If you just got a ceramic coating on your car, then you might be wondering how to go about washing it. In fact, that might be exactly why you’re here. To get the most life out of your ceramic coating keep reading. In this blog I thought we would break down really simply what exactly it takes to wash a coated vehicle. First off, here’s a few things not to do on your ceramic coated car:
Car wash precautions and supplies
- Avoid going to the car wash. Listen…we get it, the car wash is simple and easy, and in a minute or two you have a clean car! However, the brushes and chemicals used in automatic car washes will slowly but surely strip the coating off your car paint.
- Use a PH neutral car soap. When it comes to washing a ceramic coating. The best way to go about chemicals is simply getting a PH neutral car soap. You can buy one of these at your local auto parts store or on Amazon!
- Use soft towels, microfiber in particular. Dish towels and bath towels will only scratch up your paint and lessen the life of the ceramic coating. Pick up some high quality microfiber towels for the best cleaning and least scratching!
Now that we have gone over the DON’Ts of washing your ceramic coated vehicle, let’s talk about how to go about actually washing it!
Washing your coated car
- First off, fill up two buckets of clean water, pour some PH balanced car soap in one and leave the other one with regular clean water.
- Start by pre-rinsing the car to remove any loose dirt. You can use a garden hose although a pressure washer would be ideal.
- If you happen to have a foam cannon, now is the time to use it. If not, move to the next step.
- Dip a microfiber wash mitt into your soapy solution bucket, then begin washing the paint from top to bottom rinsing your wash mitt every two panels or so.
- After you’ve washed the entire car, rinse off all the soap making sure to be thorough.
Drying and optional spray topper
- Time to dry. You can either use a drying towel or my preferred method which is using a leaf blower!
- Now that the car is completely dry. You have two options, either be done, or apply a spray topper to the paint. I like to apply a topper just to give the car a little more protection!
And you’re done! Now you can try it for yourself. By the way, we recommend you wash your coated car every two weeks or at minimum once a month, as this will give it the maximum lifetime! If you have any questions about anything auto detailing related, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at any time!
Back to all articles
