How to Maintain a Ceramic Coated Car

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: December 9, 2021 References

Ceramic coatings are known for their long lasting and durable shine, but some mistakenly believe that ceramic coatings don't require any maintenance. Regular washing, application of specialist products is key to keeping a ceramic coating looking as good as possible. There are also some easy daily steps you can take to keep a coating clean too.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Washing Your Car

1
Use grit guards on 2 buckets. Fill up 2 buckets, one for washing and one for rinsing. Then, gently insert a grit guard into both buckets and press them down to the bottom until the it hits the bottom of the bucket.
- Grit guards are essential so you don't accidentally rub grit into the paint coating.^{[1]
  X
  Research source}
- Grit guards can be purchased online or at your local garage.
2
Add car soap to your soap bucket. Put 5 fluid ounces (150 mL) of a pH neutral car soap into your designated soap bucket. Swirl it around so that bubbles rise to the top of the bucket.
- Make sure that the soap you're using does not have any wax in it. Wax will do nothing to a ceramic coated car and may be detrimental to the cleaning process.^{[2]
  X
  Research source}
Advertisement
3
Rinse down the entire car with water from a hosepipe. Using a hosepipe, rinse down the entire car with water until it's dripping wet. Make sure you get all of the car soaked, including the interior of the wheels, the roof and the grill.
4
Scrub the car from the top down using circular motions. Starting from the top, take one of your clean mitts, turn it over several times in the soap bucket then scrub the car in small, firm, circular motions.^{[3]
X
Research source}
- When the cloth becomes dry, put it back in the soap bucket and turn it over a few times. The grit guard should catch any grit that you've caught as well.
- Once a cloth becomes too dirty, return it to the other bucket for it to rinse.
5
Use a microfiber cloth to clean the smaller components. Use a microfiber cloth instead of a standard cleaning mitt to gently scrub the side mirrors, wheel arches, and other detailed areas. Microfiber cloths are gentler on surfaces and allow for more precision.^{[4]
X
Research source}
6
Rinse the entire car again with clean water. Once more, hose down the entire car to wash off all the soap. Examine the car closely to try and finds any spots you may not have cleaned well enough. If there are any missed spots, re-clean then re-rinse.
- The order in which you hose down the corridor doesn't particularly matter, as long as all the soap is washed off.
- This process is to avoid water-spots which are very common when car cleaning is not done correctly.^{[5]
  X
  Research source}
7
Dry the car with a towel or a blow-dryer. With a towel or blow-dryer, if you have it, dry off the outer coating of the car and let it rest.^{[6]
X
Research source} It is inadvisable to ever let your car air-dry as water spots will almost certainly stain the coating.
8
Repeat this process every 1-2 weeks. As you drive your car, the outer coating will be chipped away at by dust, pebbles, and microscopic materials. It may be invisible to the naked eye, but a vigilant regular clean is the best way to maintain the coating.^{[7]
X
Research source}
9
Use a touchless car wash if you don't have the time to wash. If you don't have the time to wash your car every week you can go to a car wash. This is far from ideal, but if you are going to do it, make sure the brushes never touch the car in the process.
- Automated car washes aren't gentle and have a strong chance of scratching your coating.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Applying Specialist Maintenance Products

1
Re-examine the car for dirt. Ideally, you should be spraying the car immediately after a wash. If you decide to use a cleaning spray when the car hasn't been recently washed, make sure to clear off any natural dirt such as grit, grass or mud.
- If there is, the effect of the spray will be neutralized.
2
Spray the car with a specialized ceramic coating maintenance spray. After a regular wash, spray down the entirety of a car liberally with the maintenance spray.
- Make sure to spray in easily forgotten areas such as behind the wheel arches.
3
Rub the spray into the car's finish. With a microfiber cloth, gently rub in the spray around the coating of the car. The spray creates another layer of protection for your coating, so make sure you don't miss any spots!
4
Reapply the maintenance product every 2-3 months. A maintenance spray-down does not need to be completed as many times as a wash, but it too will inevitably fade away after prolonged exposure to the elements.^{[8]
X
Research source}
5
Book your car for an annual maintenance checkup. You should be entitled to check your car in to the detailer who coated the car for you every year. The detailer will be able to use their expertise to rejuvenate the car so that it looks good as new.^{[9]
X
Research source}

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Preserving the Coating

1
Dry down your car whenever possible. Ceramic coating is particularly prone to showing water spots. If your car gets wet while you're driving, try to park it in a sheltered area or dry it off with a towel once you stop.
- Tap water holds particular minerals that result in spotting.
2
Remove accidental dirt as soon as you can. Accidents such as bird droppings, grass or dirt are inevitable when driving the car around. In the moment they're harmless, but clean them as soon as you can as their effect can multiply.
- Impacts on the outer ceramic shell of a car by general debris can cause permanent damage in the outer ceramic layer.^{[10]
  X
  Research source}
3
Park your car in the shade if you can. Direct sunlight for long periods of time can chip away at the outer layer of ceramic coating, making it liable to crack. Whenever possible try to park in the shade.
- If possible, avoid parking under trees as well as they may shed debris throughout the day.

Community Q&A

Question

Someone gave me California Gold Carnauba Wash & Wax as a present, can I use it on my ceramic coated car? I don't care about the wax, I just want my coating to last.

Community Answer

Carnauba wax will only add another layer of protection, so it shouldn't be a problem on a ceramic coating.