Cars with a matte finish have a unique appeal, with a modern and sophisticated look that sets them apart from the crowd. However, they are very delicate, and to maintain their original appearance and ensure their longevity, it is essential to adopt a proper care and maintenance routine. This guide aims to offer practical advice and recommend suitable products for caring for cars with a matte finish, ensuring they retain their luster over time.
Differences Between Matte and Glossy Paint
Matte and glossy paint are two different finishes that give cars a completely different aesthetic appearance. The main reason for choosing one finish over another is definitely aesthetic, and the choice is subjective based on the car owner's preference. Depending on the shapes, color, and modifications made to the vehicle, one may be inclined to choose between the two types of finishes.
Matte paint is characterized by a smooth but non-reflective surface, while glossy paint is characterized by a high degree of shine and light reflection. These differences influence not only the aesthetic appearance but also the care and maintenance methods for the two types of paint.
Specifically, the treatment of the two finishes, smooth and matte, differs in:
- Specific products: Glossy paint requires products formulated to give shine and reflection to the surface. On the other hand, matte paint requires gentle, non-abrasive products that do not alter its non-reflective finish.
- Polishing: While glossy paint can undergo polishing processes to remove imperfections and enhance its shine, matte paint does not need polishing as the lack of reflection makes this process unnecessary.
- Cleaning: Cleaning glossy paint can involve using more aggressive cleaners to remove dirt and stains without damaging the finish. In contrast, matte paint should be cleaned with gentle detergents that do not alter its non-reflective surface.
- Protection: Both finishes require protection to preserve the paint's appearance and durability over time. However, protective products for glossy paint might contain ingredients like gloss enhancers, while those for matte paint are designed to protect without altering the matte look.
- Scratch repair: In the case of scratches on glossy paint, it is possible to use polishing products and processes to repair them. For matte paint, it is advisable to use specific products for scratch removal that do not alter the matte finish.
To learn more about caring for glossy paint, you can consult our dedicated guide.
How to Care for Matte Car Paint
Caring for matte paint requires careful attention and, in particular, the use of specific products formulated for this type of finish. Using inappropriate products could compromise the appearance of the paint and its beauty over time.
It is therefore crucial to adopt a cleaning and maintenance routine that preserves the integrity of the matte surface and is scheduled over time. Owners of cars with matte paint will need to perform car detailing operations more frequently, as matte paint is inherently more porous and tends to retain more impurities and dirt.
Let's look at the best products for treating matte paint:
- Washing products: The treatment for matte paint always starts with cleaning, using specific, non-aggressive products designed to provide deep and lasting cleanliness like the Matt Paint Cleaner, a shampoo for all exterior parts of the car that, when used with the Shampoo Glove, will allow you to clean the surface effectively. Learn more…
- Drying: On matte cars, any residues left by limescale or general water spots will be more visible, so it is recommended to dry the surface after washing, either manually or automatically, but avoid washes with brushes or other equipment that could damage the surface.
- Protective products: After deep cleaning, it is essential to protect the bodywork to preserve and safeguard the surface over time. Renewing Protective Detailer is the protector for matte paint that, when applied with the microfiber cloth, will allow you to protect the paint from atmospheric agents and contaminants that can damage the paint’s appearance and properties over time. Learn more…
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How to Revive Matte Paint
To revive matte paint and restore its original appearance, frequent detailing is recommended. Unlike glossy cars, where you can mask certain imperfections like dullness or swirls or apply protective polishing waxes, matte paint cannot undergo some treatments as they would alter its look.
After each wash, which aims to remove dirt as well as any applied protective treatments, it is necessary to apply a protector for matte paints like Renewing Protective Detailer with the microfiber cloth, to immediately protect the surface and create a barrier against weather and contaminants.
These products can also be applied without washing the surface, but it is advisable to do so as a maintenance step and only on already clean surfaces. Any protective product helps to set the outcome, whatever it may be. If the protector is applied over impurities, these could damage the surface or become more difficult to remove in the next wash.
How to Wash a Car with Matte Paint
A proper procedure for washing a car with matte paint is the first step to avoid damaging the surface. It is essential to use products specifically for matte paints, which clean effectively without compromising the finish.
Besides the products, to achieve a deep clean without damaging the paint, it is a good practice to use specific accessories that allow for a good abrasive action without compromising the surface. You can use for this step the Shampoo Glove or microfiber cloths for cleaning.
Remember: cleaning accessories must also be cleaned after each wash. Using dirty cleaning accessories like gloves or microfiber cloths can create superficial scratches or soil the surface with residues from other products.
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Another key aspect in handling a car with matte paint is the way products are applied using a cloth or glove. In this case, it is not necessary to use a precise method like when polishing processes are carried out using polish or abrasive pastes, but it is important not to apply excessive pressure during washing, especially on surfaces with visible residues.
The correct process here is to apply products like Matt Paint Cleaner (like all chemical products, not on hot surfaces or those exposed to the sun as this would alter their properties and results), let them act, and rinse the surface with a gentle water jet, so that the dirt dissolved and removed by the product is gently washed away. This process can be repeated if necessary. Once the surface is adequately clean, you can proceed with cloths or gloves as indicated above and rinse with high-pressure water jets.
For more information on the proper procedure, you can consult our manual car washing guide.
How to Polish Matte Paint?
Unlike glossy paint, matte paint does not require polishing because the lack of reflections removes the need to enhance the surface's shine. Polishing processes or applying specific products for glossy paints to a matte finish would ruin its appearance and properties, especially the application of waxes that protect and make surfaces shiny. There are specific products for protecting matte surfaces like Renewing Protective Detailer, which, if used properly, can protect the surface and maintain the original look of the paint over time.
How to Remove Scratches from Matte Paint
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To remove scratches from matte paint, it is essential to use gentle, non-abrasive, and non-corrosive products (such as abrasive pastes).
Therefore, the use of a specific and non-aggressive scratch remover for eliminating superficial scratches is invaluable. Scratch Remover has a formulation that meets these requirements precisely. The included sponge cap makes it easy and quick to apply, without causing damage to the surface. Its application on particularly stubborn surfaces is recommended with a Hand Pad Polishing to speed up and improve scratch removal. After removing the scratches, as we will discuss in the next section, it's important to apply a protective layer to preserve the results and shield the paint from new scratches.
As with the washing phase, it's crucial not to apply too much pressure and to dedicate the right method and time to the scratch removal process. For more information on how to remove scratches from the paint, consult our dedicated guide.
How to Protect Matte Paint
Protecting matte paint is essential to preserving its appearance and ensuring its longevity. After washing or removing scratches with appropriate products, the paint needs to be protected from weather conditions or contaminants that can settle on the surface.
We have repeatedly seen that a clean surface repels dirt, dust, and contaminants, which will struggle to adhere or settle on the surface. However, this alone may not be enough if you want extra protection that reduces the frequency of detailing. For this reason, Renewing Protective Detailer is the ideal solution for matte finishes. By applying it with the double-faced microfiber cloth, you can easily apply and remove excess product with precision.
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It's important to always emphasize that these products, being chemical, should only be used on surfaces that are not hot or exposed to sunlight, as heat can alter their properties and effectiveness. We recommend reading our dedicated guide on car protection.
