Ceramic Coating
How To Wash And Maintain A Ceramic Coated Car
A coating makes washing easier, not unnecessary. The method is simple, and getting it right is most of what decides how long the coating performs.
By Alofaina Leaga5 Minute Read
A coating changes how much effort a wash takes. It does not remove the need for one. Traffic film and contamination will build on a coated car exactly like any other, and left there they mask the coating's behaviour and shorten its life.
The First Wash
A fresh coating needs time to fully harden before it gets washed. How long depends on what was applied, so follow what Alofa tells you at handover rather than a general figure from the internet.
During that window, keep the car out of the rain where you can, get anything that lands on it off gently and promptly, and do not put it anywhere near an automatic wash.
The Ongoing Method
- 01Wash in the shade or early, never on hot panels in direct sun.
- 02Rinse thoroughly first, top down, to float off as much loose grit as possible before anything touches the paint.
- 03Use two buckets: one with shampoo, one with clean rinse water. The mitt goes into the rinse bucket after every panel.
- 04Work top down, panel by panel, leaving the lower sections until last because they are the dirtiest.
- 05Rinse completely so no shampoo residue is left to dry on the surface.
- 06Dry with a large clean drying towel using no pressure, or with a blower. Do not let it air dry.
What To Avoid
- Automatic car washes with brushes. They will physically abrade the coating and put swirls into the paint under it.
- Harsh degreasers and traffic film removers, which strip coatings.
- Anything abrasive, including polishes and scouring pads, unless a detailer has told you to use it.
- Letting the car dry itself in the sun, which is how water spots form.
- Leaving bird droppings or sap to bake on, coating or not.
Periodic Decontamination
Even with correct washing, contamination gradually bonds to the surface over months. A periodic decontamination clears it and restores the coating's behaviour, and it is a far smaller job than a reapplication.
How often depends on where the car lives. A garaged car goes much longer between them than one parked outside near the coast.
Have It Looked At
The most common mistake is waiting until a coating has clearly failed and then paying for a full strip, correct and reapply. Having it inspected periodically catches the point where a maintenance decontamination will restore it instead.
That is what the maintenance memberships cover. Ask Alofa what your car needs, or read more about ceramic coating in Brisbane.
