How To Wash Your Ceramic Coated Car [Ultimate guide]

A ceramic coating is an excellent way to protect your car's paint job from scratches, water spots, and other types of damage.

However, to maintain its hydrophobic properties and extend the life of your coating, it's important for car owners to know how to wash a ceramic-coated car properly.

In this post, we'll discuss the best way to wash a ceramic-coated vehicle and some tips to keep it looking its best for the long term.

First, gather your materials.

You'll need a wash mitt, two buckets, a grit guard, car wash soap, a foam gun or cannon, a pressure washer, a maintenance spray, a drying aid, and several clean microfiber towels. As your ceramic coating top layer will require proper washing on a regular basis using different products.

It's also a good idea to have some drying towels or a leaf blower on hand in the first place to remove excess water from hard-to-reach areas.

Before you start washing your car, park it in a shaded area to avoid direct sunlight, which can cause water spots and swirl marks. With this is mind early morning can be a great time to avoid the direct sunlight when washing your car.

Fill one bucket with clean water and a second wash bucket with water. Add a ph neutral car wash soap to the soapy water to avoid damaging the ceramic coating.

Next fill another bucket with clean water which will be used for rinsing the wash of dirty water so that damage the the coated surface from scratch-prone contaminants will be minimised.

These are the ph neutral car wash soaps we recommend.

Mr Pink

Created over a decade ago this super value product is the perfect balance ph neutral shampoo for use on a ceramic coated car.

Using the two bucket method and a superior quality microfiber mitt this car wash shampoo will effortlessly ease away the dirt and grim and will provide the first step in proper maintenance of your ceramic coating.

It just take one to three liquid ounces in a gallon of water to create the ideal wash. Mr Pink is definitely our favourite.

Mother CMZ Wash and Coat

Incorporating Si-02 (silicon dioxide) quartz technology, this superior Ceramic car wash has been specifically designed with ceramic paint protection options in mind.

It is from one of the leading car care products providers, Mothers. This alone gives you reassurance that one thing for sure you are purchasing a quality product and secondly it is fit for purpose!

Turtle Wax Slick and Slide.

Im sure you can detect a theme here? As this is yet another "Well established Detailing Brand!" Yes we do like to feature trusted brands and have found through our detailing journey that these brands are still about decades on for a reason!

The Turtle Wax brand is no exception and is well respected by a lot of people. This cutting edge product from a well established brand will give you great results right from the first wash.

Its ph neutral formula beaks down road aggressively without and risk of damaging your coating, a good all round wash.

All these shampoos are a great alternative to automatic washes which in our opinion should be avoided at all times if you have a ceramic coated car. The main reason being the cheaper shampoos used in and automated car wash is usually of a quite acidic quality and could damage your coating.

Next, rinse the car with a pressure washer to remove any loose dirt or debris.

Use a foam cannon or gun to apply a layer of soapy water to the car's surface.

The foam will help to loosen dirt and grime, reducing the risk of scratches and swirl marks during the washing process.

Now it's time to start washing your car using the two-bucket method.

Dip your wash mitt into the soapy water and start washing the car from the top down.

Be sure to rinse your mitt or clean microfiber towel in the clean water bucket after each pass to remove any dirt or debris.

The grit guard in the bottom of the bucket will help to trap any abrasive bristles and prevent them from scratching the car's paint clear coat (which is a layer of clear lacquer applied to your cars paint when in the factory.

When you've finished washing the car, rinse it thoroughly with a pressure washer to remove any soap residue.

Use a drying aid to help remove excess water from the surface of the car. A drying aid will also help to protect the ceramic coating from water spots and other types of damage.

Finally, use several clean microfiber towels to dry the car's surface completely.

To maintain the hydrophobic properties of the ceramic coating, you can apply a maintenance spray after each wash.

A ceramic coating maintenance spray will help to top up the protective layer and keep your car looking its best for a long time.

For that purpose we would recommend

ETHOS RESIST

These type of sprays are often called boost sprays as they give that added to boost to an older ceramic coating that has been weakened by uv rays, brake dust or winter rock salt.

NO Auto Salon Washes

It's important to avoid using automatic car washes or touchless car washes, as these can cause damage to the coating over time.

Instead, wash your car regularly on a DIY basis using dedicated car wash products and the bucket wash method.

If you're a DIY enthusiast, you may have applied the ceramic coating yourself. In that case, you should follow the manufacturer's instructions on the curing process of the product.

If you're not confident in your DIY skills, it's best to leave it to the professionals.

A professional detailer can provide a more comprehensive paint protection service that includes paint correction of the clear coat, which removes minor scratches and imperfections in the surface of the paintwork.

In addition to regular washing, you can also apply a ceramic spray or carnauba wax to the surface of the car.

In conclusion, washing a ceramic-coated car requires some extra care and attention, but it's a great way to get the best results.

These products will help to enhance the hydrophobic surface of the ceramic coating and provide additional protection against bird droppings and other types of contaminants.

We would say the golden rule of ceramic car coating maintenance is to keep the surface of your car in good condition by washing it regularly with neutral car shampoo and pure water.

Checking over at least twice a year for any imperfections of slight damage.

Avoid exposing your car to direct sunlight, and be sure to remove any bird droppings or other types of contaminants as soon as possible.