Businesses and other consumers have some mighty fine magnetic materials available for temporarily sticking their favorite team logo or business logo to a vehicle….well, except maybe those with aluminum or plastic or fiberglass bodies……….or too much body fill………..you get the point.
But how many of you out there don’t know how to take care of the magnets?
What’s that you say? Why should I take care of a silly, throwaway magnet?
Because taking care of the magnet also helps take care of your automobile’s paint! And some magnets are expected to do long-term duty.
For example, BEFORE you put that magnet onto the paint of your car or truck. WASH the vehicle. Or at the very least, wash the spot where it is to be placed. Then wax it. Yep, I said that, wax it.
Now place the magnet onto the spot you want it to be. Don’t slide it into place. Touch it to the spot.
Are all the edges touching? Is the magnet flat? Good, then it is a good magnet. If an edge is slightly curled up, perhaps it was how it was stored. In that event, gently bend it back the other way. Hey, I said gently. Don’t crease the magnetic material or you will create a dust channel. And don’t take them off and leave them in your car on a hot day, because they will take on a whole new form….which very likely isn’t going to be flat!
You might also be wondering what the heck I meant about a dust channel. Well, it could also be a dirt channel. It is amazing how those pesky dirt particles can work their way under bent or cracked or old magnets that have never been cleaned. The dirt particles will act like little bits of sandpaper and eventually affect the finish of your fine motor vehicle’s paint.
Here’s another hint. Don’t leave the magnets on when going through a car wash. Take them off and clean them off by hand (mild dish detergent), then put them back on the vehicle AFTER the car is washed and dried….and after the magnet is dry. And maybe you ought to wax that paint again, eh?
And guess what? Put it back in a slightly different spot.
Why in a different spot, you ask? (You have a lot of questions, don’t you?) If the magnet is in the same spot all the time, you can get a different shade of paint under the magnet versus the surrounding area. It is best to blur that out a wee bit if you are keeping that magnet on there for a long time and live in a very sunny locale. When you go to sell that truck or car, your buyer may not really want to see the magnet ghost of fandom or business past.
One last thing. If you do use the magnet for special or certain business occasions, you might be interested in how to store them properly. Hey, it is an investment right?
The best, easiest and safest way to store magnetic signs when not on your vehicle is to keep them rolled with the magnetic side in and printed side out in a common, inexpensive mailing tube. A 3 inch diameter or larger tube is an ideal way to do this. But don’t roll the magnets up tightly, roll them tightly enough to just fit into the tube. Folding or creasing the magnetic signs can ruin any aerodynamic properties they might have, and it is conceivable that you could lose them if they don’t lay flat on your vehicle.
If they don’t lay flat on your vehicle, then place them inside for a day or two on a flat surface or stick them to your refrigerator or filing cabinet and see if they will rebound. And by the way, if you aren’t using a tube in which to store them, those filing cabinets work for that, too.
Enjoy the wonderful world of magnetic signs!