Resources
Care Card
A care card for South African branded vinyl and signage, covering cleaning, handling, and what shortens the life of prints, decals, and applied marks.
What a Care Card covers in a normal week
Care Card explains how to clean and handle branded vinyl and signage after installation. It also points out what shortens the life of prints, decals, and applied marks in everyday shop use.
Ask for the vinyl type, where it is fitted, and what is going wrong on site. A Care Card should match the branch conditions, whether that is Gauteng dust, Durban salt air, or hard western sun on Cape Town glazing. Include whether the issue shows as edge lift, colour fade, scratching, or adhesive marks after cleaning.
Keep the first inspection photos with the Care Card request. Clear images of corners, joins, and the full shopfront help when the card needs to mention washing methods, drying, or handling around trims and locks. Save a copy in the job file so staff can refer to the same care points after fitment.
Cleaning points for fitted vinyl
A proper Care Card states how to wipe the graphic, what cloth to use, and which cleaners must stay off the print. It can also note where extra care is needed, such as laminated window vinyl, cut lettering on glass, or printed panels near tills and handles. The wording should fit daily shop use, not workshop jargon.
Link the Care Card to the relevant photo set and keep the wording aligned with the installed finish.
- Cleaning guidance for print and vinyl
- Photos of edges, joins, and damage
Conditions that affect print life
South African sites age graphics differently, so the Care Card must speak to the actual setting. Inland dust can turn routine wiping into surface abrasion, while sea air and moisture around the coast can work at edges and hardware points. Older paint, hot glass, and frequent shutter use also change how a sign should be cleaned and checked.
Direct sun on a shopfront window needs different care from a panel under a covered walkway. Staff should avoid harsh degreasers, rough scouring pads, and high-pressure water near cut lines or lifted corners. Where power cuts interrupt trading, cleaners and security teams may also handle the area more often, so the card should keep the instructions plain and visible.
Operated by Astros Marketing (Pty) Ltd from 2 Makro Place, Sunnyrock 1401.
What to include with the request
Send the Care Card with photos of the fitted vinyl or sign area, your required date, and details of any peeling, fading, lifting or cracked panels already on site. Use a clear subject line that names the branch or shopfront.
Add any notes about fading, lifting, cracked panels, or repeated cleaning around handles, payment points, or entrance doors. That gives the card enough detail to match the branded vinyl or signage on site.