7 Tips on How best to care for your Ceramic Coating [Maintenance Guide]

Once you have paid the initial expense of having you car Ceramic Coated it is important to protect your investment.

Using a good aftercare product can increase durability

In this blog post I will highlight the main ways car owners can do this to ensure the coated surface not only looks great but lasts a long time.

To do this you need a proper care plan that will maintain the coatings hydrophobic properties, shine and durability.

Protect the cars clear coat against direct sunlight UV rays, bird droppings, tree sap, brake dust and all the road grime the seasons throw at the surface of your car.

Lets get started and learn the best way to do this!

The importance of regular washing

Ceramic Coating is a protective layer applied to the surface of your car and can only look its best if you wash it regularly.

BUT, you MUST use a pH Neutral shampoo!

The reason for this is because ceramic coatings had a pH balanced surface.

If you were to use a shampoo that was too acidic or alkaline then you can disrupt the pH balance and cause damage to the coating. This can result in fading, dulling, or even cracking of the coating.

Using a pH Neutral shampoo or car wash soap such as .the ones featured in our Ceramic Coating Shampoo post will greatly reduce the risk of any damage to the ceramic car coating.

The one car shampoo I really like is....

Mr Pink Ceramic Shampoo

Using one of these shampoos on a regular basis will keep your ceramic coating in super condition in all environmental conditions.

Start the process by giving a foam gun coating with a pressure washer to loosen up the dirt, mineral deposits and grime for best results.

Use the two-bucket method of cleaning to ensure no swirl marks are created on the ceramic paint coatings.

Two bucket means using one bucket with soapy water in and another with clean water. Start with using a microfiber wash mitt in the soapy bucket and then rinsing it in the clean water bucket. Both buckets should have a grit guard installed.

You could also use a waterless wash

Avoiding harsh chemicals and contaminants

As mentioned earlier you should try to avoid using any extremely acidic or alkaline shampoos on a ceramic coated product, but you should also avoid using polishes and waxes on a ceramic-coated car.

This is because they could, just like a non pH neutral shampoo, react with the surface and reduce the life of your new ceramic coating

But there are numerous other occasions when other particularly acidic things can cause surface contamination, particularly a new coating that has just finished the curing process and not to full hardness.

I would highly recommend not to use any automated car wash with their abrasive bristles, as the high pH detergent style cleaners in those can be very harsh and would certainly have a detrimental effect on you ceramic coating product.

Remove or Avoid Salt!

Salt is one of the most destructive substances for a ceramic coating.

If you live near the sea then you should take long term precautions to prevent your vehicle being exposed to the sea salt air.

The same caution has to be taken in Winter if your areas roads are heavily rock salted. You should do weekly inspections and wash off any salt deposits as soon as possible.

Take extreme care when removing the dirtiest sections of the salt deposits as it can be easy to create swirl marks in the coating if you are not careful

Acid Rain

If you live or work in a highly industrialised area then there is a high possibility that you are receiving "Acid Rain" on a regular basis. This is due to the likely hood of high industrial fallout in the air and rain.

The best way to check is to take a pH reading of the rain. To do this buy a simple pH testing kit.

Normal rain will have a pH of around 5.6, anything less than that can be classed as "Acid Rain"

This could well be the reason you are reading this blog post. Maybe you have had your car ceramic coated by a professional detailer but its just not looking its best?

Then this could be the problem!

Again the answer lies in regular washing with a pH neutral shampoo as the easiest way to reduce hard water spots caused by acid rain and reduce the risk of damage to the vehicle's surface.

Thorough drying techniques to prevent water spots

The real key to prevent "water spots" is in the drying phase after a proper washing.

Use clean microfiber towels. Try to obtain a large drying towel such as these.

Protecting the ceramic coating from UV rays

If possible try not to park in direct sunlight for long periods.

This maybe difficult to prevent if your workplace is an open car park! Definitely try to park in a shaded area.

But you could consider and car cover, ideal a silver reflective one that will not only protect the coating for the time period but will also deflect the heat of the sun and further protect the properties of the coating.

Touching up chips and scratches

Proper maintenance of a Ceramic Coating requires special care to be taken to check for chips and scratches.

You should make annual inspections at least but it is a good idea to do six monthly inspections if your car is in heavy everyday use.

Check it over completely to find any small chips or scratches that could start further damage to the coating.

Once these are located you can use a touch up pen to add more ceramic coating to seal up the opening. This is one of the best maintenance tips I can give you.

It often makes a big difference to a ceramic coating over time and really requires little effort. You can also use a ceramic spray as a maintenance spray to seal up the chips.

Please remember to give the car a real good wash first. Use a foam cannon, clean pure water and mild soaps to ensure surface is spotless.

Conclusion for how to care for your ceramic coating

To prolong the life of your coating and your car's paint job it is essential to follow the above steps.

The invention of ceramic coating has been a revelation for any car enthusiast but you still give regular ceramic coating maintenance and need to wash and care for it on a regular basis.

But the beauty of it is that it is just that.

Before its invention you had to possibly to paint correction polish followed by a wax to get anywhere near the level of protection you get from a ceramic pro finish.

Now you just have to use simple care by washing regularly to create a beautiful shine, super water beading without any gloss enhancers and in half the time!