Car Washing Methods After a Ceramic Coat
The potency and protection produced by Ceramic Pro 9H is phenomenal (whew – that’s a lot of “P’s”). In the global ceramic coat industry, Ceramic Pro eclipses the competition. While it produces amazing hydrophobic properties, some clients may be confused as to which car washing methods after a ceramic coat has been completed.
Ceramic Pro 9H is a professional-grade SiO2 and TiO2 infused nano ceramic coating that bonds to solid and porous materials ranging from automotive glass to vinyl and paint protection film. However, whether you’ve had one of our excellent installation centers apply this coating, or you’ve selected a DIY ceramic coating, there are some washing techniques that reduce damage, extend lifespan, and allow the coating to shine.
Let’s go over the three recommended car washing methods for ceramic coatings – specifically, those we suggest for Ceramic Pro 9H coatings. But first – watch this cool video from our buddy Adam Cote.
The Two Bucket Method of Car Washing
If you coated an older vehicle that had swirl marks or spider webbing, you likely had a professional detailer complete paint correction to fix those imperfections. But, did you know that the leading root source of this type of damage is improper car washing?
Swirl marks happen when you wash a car with materials (or medium) that can scratch. While special microfiber materials are less likely to cause marring and scratching, they are useless if they are dirty when you wash the vehicle. This happens too frequently when you dip your wash mitt in dirty soapy water.
The two-bucket method of car washing was designed to eliminate this common problem. And believe it or not, a freshly coated vehicle is still prone to swirl marks if you use improper washing techniques.
The first wash method we’re going to go over is the two bucket system using your standard garden hose. You can also use a pressure washer if you’d like. To complete the two-bucket method of car washing, you need to retain the following supplies:
- (2) 5-Gallon Wash Buckets – (1) filled with clean water and (1) with car shampoo w/water
- (1) Grit Guard – This will be used in your freshwater bucket. For pressure washing use (2) grit guards – one in each bucket.
- (1) Wash Mitt / Wash Media of Choice. Our Pink Towel works quite well as a wash ‘cloth’ when using the two-bucket method.
- Car Shampoo – It’s recommended to use a pH neutral, high-suds producing car soap that does not contain wax.
You can use the two-bucket method with a regular garden hose and/or attach a foam gun to use as a pre-washing technique. You can also use a high-pressure washer along with a foam cannon to ‘snow foam’ the car for either a touchless wash or pre-wash.
- Pre-Rinse the Car: Spray the entire vehicle with water to remove any standing debris, dirt, bird droppings, bug splatters, and more.
- Dip your wash media in the soap bucket. Fully saturate your wash mitt or cloth then wash one section or panel of your vehicle in a top to bottom, left to right pattern.
- Once you’re done with that panel, dip the wash mitt in the fresh water and agitate it against the grit guard at the bottom of the freshwater bucket. This will remove any dirt on the media.
- Wring out any excess water from the wash media and then dip in the soap bucket. Before starting on the next panel, rinse the previous one off with fresh water to reduce soap drying on the surface.
Continue with this process until you’re complete with the car wash. Dry with a high-quality microfiber towel.
*Tip – If you’d like a quick way of completing that fourth step of removing standing water, consider using a wash bucket like this as your freshwater bucket.
It’s got a container you place the media inside, and a foot pedal to spin it. It’ll remove any standing water and save you a ton of time – and put the water back in the bucket. PS – You don’t need to buy the mop with it.
Rinseless Car Washing
If you’re not familiar with the rinseless car washing method, you probably don’t live in Southern California or other areas with strict water restrictions. This includes using a specially formulated rinseless car wash formula, that is mixed with freshwater at a specific ratio (as directed by the soap manufacturer).
With this method, you basically spray on the rinseless solution (using a large pump sprayer), wipe the wet area with a clean microfiber towel to remove debris, then use a secondary microfiber towel to dry the surface. The video will explain how this process is completed.
Touchless Car Wash
The final recommended car washing technique for a car that has a ceramic coat is last on our list for a reason. If you’re unable to complete the first or second method on this list, this should be your last resort.
Touchless car washes are basically the manually-operated public car wash that uses high pressure hoses to spray off the vehicle. The other type of touchless wash is one where you drive in, and the machines use high-pressure water and soap to wash the vehicle. The problem with these facilities is the soaps used. They are cheap, generic shampoos that typically are pH high or degreasing agents.
If this is your only option, consider these tips
Bring Your Own Buckets, Media, and Shampoo: If you visit a touchless car wash where you drive into a wash bay, bring your own supplies. Use the high-pressure washer to pre-rinse and final-rinse the vehicle only. Don’t use their soap, never use the old brush, and by all means – don’t use the spray-on wax option. With a ceramic-coated vehicle, it is best to use a PH-neutral shampoo such as Americana Global Aftercare that not only leaves a crisp surface but maintains your ceramic coating from being damaged unlike other types of soaps.
Dry the Vehicle Immediately After Washing: Once you’re complete with the washing, bring your own microfiber drying towels and immediately dry the car before heading home. While Ceramic Pro 9H produces a slippery surface, with exceptional hydrophobic properties, drying the vehicle via acceleration is never a good idea.
Protect Your Ceramic Coated Car with Ceramic Pro CARE
Once your car is clean, smooth, and shiny, and that Ceramic Pro 9H coating is fully cured, the time to protect it is right. Ceramic Pro CARE is a water based, easy to use coating enhancement that is designed to be user friendly that anybody can use to protect their own ceramic coating.
While it’s formulated specifically for Ceramic Pro 9H and our line of ceramic coating solutions, it’s a great ceramic boost spray for DIY ceramic coatings. It can be applied when the water is wet, dry, or used as a quick detail spray if desired.
If you’d like to learn more about Ceramic Pro CARE – or to order your bottle, click the button below.
