Ask-A-Pro: Questions about Clear Bra Maintenance
by Todd CooperiderRichard N. asks several questions about clear bra maintenance.
I have a clear bra on my black 05 C6 Corvette. Bug stains are impossible to remove, even though I wash down the front at the end of the day with car wash (50%) and water. I have even tried to polish them out by hand and with a orbital buffer. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Answer: Especially during heavy bug season, you always want to quickly and safely clean off the bug residue from the clear bra and any painted surfaces. Keeping a pre-mix of car wash and water on hand like you do is a great idea, and a convenient way to quickly clean them off. Other product recommendations for quick cleaning would be Optimum No Rinse, Plexus, or any quick detailer. If you have heavier contaminations, you could consider a product like Poorboy’s Bug Squash. You should also keep a clay bar handy as well because they can become very difficult to remove if allowed to harden on the surface.
The problem with bugs is that they’re acidic, and can do permanent damage to paint and clear bras. I’ve seen some that begin etching almost immediately, while others clean off with no issues even after they’ve been sitting a while. If you’ve tried to polish the marks out and they still remain, there’s a good chance that they have actually etched into the surface of the clear film. If that’s the case, then there’s not much that can be done about them. I have worked on cars with permanent bug damage done to the film.
Also, I would appreciate your recommendations on the proper care of a clear bra.
Answer: For the most part, clear bras and protective film should be maintained the same as the painted surfaces. You can wash them as you would the rest of the car, and you can wax and protect them the same too. When claying or waxing (paste wax) however, just be careful of the edges of the film. Wax can accumulate at the edge and leave a white line, and clay can get caught in the edge too. Just don’t use any harsh chemicals (the same as you would treat the paint), and remember that the protective film can scratch and swirl just like paint can. Although the manufacturers of the protective film don’t recommend using abrasive polishes, most detailers take a conservative approach with mild polishes and pads that do a great job of cleaning up swirls and restoring gloss. When applying a sealant to cars with clear bras, I typically use Optimum Opti-Seal.
If you have any additional comments or questions, please submit your reply in the comment box below.
Great tips Todd! I’ve also read that the manufactures do not recommend polishing of the film, though I have never seen any side effects from doing so over the years. I’ve personally had the 3M clear bra on my car for two years now and have polished the film several times. I do however reduce the speed setting on my polisher and I carefully monitor the film to make sure it does not get too hot. Meguair’s M205 has also worked very well for me on the films using a DA polisher and a white or black LC pad.
Rasky
Thank you for your reply and recommendations Todd.
Richard Nelson
I second Rasky’s comments on the M205 with a white LC pad with porter cable 7424XP.
I just bought a car that has a clear bra and it’s the first clear bra I’ve ever worked with. It had tons of swirls from the previous owner but the M205 and white pad seemed to do the trick and got it at least 85% corrected. A few spots were really bad so I tried M105 but it was too hard to work with on the clear bra (M105 was too tough to remove) so I figured it wasn’t worth the extra hassle.
Todd, thanks for all your good advice. I read most of your blog and most Q&A’s
I bought the 3 buckets and a lot of products you recommended based on your reviews, will be doing the 2×3 wash.
So I’ll get my new 2012 Ferrari California delivered in 2 months, red. In the meantime I’ll practice washing on my other cars.
The question: I’ve order my Ferrari with 3M clear bra, to be put on by a local specialist. (met him, seems good)
Should I get this bra (with mirror and sides protection), and then clean it as you describe, with taking care of the edges?
Or, should I skip the bra altogether?
It will be a daily driver.
Thanks,
Collin
Collin,
Congrats on the new California purchase…great cars indeed! If you’re going to be driving your car a lot, then the clear bra will probably be a good investment to prevent from the inevitable rock chips.
I just had a 3M clear bra put on my car. How long after installation can it be waxed and is Mothers Synthetic wax a good product for the job?
Thanks,
Don
Does the application of IronX damage the clear bra?
I have a black honda with a clear bra and the shine is not there anymore what can I use to bring it back
Hi Todd.. I recently acquired a porsche from germany that has a form of clear bra on it.. the clear bra has several scratches which i would like to remove…. i have tried using a clay bar and then following up with the griots 2 step polish and “best of show wax” however the “scratches” are still there… i used a white pad and then a red one.. the wite pad did not turn dirty which tells me that i did not “cut” and dirt out of the clear bra.. My question is …is there anyway to get the scratches out or should i figure on de bra ing the hood and starting over? VERY FRUSTRATED… THANK YOU
[…] so I don't have an experience-based answer for you. However, I googled it, and came up with this: Ask a Pro about Clear Bra maintenance Basically, it says yes you can clay bar a bra, but be careful around the edges; the clay can catch […]
An interesting discussion is worth comment. I think that you need to write more on this issue,
it might not be a taboo matter but generally people don’t discuss these
topics. To the next! Best wishes!!