Should any special care be taken while washing the bonnet stripes?

 

Are they black,factory, or aftermarket? I have black aftermarket and they
scratch very easy. I wash them with the "grain" to minimise swirls. Can't comment on dealer stripes.

 

Also just so you don't get wax build up along the edges, be sure to tape the edges.

IF they're factory stripes you'll be okay with using a machine polish if you wanted to.

personally I really wouldn't go to town using a cut on them. Just be careful when washing them and use tape when waxing/polishing them up.

 

My stripes have the printed black pins. The first time I polished my car (last year as a newby to detailing with a PC) I was overzealous and faded part of the black. I now tape the edges before I polish. As for washing, no worries. If you are washing with something that is harming your stripes you are probably harming your paint. On the boot I get stains and brake dust that I remove with clay. When I wash I wash the whole car stripes and all, and when I polish I do the white of the stripes - makes them real shiny.

 

Mine are printed too, and I did a good number on them the last time I polished and now my boot stripes look pretty crappy (up close, anyway). Next spring I'll probably swap out for a new set of both bonnet and boot stripes. I want something with slightly more chrome...

 

FWIW - I just installed new stripes on Blimey - custom made by Mike at Aesthetic Creations - they're printed to get the colors I wanted, but are then covered with thin clearbra film... I think they're gonna hold up MUCH better than the other two sets of stripes I've been through...