Ceramic coating is a liquid polymer applied to a vehicle’s paint that protects your car’s exterior from contaminants. Many people invest in a ceramic coating, because the coating also allows their car to remain cleaner for a longer period of time.
However, the time will come when you need to wash your car after a ceramic coating, and you may be worried about how to wash your car after a ceramic coating without ruining it. Below, we will discuss two of the best approaches for washing a car with ceramic coating.
Ceramic Coated Car Maintenance | Keeping Your Car Clean
Before continuing, we should remind you that you shouldn’t wash your car for at least a week after the coating is applied as the coating needs time to fully cure. Once the 7-day waiting period has passed, you can (and should) wash your car at least two times a month to prevent build-up. When you wash your car, you should avoid washing your car at an automatic car wash and hand wash the vehicle. There are two methods that you can employ to wash your car: the pressure washer method and the two-bucket method.
Pressure Washer Method
For this method, you will need the following supplies.
- Ceramic coating maintenance spray
- Foam cannon
- Leaf blower
- Microfiber towel
- PH-neutral foam shampoo
- Pressure washer
Once you have gathered your supplies, move your car away from direct sunlight. If it is very hot, you should wait to wash your car as well, and you should wash your car when it is not hot outside. The sun’s heat can dry the shampoo too quickly, which can lead to streaks or spots. Once your car is in position, adhere to the following steps.
- Pre-rinse your car. Working from the top of your car and moving downward, rinse your vehicle.
- Prepare your snow foam shampoo solution. Pour your snow foam shampoo into your foam cannon; you should probably only use about an ounce of shampoo. Then pours water into the cannon until it is full.
- Attach the foam cannon to the pressure washer and apply the shampoo. Pull back the sleeve on the wand of your pressure washer and slide the wand into the foam cannon’s quick-connect plug. Then, begin spraying your car with the solution. Be sure to coat the entire vehicle, and again, spray from top to bottom. Try to spray in straight lines. Once it’s entirely coated, let it sit on the vehicle surface for at least five minutes.
- Rinse off the snow foam solution. Using the pressure washer, rinse the solution off the car from top to bottom.
- Dry the car. Using a microfiber towel or leaf blower, thoroughly dry the car. While ceramic coatings can reduce water spots, you want to ensure you don’t let excess water sit on the car for too long.
- Apply a maintenance spray. The final step is to spray on a ceramic coating maintenance spray. Read the directions on the spray as some may need to be applied when the car is damp while others are applied once dried.
Two-Bucket Method
For the two-bucket method, you will need the following supplies.
- Buckets (2)
- Ceramic coating maintenance spray
- Grit guards
- Leaf blower
- Microfiber towels
- PH-neutral car wash soap
- Pressure washer (or garden hose)
- Wash mitts
Again, you will need to park away from the sunlight and should avoid washing while it’s hot outside. The steps for the two-bucket method are as follows.
- Pre-rinse your car with your pressure washer or garden hose. Before applying the soap, you should rinse the car with water.
- Wash the car using the two buckets. One bucket should hold the soap solution, and the other should have water and a wash mitt. You should dilute your car wash soap with some clean water and using a grit guard to remove the debris can ensure the wash mitt stays clean during the process. You should work top to bottom, and you may consider using a different wash mitt when you wash your wheels and sills.
- Rinse the car. Starting at the top and working downward, rinse the soap off the car.
- Dry the car. Thoroughly drying the car is important.
- Apply a maintenance spray. Spray a maintenance spray onto your vehicle as a final step.
Recommended Products
The products you use to wash your ceramic-coated car matter. Using the wrong products can be just as harmful as improperly washing your car after a ceramic coating. We recommend that you use the following products when washing your car with ceramic coating.
- Microfiber towels. We recommend the towels from The Rag Company or the yellow ones from Costco. You should rip off the tags before use.
- Car soap. For your shampoo, we recommend the CARPRO Intensive Car Shampoo Wash.
- Wash pad. Any wash pad you use should be scratch-free, and we recommend this pad from Chemical Guys.
- Electric leaf blower. If you don’t have a lead blower for your lawn maintenance that can also be used for washing your car, we recommend this blower from Avid Power. Another blower is the EGO POWER+Blower—this option is a bit pricier, though.
- Air compressor. We recommend this Air Force Blaster.
- Maintenance spray/topper. You should avoid using any products with wax or clay bars; machine sprays should also be avoided, which is why we recommend CARPRO’s reload spray.
The professionals at Pristine Auto Care can help you protect your vehicle from damage. If you need help with auto detailing, ceramic coating, or PPF, we are here to help. To schedule a service or get an estimate, contact us today online or at (661) 766-5774.