What Should You Not Do After Ceramic Coating?
Ceramic coating is a great way to protect your car from damage. It repels water, mud, and dirt and keeps your car looking new. But it is important to understand that it does require maintenance.
At a minimum, you should use a shampoo that is designed for ceramic coatings and is ph neutral. This will help extend the life of your ceramic coating.
1. Do Not Wash Your Car for Seven Days
Ceramic coating is a protective layer that helps your vehicle look and perform better. Its hydrophobic properties cause water, dirt, mud, and other contaminants to slide off the surface of your car, making it much easier to keep your vehicle looking shiny and clean. Unfortunately, not many car owners understand that a ceramic coating isn’t bulletproof and it does require upkeep to maintain its protective capabilities.
One of the most common mistakes people make after getting a ceramic coat is washing their cars too often. While it may seem counterintuitive to wash your car frequently, this can actually shorten the lifespan of the coating. It is recommended that you wash your vehicle with a quality ceramic shampoo that is specifically designed for coated vehicles. These types of shampoos are pH neutral and contain Si02 that can help to extend the life of your ceramic coating.
It’s also important to avoid using a pressure washer or going through a drive-through car wash after a ceramic coating has been applied. These cleaning methods can strip the protective layer and weaken its hydrophobic properties. Additionally, it’s important to wash your vehicle by hand and use a microfiber towel to dry it.
While it’s okay to wash your car a few times a week, you should always try to do this in the morning or evening so that the sun isn’t directly hitting the paintwork. This will prevent water spots and streaking, as well as protect your paintwork from UV rays that can break down the ceramic coating.
When washing your vehicle, it is best to work in sections. Start with the roof, then move to the front of your vehicle, and finally the rear. This will help you to avoid missing any hard-to-reach areas like the wheels and tires. Additionally, it’s important to use a separate wash mitt for the lower sections of your vehicle so that you don’t spread brake dust or carbon deposits from the tires to the painted surfaces.
It is also recommended that you wash your vehicle with a high-quality ceramic soap. This type of soap is pH neutral and contains Si02 that can help to extend the life and performance of your ceramic coating. In addition, it’s important to use a high-quality microfiber towel when drying your vehicle.
2. Do Not Park Under Trees
When it comes to preventing bird droppings, tree sap, and other environmental contaminants from sticking to your vehicle’s paint, the best way is to simply avoid these hazards altogether. However, if you’re stuck with an environment that’s prone to this type of contamination, you should consider using an automotive ceramic coating product that contains resins and polymers that can be applied as a protective layer over your paint. This will prevent the sticky residue from clinging to your car and will also help you remove any that has already stuck.
Although auto ceramic coatings are highly durable, they’re not impervious to damage and degradation from harsh environmental factors. For example, road salt can corrode the surface of your vehicle’s paint and may degrade or chip the ceramic coating over time. Additionally, prolonged exposure to direct sunlight can cause the ceramic coating to fade or oxidize. While ceramic coatings provide excellent protection from these elements, regular maintenance and touch-ups are still necessary to keep your car looking as good as new.
One of the most important things that you can do to maintain the integrity of your ceramic coating is to wash it regularly with a pH-neutral shampoo and microfiber cloths or sponges. It’s also a good idea to use grit guards and buckets with grit separators to prevent any scratches or other contaminants from damaging your coating. You should also avoid all-purpose cleaners and stick to specialized products designed for your ceramic coated paint.
Another important thing that you can do to maintain the integrity of you auto ceramic coating is to wax it at least once a year. A high-quality automotive wax will protect your ceramic coating from extreme weather conditions and UV radiation, extending its lifespan.
3. Do Not Scrub Your Car
A ceramic coating is designed to protect the paint of your vehicle and give it a brighter shine than its uncoated counterpart. However, this will only happen if the coating is cleaned and maintained properly with the right cleaning products. There are a lot of people out there who take shortcuts in order to wash their vehicles and this is one of the biggest mistakes you can make. The best way to protect your ceramic coat is by using proper washing techniques and by using car care products that are specifically formulated for ceramic coated cars.
Scrubbing your vehicle is a surefire way to destroy the integrity of a ceramic coat. This is because scrubbing will cause the coating to flake off, leaving your car with a dull and dirty look. Therefore, you should always avoid scrubbing your vehicle with any type of abrasive materials or scrubbing pads. Whenever you need to clean your vehicle, do it by hand with a soft cloth.
Ceramic coated cars are very durable, but they still require routine maintenance. It is recommended that you wash your vehicle twice a month to prevent contaminants from building up on the surface. Moreover, you should use a ceramic-safe shampoo or wash product during every wash to keep the surface looking shiny and new.
In addition, you should always wash your ceramic coated car in the shade or inside your garage. Doing so will prevent the ceramic coating from getting damaged by direct sunlight. Additionally, you should also be careful when removing bird droppings or tree sap from your vehicle as these substances can damage the ceramic coating.
If you are going to use a hose or automatic car wash, make sure that the water pressure is set to a low setting and that you do not spray the surface directly. You should also use the two bucket method when washing a ceramic-coated vehicle to prevent swirl marks. In addition, it is important to use a grit guard in each bucket to catch any debris that could scratch the surface of your vehicle.
4. Do Not Apply Any Chemicals
Trying to apply a layer of a ceramic coating that has not fully cured would be like applying a coat of car wax on a wet paint surface. You should always allow your ceramic coating to fully cure for a minimum of 4-5 hours before you attempt to add any type of product on top of it. This will ruin your hard work and could result in an oily looking finish that may look sloppy.
If you want to enhance the performance of your ceramic coating, it is a good idea to use maintenance products that fill in any scratches and help it to retain its hydrophobicity. These products are designed to be applied right after you wash your car with a pH neutral shampoo and should be applied at least every 2-3 weeks to maximize the longevity of your vehicle’s protection.
Ceramic coatings offer a mind-blowing shine to your vehicle and protect it from damaging contaminants such as water, mud, and dirt. However, they are not bulletproof and can scratch just as easily as traditional waxes. In fact, it is possible to damage your vehicle’s paintwork without even knowing it.
One of the most common mistakes that people make after ceramic coating their vehicle is not washing it regularly enough. If you don’t wash your vehicle regularly, debris such as dirt, pebbles, bird droppings, and tree sap will stick to the ceramic coating and degrade it over time. This is why it is important to wash your car with a quality pH neutral shampoo and to use a soft microfiber towel to dry the vehicle.
Other common ceramic coating mistakes include failing to properly clay the paint before coating and applying the coating in direct sunlight. It is extremely important to follow the laws of stacking and allow for a minimum of 4-5 hours for your ceramic coating to completely cure before you attempt to move it to a sunny area. Additionally, it is very important to ensure that your car is free of any contaminants before coating it as this will protect it from damage during the curing process. If you are unsure of how to properly prepare your vehicle for ceramic coating, it is highly recommended to have a Ceramic Coating Clearwater detailer do the job.
Ceramic coating is a great way to protect your car from damage. It repels water, mud, and dirt and keeps your car looking new. But it is important to understand that it does require maintenance. At a minimum, you should use a shampoo that is designed for ceramic coatings and is ph neutral. This will…