your brand new tint.
After your windows have been tinted, the shop will inform you that you shouldn’t wind your windows down for at least two or three days (we’ve always followed the rule of five and have always made sure that our windows stayed up for five days after they were tinted) to give the tint time to fully cure and dry.
And, as the tint is on the inside of your car’s windows and not the outside, and the windows are closed, the rain can’t get into your car and it won’t mess up your new tint. Tinting is, providing you do as you’re instructed, completely rainproof.
How Soon Can I Wash My Car After It’s Been Tinted?
That’s entirely up to you. The first thing that we did after we had the windows of our last car tinted, was roll straight through the nearest car wash after choosing the super deluxe program.
We didn’t want to risk washing it by hand, as we knew that the temptation to do a little valeting and interior cleaning would probably be too hard to resist, and would run the risk of maybe damaging the tint, so we just barreled straight into the first car wash we came across.
We figured that as long as we kept the windows rolled up, which we were going to anyway then nothing untoward would happen to the tint. And guess what? We were right. Nothing untoward did happen, because the tint was, and is, on the inside and the car wash was on the outside.
When Can I Clean The Tint And The Inside Of My Windows?
Now we’re getting to the crux of the issue and the question that really matters, when can you clean your new tint. Again, it’s a matter of waiting for the tint to cure. Some shops recommend waiting for four days and others six, but we’ve always tacked on an extra day just to be one safe side, so honestly, we’d wait a full week.
It’s hard not to give in to the urge to clean, but when your car looks as good as it will with a fresh new tint, that urge won’t be as hard to resist as you think it might be.
When you do succumb and can’t resist washing the insides of the windows and the tint anymore, be gentle. Use an ammonia-free glass cleaner and a microfibre sponge and take your time.
And when you’re finished, wipe them down with a clean, static-resistant cloth. After all, you and your newly tinted car are all about looking good, so nothing but the best will do.