How to Care For and Clean the Ceramic Coating on Your Car

Ceramic coating is an asset to any car lover, whether DIY or done by a professional. As they become more and more common, you need to know how to maintain your car’s ceramic coating in tip-top shape.

What exactly is the ceramic coating?

A ceramic coating is a clear polymer film applied on a car to protect its paint from external damage. It typically blends with the car and industry-grade ceramic coating has a hardness measurement of 9H on the pencil hardness scale, which is a variant of the OG Mohs mineral scale.

How helpful is it for your car?

The best ceramic coating can offer paint protection that is hard to beat once cured. They are hard to scratch and can last 2-5 years if properly maintained.

A ceramic coating is hydrophobic. This means that dirt cannot stick to the surface. This property gives ceramic-coated cars the reputation of being self-cleaning.

Once your car has a ceramic coating, it repels dust, mud, tree sap, bird droppings, and ice. It also means that your car won’t be scratched by road debris since its surface will be more slippery than normal.

How to maintain your ceramic coating

If you need to know how to make your ceramic coating last for a maximum of 5 years, here are some helpful tips.

Do not wash your car for at least one week after application of the coating

A ceramic coating takes at least 7 days to cure and harden. Curing means that the quartz coating, which makes a huge percentage of the ceramic finish, has completely hardened and won’t come off.

Washing your car before then will compromise the integrity of the coating, and it may not last as long as it should. It may even undo all the work you put into applying the ceramic coating.

Wash your car at least once every two weeks

There is a raging misconception about the ‘self-cleaning’ properties of ceramic coated cars. The car will not clean itself. The self-cleansing property comes from the hydrophobic nature of ceramic coatings. If you leave dirt to accumulate on your car, the debris build-up will eventually wear out your ceramic coating and eventually damage the paint surface.

As you wash your car, use the two-bucket method of washing. This means that you should have two buckets at hand, one with dirty water and one with clean water.

You should have a grit guard on both buckets to keep all the dirt particles at the bottom of the water. This will help you avoid scratching your car with loose debris. Use a microfiber cloth that will not scratch your car. After washing each panel, rinse off the cloth in clean water to get rid of any particles. You need separate pieces of cloth to wash the body and windows. This will ensure that you avoid soap spots once you rinse off your car.

Use neutral car shampoos with no wax added to wash your car. Since the ceramic coating is already dirt-repellent, you don’t need harsh soaps to clean your car. Mild shampoos with no wax will do. Additional wax may leave a residue on your car and mess with the hydrophobic properties, making your car dirtier.

Dry your car properly

You need to use a dry microfiber towel to completely dry your car. An appropriate towel needs to have a 70/30 blend of polyester and polyamide and GMS of above 800. This has to be a dedicated drying towel of 20×30 inches in size.

You don’t want to leave water droplets on your car in direct sunlight as they will leave water spots. Ceramic coatings can reduce the appearance of water spots but they are not water-spot proof.

Avoid washing your car in direct sunlight

Direct sunlight will cause swirls and water spots on your car once it dries off, and you wouldn’t want that.

Avoid automatic car washes

Automatic car washes are harmful to a ceramic finish. They are harsh and your car will likely come out with scratches. The tough brushes and cleaning rags are sure to strip away the ceramic coating in a matter of seconds.

Why do you need to maintain your ceramic coating?

As you enjoy the benefits of a ceramic coating on your car, you need to keep it in great shape for the following reasons:

Keep it shiny

A ceramic coating is lustrous and makes your car look new and shiny. If you neglect it, the coating will eventually thin and gradually reduce the luster of your car. Maintaining the coating will keep it shiny for a long time.

Keep it hydrophobic

Dirt repellence is an amazing quality of ceramic coatings. Mud, water, and dirt just slide off the protected surface once a ceramic coating is applied.  If the car stays dirty or in direct sunlight, it will be damaged by constant friction from the dirt or by constant exposure to UV rays. This will increase the surface energy and reduce the hydrophobic properties of the coating.

Surface energy is the property of a liquid that shows how it reacts when it comes into contact with a surface. Ceramic coatings help reduce the surface energy on the paint of your car. This is why mud and dirt simply slide off the surface.

Help it last as long as possible

Taking good care of the ceramic coating on your car adds the durability of up to 5 years to the surface. This means no scratches on your car until you reapply the coating. A ceramic finish will thin and wear out really fast if you fail to maintain it properly.

A ceramic coating is a great way to protect the paint on your car. If properly maintained, it can last for a very long time, and you will enjoy all the benefits that come with a ceramic finish. If you are looking for a professional to apply ceramic coating to your car’s surface, or want more information on how to care for your car’s ceramic coat, please visit our site today.