What type of car wash is best for ceramic coating?
When it comes to ceramic car wash soaps, Nexgen Ceramic Car Wash Soap, Mr. Gold Foaming Car Wash Soap from Chemical Guys, and Car Wash from Armor All have my highest all-around ratings. All these three products are concentrated, wash the surface extremely well, and protect the car's paint.
The short answer is YES! You can take a ceramic coated car through a car wash but remember, not all car washes are the same. We recommend you stay away from automatic car washes that still employ abrasive brushes to clean your car. These abrasive brushes can damage the coating and your paint.
If you have installed a paint protection film or ceramic coating on your vehicle, and can't hand wash your vehicle, using a touchless car wash facility is your best option. There are several waterless wash solutions that are likewise good alternatives, but the high-pressure washing system is what we'd recommend.
Any ceramic coating worth the name will have at least 5% silicon dioxide. The best consumer-grade ceramics have SiO2 concentrates in the 70-80%range, though these can also be the most difficult to apply. Professional detailers and installers typically use ceramic coatings with SiO2 concentrations between 93 and 97%.
Wash in the shade or closer to dusk or dawn when possible. You need to actually do a "contact wash" to properly clean the vehicle. Just rinsing your vehicle off will not fully clean it, even with a ceramic coating. You must dry the vehicle in order to avoid water spots.
- Always use directly after washing the vehicle. Whether you use a hybrid spray, or SiO2 Boost spray recommended by your ceramic coating manufacturer, it's critical to only use them once the car has been fully washed. ...
- Never use in direct sunlight. ...
- Consider using an applicator pad.
Its best to only use car wash soaps that are pH Neutral because they are safe for ceramic coatings. Avoid using any car wash soaps that have any waxes or sealants in them. We recommend using our Vehicle Wash for your car wash because of its ph Neutral formula.
Never use dish soap to wash your car. It might look clean afterward, but the problem is that the dish soap will strip away the wax or sealant designed to protect the vehicle. Dishwashing soaps are not Ph balanced and will actually dull the vehicle's finish, and that is definitely what we don't want to have happened!
- First – Keep the Vehicle Away from Sprinklers. ...
- Second – Try to Avoid Parking Under or Near Trees. ...
- Third – Follow Manufacturer Recommended Aftercare Instructions.
- Finally – Do NOT Use Spray Wax or Paint Sealants on Top of the Coating.
Method #1: Handwash
Ask any detailing expert and they'll tell you the safest way to wash your car is a handwash.
Can you ruin ceramic coating?
Can You Mess Up Ceramic Coating Applications? Yes, it is possible to mess up a DIY ceramic coating application. Improper application may cause high spots, streaks, cloudy reflections or hazing. These mistakes won't permanently damage your vehicle's paint and can be undone.
The easy answer is yes, you can. You could lay the ceramic-based protectant down first, let it cure and then apply a wax.
Disadvantages of the Procedure
Duration of the procedure (it may take much more time than waxing). Price (ceramic coating is an attribute of an expensive car. Not everyone can afford to apply ceramics). Difficult to remove (ceramic coating doesn't last forever.
Professional nano-ceramic coatings have far superior aesthetic qualities compared to traditional carnauba wax. Therefore, applying wax over your ceramic-coated vehicle does not make sense.
Best Long-Lasting Ceramic Car Coating—Nano Bond Ceramic Coating for Cars. Nano Bond's ceramic coatings feature an important component: SiO2, also known as silicon dioxide. High percentages of this lead to better durability and almost all true ceramic car coating options will be silicone dioxide-based.
- Do Not Take Your Car to an Automated Car Wash. ...
- Use a pH Neutral Car Shampoo with No Wax Added. ...
- Wash the Vehicle in Low Light Hours. ...
- Be Consistent with SiO2 Boost Spray. ...
- Always Use Clean Media.
The best way to spruce up a dull, ceramic coating is to use a spray wax that's free of polishing agents, like Hybrid Solutions Pro Flex Wax or ICE Spray Wax, to add an additional layer of protection and shine to your finish.
- Meguiar's Gold Class : Best Overall Soap.
- Optimum No Rinse Wash & Shine : Super-Easy Wash.
- Chemical Guys Mr. Pink Foaming Car Wash Soap : Affordable Soap.
- Milwaukee Muscle Car Wash : Best Classic-Car Soap.
- H8eraide Car Wash and Wax : Eco-Friendly Soap.
If you want to know if a car has a ceramic coating, take the car for a drive. Spray the car with water; as you increase the speed of the vehicle, water beads will gather into streams that will flow from your vehicle. In the absence of ceramic coating, the drops of water will cling to the car's surface.
Basic ceramic coating lasts up to a year, standard ceramic coatings have a lifespan of 3 years, while elite ceramic coating can last up to five years. But if you use your car daily, even if it's cleaned on a regular basis, it is unlikely to reach five years before the vehicle requires a ceramic coating replacement.
How long do ceramic coatings actually last?
For the most part, ceramic coatings last between two and five years. In some cases, they can last up to a decade, but this is pretty rare. However, there are many factors that affect their lifespan and might force you to replace yours sooner than you'd expect.
Will high-pressure washing cause damage to a ceramic coated vehicle? A car with a ceramic coating can be washed with a pressure washer without concerns. You may take advantage of the coating's capacity to clean itself with the help of a pressure washer, which removes the vast majority of surface contaminants.
There are special shampoos and cleaning solutions specifically made for cleaning ceramic coatings – like the CrystalShield Ceramic Shampoo. These are pH balanced and are specifically designed for ceramic-coated vehicles. So opt for them to avoid causing damage to the precious layer of coating.
Don't Use a Quick Detail Product on a Vehicle With a Ceramic Coating.
Is waterless car wash safe for ceramic coating? Absolutely, waterless car wash products work well on properly maintained ceramic coatings! A great benefit to using a waterless car wash on top of your ceramic coated car is they add an additional protective coating.
Will high-pressure washing cause damage to a ceramic coated vehicle? A car with a ceramic coating can be washed with a pressure washer without concerns. You may take advantage of the coating's capacity to clean itself with the help of a pressure washer, which removes the vast majority of surface contaminants.
The traditional automatic car wash is hazardous to ceramic-coated vehicles because the abrasive bristles they use in washing the car might contain some scratch-prone contaminants from a previous car wash that can cause scratches on a car's surface. II. You may wash the vehicle with your hands (touchless car wash).
The golden rule you should always stick to after a ceramic coating is Do not wash your car within 7 days of application! If you know the basic properties of these types of products, you will know that once they are applied they will begin to cure and harden.
The easy answer is yes, you can. You could lay the ceramic-based protectant down first, let it cure and then apply a wax.
Just to set the record straight, yes, you can apply car wax to a ceramic coated surface. But it's going to cause far more issues than solutions. Routine cleaning, garage storage, and applying a high-grade SiO2 ceramic booster spray on top of your coating has proven time and time again to be the best form of protection.