Top Mistakes to Avoid When Washing a Ceramic-Coated Vehicle

Many people run away with the thought that adding a ceramic coating to a vehicle means you don’t need to wash it. While it does mean that keeping it clean becomes far easier, it certainly doesn’t mean that you can consign your bucket and sponges to the depths of the garage.

Washing a ceramic coated car correctly is vital to extend its longevity, and there’s a knack to getting it right. Crucially, there are a bunch of things that you absolutely shouldn’t do, and that’s what we’re going to focus on here.

Avoid, Avoid, Avoid… Common Mistakes with Ceramic Coating Care

We’ve already touched on the first one, which is thinking that the coating is self-cleaning. This really is where advertising and many online articles misinterpret one of the key benefits of a ceramic coating product.

The chemical composition of ceramic coating is what’s known as “hydrophobic”. This means that water beads and runs away from the surface. When this happens, it collects dust and dirt as it rolls away—but this obviously is only to a certain extent. And, if it doesn’t rain (or your car is generally kept under cover), then this won’t happen.

But, what it does mean, is that when you wash the vehicle this will assist in the removal of small, loose contaminants.

So… Mistake #1 is to think that you don’t need to wash your car.

Mistake #2 is being too aggressive with your washing techniques. This can take many forms, including:

• Using harsh cleaning products: Such as car shampoos that contain chemicals, wax, or any abrasive materials. All of these can cause permanent damage to the beautifully smooth coating. While such damage might not be immediately noticeable, over time this will take its toll and reduce the coating’s lifespan. You should also use the right tools, such as gentle car wash mitts and microfiber cloths, rather than rags, tea towels, or anything else not specifically fit for purpose.
• Not pre-washing: While this can seem a bit of a faff, using formatted pre-wash products to gently loosen any stuck-on dirt goes a long way to preventing surface damage during the deeper wash phase.
• Failing to use the 2-bucket method: Simply, one bucket for shampoo, another for rinsing. Another of the common mistakes with ceramic coating care is failing to change the water often enough. This should be done as soon as you see any change in the color of the water.
• Not drying the paintwork correctly: Drying is as important as washing, so be sure to use a dedicated car mitt or blower to prevent unnecessary pressure on the ceramic coating. Gently gently, softly softly is key…

Apart from the washing technique itself, other common mistakes with ceramic coating care include:

• Not keeping your wash tools clean.
• Failing to remove chemical attacks (bird droppings, tree sap, etc.) as soon as you notice them.
• Not washing the vehicle in the shade—direct sunlight and water are not a great combo, the shampoo will quickly dry on the surface.
• Thinking it’s ok to use a mechanical car wash. Quite simply, this is one of the worst things you can do. If you only take one thing away from this article, this is perhaps the most important…

You should also leave enough time for the ceramic coating to cure after application before washing. This typically takes around 3-4 days (for a pro-coating), so it’s wise to try and keep your vehicle away from locations where it’s in danger of being dumped on by tree sap or bird droppings. (OK, easier said than done for the latter, especially if you live close to the ocean).

Hopefully, you’ll have got the picture that washing a ceramic coated car needs to be regular (every 1-2 weeks), gentle, and using appropriate products.

At Auto SuperShield, every installation we do includes detailed car wash tips for coating care—we’re just as passionate about this as we are about doing an immaculate job of the ceramic coating itself.

Ready to find out more? Visit https://autosupershield.com/, pick up the phone, or drop in for a chat—no obligation to buy, but we’d love to show you some examples of our work…