You’ve finally gotten your car ceramic coated, the coat has properly cured, and your car is looking shiny and pristine. Now to think about how to care for your car so the ceremic coat lasts and fulfils it’s intended purpose. A lot of people think that once you get car coated, you don’t need to wash it or take care of the paint. That is not right. You need to wash your car regularly to preserve the coating. And for that you need the right soap; you cannot use any regular old soap on a ceremic coated car.
Here’s what you need to do:
Different types of car shampoos, soaps. Which ones are right to use on your ceramic coated car.
You cannot use regular car soaps, these types of soaps or car shampoos are pH positive meaning they contain a high alkaline blend that damages the ceramic coating on your car, it has a lot of drawbacks as it can create cracks and thin the layer of the coating, making the car lose its shine and it’s hydrophobic (water repellent) property much earlier than intended.
Soaps containing wax as most traditional car soaps contains carnauba wax is also not recommended. Before ceramic coating became popular, wax was used to make the car shine but using it on top of a ceramic coat just defeats its whole purpose. A layer of wax will accumulate dirt, grime and water, giving the coated car a lacklustre look.
pH neutral car soaps are the way to go. As technology increases, different lines of specialized car soaps for ceramic coatings are emerging in the market. The pH neutral formula is a gentle soap that helps in removing the dirt, grime and other contaminants and is easy on the car’s surface as they are not overly acidic.
What to look for in a ceramic coated soap:
As factory paint jobs on cars are getting better with variety in paint options like the pearl and metallic finishes and paint protection technologies are advancing so are the car soaps. So, when choosing a soap for your ceramic coated car, along with having a pH neutral formula and no added wax your optimal soap should have the following properties to make your ceramic coat last longer:
High lather and lubrication properties:
The soap should have high lather properties for better lubrication. You want the wash mitt to glide over the surface with as less friction as possible to avoid scratches. A soap with high foaming property producing more suds will do the job.
Gentle cleaning agents:
Soaps containing harsh chemicals will corrode the ceramic coating and will compromise its integrity. The purpose of a good soap is to remove the dirt and grime on a car without causing any damage. Car soaps with gentle cleaning agents is recommended for ceramic coatings which extends its water repelling property.
Compatibility ceramic coatings:
As explained above regular soaps are harmful for the coating, many new car soaps that are specially made for ceramic coatings are being introduced in the market. Their label mentions the soap’s compatibility with coated cars and it can be an easy pick for you.
Why you should avoid automatic car washes?
Automatic car washes are not only bad for ceramic coatings but also for non ceramic coated cars. Harsh bristles from automatic car wash can cause scratches on your paint and they may often contain scratch inducing contaminants from a previous car wash. They mostly recycle their water from rinsing and mixing them with detergents, which is great for the environment and can be same for your car – if filtered properly. They often use harsh chemicals that are especially bad for your ceramic coat. Automatic car wash is bad for your paint and will shorten the life of your ceramic coating.
Things you need for an optimal and easy car wash experience:
Having these things will keep your car in its best possible condition and make your car wash experience a breeze
Wash Mitts: The first thing you need for an easy car wash is a pair of high-quality wash mitts. Microfiber wash mitts are gentle on the surface of the car and good at removing contaminants from your paint. It is recommended to have a separate wash mitt for cleaning the wheels and wheel arches.
2 buckets method: Use the 2 Bucket method for an optimal car wash. One for soap water and a separate bucket of water for rinsing your wash mitt, so the dirt and the grime does not mix with the soap water. It is better if you have a separate third bucket for your wheels.
You can buy a foam gun if you want to make the process rally easy.
High quality drying towel: A high-quality drying towel is very important; it helps in giving your car that newly washed and glossy look. A microfiber drying towel does not scratch nor leave water streak marks on the surface of your car. They do not leave any dried water marks on your car as they are highly absorbent.
Step by step guide to washing your ceramic coated car:
Always wash in shade: Park the car in shade at least half an hour before the wash. Don’t start the wash immediately after a long drive. Let the car cool down a bit. This should bring the car to normal temperature. Paint expands when its hot and when it encounters cold water it is more likely to crack.
Start with the wheels, then the body: Once you have rinsed the car with water start with cleaning the wheels first. It will clean the break dust from the wheels which otherwise would have stuck to the body. You should ceramic coat your wheels too, click here to learn how to. Use the 2-bucket method to wash the body of the car. Wash in sections always starting from the top. It helps in cleaning and rinsing each section of the car properly.
Gentle washing strokes: Don’t apply too much pressure on the surface, it can scratch the car’s surface. The microfiber wash mitt is more than capable to remove the dirt and grime with gentle pressure. Always use straight strokes, front to back or side to side never in circular motion to avoid swirl marks.
Right amount of soap: Make sure to use the right ratio of soap to water. Using a lot of car soap can leave streaks on the paint and can cause damage to the ceramic coating.
Final Rinse and drying: After cleaning each part thoroughly and give the car a final rinse. Let it sit for 1 to 2 minutes to let excess water run off and than start drying. Use the above-mentioned microfiber drying towels to avoid swirl marks. Dry in shade so the water does not evaporate too quickly leaving water marks behind.
Mistakes to avoid while washing your car:
Washing in direct sunlight: Washing the car in direct sunlight will cause the water to dry on the paint quickly causing it to leave water marks and streaks on the surface.
Applying too much pressure: Applying too much pressure with the wash mitt will put unwanted stress on the ceramic coating causing it to disintegrate and lose its life. It can also cause scratches.
Using wax on ceremic coating: Another mistake that people do is apply wax after washing on a ceramic coated car. Wax does not let dirt and grime stick to the paint of the car, all the contaminants get stuck in the layer of wax which keeps the paint fresh. But a ceremic coating cause all the contaminants to slide off the surface. Applying wax on a coated car defeats the whole purpose of the ceremic coating.
What happens if you don’t follow these steps.
If you do not follow these steps properly the hydrophobicity (water repelling property) and shine of your ceremic coating can decrease shortening the life of your ceremic coating.
Following the above-mentioned steps and procedures should put you in the right direction to properly care for you car and increase the life of your ceramic coating and keep your car scratch less.
