Care guide
Vehicle Magnet Care Instructions
Our 30-mil car and truck magnets last for years with a few simple habits. Here is how to keep them holding strong and protect your paint.
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Start with a clean, smooth surface
Apply magnets only to a clean, dry, smooth painted metal panel — flat door skins are ideal. Avoid body-line seams, curved or ribbed panels, plastic bumpers, trim, and glass; magnets need full contact to hold at speed. Wipe both the panel and the back of the magnet before the first application.
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Remove and clean under the magnet weekly
This is the single most important habit. At least once a week, peel the magnet off, wash the panel and the back of the magnet with mild soap and water, then dry both completely before reapplying. Dirt and moisture trapped underneath is what dulls paint and weakens the hold over time — not the magnet itself.
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Reposition, don’t leave it in one spot
Slide the magnet a half-inch every week or two rather than leaving it in the exact same footprint for months. This keeps sun-fade even between the covered and exposed paint and prevents a permanent outline.
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Take them off before car washes and long highway runs
Remove magnets before an automatic car wash, before pressure washing, and before extended high-speed freeway trips when a magnet feels loose or an edge has lifted. Re-seat the whole edge firmly when you put them back on.
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Store them flat
Between uses, lay magnets flat on a smooth surface or stick them to a flat metal shelf, printed side up. Never roll, fold, or crease them, and don’t leave them face-to-face pressed against another magnet. Keep them out of direct sun and away from heat.
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Mind heat and weather
Pull magnets off in extreme heat and never store them in a hot, closed vehicle — heat softens the material and can let edges curl. After rain or snow, remove them, dry the panel and the magnet, and reapply once everything is dry.
Quick do & don’t
- Apply to clean, dry, smooth metal
- Remove and clean underneath weekly
- Dry both surfaces before reapplying
- Store flat, printed side up
- Reposition slightly every week or two
- Leave on for months without removing
- Run through an automatic car wash
- Apply over body lines, trim, or plastic
- Roll, fold, or crease them
- Store in a hot car or direct sun
Straight answers
How often should I take my vehicle magnets off?
At least once a week. Remove the magnet, clean and dry both the panel and the back of the magnet, then reapply. This prevents trapped moisture and dirt from harming the paint and keeps the magnet holding strong.
Will magnets damage my car’s paint?
Not when they are cared for. Paint problems come from dirt and water trapped under a magnet that is never removed, or from applying over grit. Clean under the magnet weekly and keep both surfaces clean and dry, and your paint stays fine.
Can I leave magnets on in the rain or at freeway speed?
Light rain and normal driving are fine on a clean, flat panel. Remove them before automatic car washes, pressure washing, and long high-speed trips if an edge has lifted, and dry the panel and magnet after wet weather.
How should I store vehicle magnets?
Lay them flat, printed side up, on a smooth surface or a flat metal shelf. Never roll, fold, or crease them, and keep them out of direct sun and heat. Stored flat, our 30-mil magnets last for years.
How long do vehicle magnets last?
Cared for as above, several years. Replace them when colors fade noticeably or the edges no longer sit flat. We keep your artwork and PMS colors on file so a reorder matches the original.
Need a new set or a matched fleet?
We print heavy-duty 30-mil vehicle magnets with rounded corners and PMS-matched color, and we keep your spec on file for identical reorders.