How to Care for Ceramic Coating

Ceramic coatings are an effective way to protect any vehicle’s exterior. They help vehicles retain their value and appearance over time and under various weather conditions. Many of our customers come to us for advice and one of the most frequent questions is how to care for ceramic coating.

Fortunately, ceramic coatings are exceptionally durable and don’t need much maintenance. However, there are some key things that you’ll want to keep in mind with them. Here are some important tips on how to care for your ceramic coating.

Wash Your Car

Having a ceramic coating doesn’t mean you’ll never have to wash your car again. In fact, one of the benefits of a ceramic coating is that it’s hydrophobic, allowing for easier washing. You’ll generally want to wash your vehicle about once every two weeks. This will keep your vehicle looking fresh and help the ceramic coating last longer.

Additionally, you’ll want to ensure that you wash your car with a dedicated car shampoo that is pH neutral and doesn’t have added wax. Since the ceramic coating has such strong protection, you don’t need to use anything harsh to wash your vehicle. Also, wax can create a surface on top of the ceramic coating that will cause dirt and debris to stick to it.

Avoid Car Washes with Your Ceramic Coating

We aren’t against automatic car washes, as they have done an exceptional job of improving their brushes. However, they do usually use a high PH level of soap that can hurt the ceramic coating. If in doubt, err on the side of caution. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

We do prefer that you hand-wash your car to reduce streaking. You’ll want to do this either in the early morning, late evening, or a cloudy day in order to avoid the most direct sunlight. Also, hand-dry your vehicle to minimize the appearance of unsightly water spots.

Don’t Cross Contaminate

When washing your vehicle, you want to avoid accidentally applying any other chemical or substance to its exterior. This is much easier to do than you might think, especially if you use towels and containers for multiple purposes.

To avoid this issue, designate a specific set of car washing tools. Select a bucket, mitt, and microfiber towel that’s only used for washing your vehicle. This ensures that your car doesn’t encounter anything unintended for its surface. It’s a straightforward way of extending the life of your vehicle’s exterior and its ceramic coating.

Remove Contaminants from Your Ceramic Coating

There are several things that your car may encounter that will degrade its ceramic coating. These include substances like bird droppings, sap from trees, and bugs. It’s perfectly normal to encounter these things from time to time.

However, these contaminants are all fairly acidic. They can quickly damage your ceramic coating and even your clear coat if left on a vehicle’s exterior for too long. Be sure to clean off these substances as soon as you notice them. Luckily, ceramic coatings make it much easier to remove most contaminants with a single wash.

Final Thoughts

It’s important to understand how to care for the ceramic coating on your vehicle. Knowing what to avoid will extend the life of your vehicle’s coating and exterior. We highly recommend hand-washing your car at least once a month. Ideally, it should be washed every two weeks or so. Always remove contaminants as soon as you notice them, and be sure to avoid automatic car washes if possible. If you have any questions about how to care for a ceramic coating, contact us today for more information. Our technicians are eager to share their expertise with you.