What products do you use to clean and maintain a car "ceramic coating" or "other coating"?

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Sandtrap
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What products do you use to clean and maintain a car "ceramic coating" or "other coating"?

Post by Sandtrap »

DW and I just had our 2021 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro and 2021 Honda Passport Elite "Ceramic Coated" at a reputable auto detailing shop. The cars came out looking 100x better than from the dealer. The surface is deep and extremely shiny and slick.
The shop said it takes 2-3 weeks to "cure" and not to get the car wet, etc.

I've been looking at these products on Amazon.com (for example).
Ceramic Coating cleaning and maintenance spray. (seems very expensive). Is this a good product?
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07 ... ODV4&psc=1
Edgeless Microfiber Cleaning Cloths. Is this a good product?
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07 ... 96TT&psc=1

Question for those that know or have had "ceramic coating" or "other coating" (please specify) on your cars:

1. What products do you use to clean and maintain the coating, or just clean without damaging the coating?

2. What steps do you do to clean your car?

3. How long has the ceramic coating lasted on your car?

4. Does a "ceramic coating" need to be "renewed" every year by the detailing shop?

5. Any other suggestions and tips?

Thanks for your help. :D :D
j :D
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GmanJeff
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Re: What products do you use to clean and maintain a car "ceramic coating" or "other coating"?

Post by GmanJeff »

Use a coating-safe detergent: https://gyeonquartz.com/product/bathe-2/ or https://gyeonquartz.com/product/restart-wash/

Professionally applied ceramic coatings generally last around 5 years, depending on the environment they are in. You can boost longevity and effectiveness by periodically applying a product like this: https://gyeonquartz.com/product/cure/
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Re: What products do you use to clean and maintain a car "ceramic coating" or "other coating"?

Post by RickBoglehead »

I guess I'm wondering why the detailing shop didn't convey this information before you paid for the work?

I use Collinite 845, no coatings. Works great, beads for well over a year.
Avid user of forums on variety of interests-financial, home brewing, F-150, EV, home repair, etc. Enjoy learning & passing on knowledge. It's PRINCIPAL, not PRINCIPLE. I ADVISE you to seek ADVICE.
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Re: What products do you use to clean and maintain a car "ceramic coating" or "other coating"?

Post by ponzu »

I had CarPro CQuartz applied to my garage queen over 5 years ago. No deterioration that I can tell. I use CarPro Reset (soap) and Reload (sealant) on it.

A friend also had CQuartz applied to his daily driver and it wore off within a year. We now apply a heavy duty synthetic wax to his car annually. Much more cost effective.
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Re: What products do you use to clean and maintain a car "ceramic coating" or "other coating"?

Post by Sandtrap »

RickBoglehead wrote: Thu May 13, 2021 2:10 pm I guess I'm wondering why the detailing shop didn't convey this information before you paid for the work?

I use Collinite 845, no coatings. Works great, beads for well over a year.
True.
The detail shop was selling its own line of products.
Thus, checking alternative and options for full research, "bogleheads style".

Thanks.
j :D
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Re: What products do you use to clean and maintain a car "ceramic coating" or "other coating"?

Post by fishnskiguy »

I did a ton of investigating ceramic coatings and car finish care on You Tube before I had my new BMW X-3 professionally ceramic coated one day after I took delivery.

Here are the major points I learned:

Wash car with a pH neutral soap. Avoid high pH soaps. There are many reputable low pH soaps out there. I use Wolfgang Concours Series Uber Rinseless Wash. Have a grit guard in the bottom of your soap bucket.
Use a very soft microfiber towel or mitt for washing. Wash only in straight lines. Use very light pressure. Do not wash with a circular motion.
Dry car in similar fashion with a long nap soft microfiber towel in straight lines. Use light to no pressure.
Twice a year, immediately after washing, I apply one coat of Turtle Wax's Hybrid Ceramic Spray Coating. It is incredibly easy to apply (about 1000X easier than a good carnauba wax), is very forgiving, and is cheap.

If your car is really dirty, it is OK to take it to a car wash and wash it with the hand held high pressure wash prior to proceeding as above. NEVER USE THE AUTOMATIC DRIVE TRROUGH WASH!!
My car is in its third year and looks as good as the day it came out of the detailing shop. Water beads up and runs off like I had applied Rain-X to the whole car.

Chris
Last edited by fishnskiguy on Thu May 13, 2021 10:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: What products do you use to clean and maintain a car "ceramic coating" or "other coating"?

Post by Sandtrap »

fishnskiguy wrote: Thu May 13, 2021 4:19 pm I did a ton of investigating ceramic coatings and car finish care on You Tube before I had my new BMW X-3 professionally ceramic coated one day after I took delivery.

Here are the major points I learned:

Wash car with a pH neutral soap. Avoid high pH soaps. There are many reputable low Ph soaps out there. I use Wolfgang Concours Series Uber Rinseless Wash. Have a grit guard in the bottom of your soap bucket.
Use a very soft microfiber towel or mitt for washing. Wash only in straight lines. Use very light pressure. Do not wash with a circular motion.
Dry car in similar fashion with a long nap soft microfiber towel in straight lines. Use light to no pressure.
Twice a year, immediately after washing, I apply one coat of Turtle Wax's Hybrid Ceramic Spray Coating. It is incredibly easy to apply (about 1000X easier than a good carnauba wax), is very forgiving, and is cheap.

If your car is really dirty, it is OK to take it to a car wash and wash it with the hand held high pressure wash prior to proceeding as above. NEVER USE THE AUTOMATIC DRIVE TRROUGH WASH!!
My car is in its third year and looks as good as the day it came out of the detailing shop. Water beads up and runs off like I had applied Rain-X to the whole car.

Chris
Great info!

Thanks
j🌺
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strafe
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Re: What products do you use to clean and maintain a car "ceramic coating" or "other coating"?

Post by strafe »

Sandtrap wrote: Thu May 13, 2021 7:43 am DW and I just had our 2021 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro and 2021 Honda Passport Elite "Ceramic Coated" at a reputable auto detailing shop. The cars came out looking 100x better than from the dealer. The surface is deep and extremely shiny and slick.
The shop said it takes 2-3 weeks to "cure" and not to get the car wet, etc.

I've been looking at these products on Amazon.com (for example).
Ceramic Coating cleaning and maintenance spray. (seems very expensive). Is this a good product?
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07 ... ODV4&psc=1
Edgeless Microfiber Cleaning Cloths. Is this a good product?
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07 ... 96TT&psc=1

Question for those that know or have had "ceramic coating" or "other coating" (please specify) on your cars:

1. What products do you use to clean and maintain the coating, or just clean without damaging the coating?

2. What steps do you do to clean your car?

3. How long has the ceramic coating lasted on your car?

4. Does a "ceramic coating" need to be "renewed" every year by the detailing shop?

5. Any other suggestions and tips?

Thanks for your help. :D :D
j :D
Ceramic coating can mean a bunch of things, ranging from something akin to a layer of clear coat paint that will last years, to a silicated (high in SiO2 and TiO2) spray “wax” that will last a couple months. The former usually costs at least $1-2k. Both make it much easier to keep the car clean as they easily shed water and dirt.

You’re going to get a bunch of wisely varied responses to this. Everyone has their favorite products and probably little in the way of comparative evaluation

Regardless, recommend the basics:
-use a good quality ph balanced car wash soap and good wash technique. Read about “two bucket” method. You’ll need a wash mitt for the paint and another one for the wheels.

-every couple months would apply a ceramic spray wax topper as or after you dry the car. The one you posted is fine but overpriced. Meguiars Hybrid Ceramic Wax, Mothers CMX or Turtle Wax ceramic are readily available, much cheaper, and will work just fine.

-would also get some ceramic-based quick detailer spray if you need to wipe off bird droppings etc between washes
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Re: What products do you use to clean and maintain a car "ceramic coating" or "other coating"?

Post by Sandtrap »

strafe wrote: Thu May 13, 2021 5:00 pm
Sandtrap wrote: Thu May 13, 2021 7:43 am DW and I just had our 2021 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro and 2021 Honda Passport Elite "Ceramic Coated" at a reputable auto detailing shop. The cars came out looking 100x better than from the dealer. The surface is deep and extremely shiny and slick.
The shop said it takes 2-3 weeks to "cure" and not to get the car wet, etc.

I've been looking at these products on Amazon.com (for example).
Ceramic Coating cleaning and maintenance spray. (seems very expensive). Is this a good product?
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07 ... ODV4&psc=1
Edgeless Microfiber Cleaning Cloths. Is this a good product?
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07 ... 96TT&psc=1

Question for those that know or have had "ceramic coating" or "other coating" (please specify) on your cars:

1. What products do you use to clean and maintain the coating, or just clean without damaging the coating?

2. What steps do you do to clean your car?

3. How long has the ceramic coating lasted on your car?

4. Does a "ceramic coating" need to be "renewed" every year by the detailing shop?

5. Any other suggestions and tips?

Thanks for your help. :D :D
j :D
Ceramic coating can mean a bunch of things, ranging from something akin to a layer of clear coat paint that will last years, to a silicated (high in SiO2 and TiO2) spray “wax” that will last a couple months. The former usually costs at least $1-2k. Both make it much easier to keep the car clean as they easily shed water and dirt.

You’re going to get a bunch of wisely varied responses to this. Everyone has their favorite products and probably little in the way of comparative evaluation

Regardless, recommend the basics:
-use a good quality ph balanced car wash soap and good wash technique. Read about “two bucket” method. You’ll need a wash mitt for the paint and another one for the wheels.

-every couple months would apply a ceramic spray wax topper as or after you dry the car. The one you posted is fine but overpriced. Meguiars Hybrid Ceramic Wax, Mothers CMX or Turtle Wax ceramic are readily available, much cheaper, and will work just fine.

-would also get some ceramic-based quick detailer spray if you need to wipe off bird droppings etc between washes
I paid 1400 for a 7 coat ceramic system that’s supposed to last many years.
The detail shop did sell a quick detailing spray that they mix up themselves.

Huge thanks.
J🌺
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smitcat
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Re: What products do you use to clean and maintain a car "ceramic coating" or "other coating"?

Post by smitcat »

RickBoglehead wrote: Thu May 13, 2021 2:10 pm I guess I'm wondering why the detailing shop didn't convey this information before you paid for the work?

I use Collinite 845, no coatings. Works great, beads for well over a year.
We used Collinite 845 for many years on both cars and boat - good wax which requires a fair amount of work to apply.
Never did get it to last more than 4-5 months unless used with a garaged car that was not a daily driver.
Similar results reported on many online sites for auto detailing.
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Re: What products do you use to clean and maintain a car "ceramic coating" or "other coating"?

Post by RickBoglehead »

smitcat wrote: Fri May 14, 2021 8:25 am
RickBoglehead wrote: Thu May 13, 2021 2:10 pm I guess I'm wondering why the detailing shop didn't convey this information before you paid for the work?

I use Collinite 845, no coatings. Works great, beads for well over a year.
We used Collinite 845 for many years on both cars and boat - good wax which requires a fair amount of work to apply.
Never did get it to last more than 4-5 months unless used with a garaged car that was not a daily driver.
Similar results reported on many online sites for auto detailing.
I don't know what you did differently than I do, but Collinite 845 is a liquid wax which takes almost no effort to apply. You use very little - a bottle will last years and years. Wipe it on, let dry, wipe off.

All our vehicles are garaged.
Avid user of forums on variety of interests-financial, home brewing, F-150, EV, home repair, etc. Enjoy learning & passing on knowledge. It's PRINCIPAL, not PRINCIPLE. I ADVISE you to seek ADVICE.
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Re: What products do you use to clean and maintain a car "ceramic coating" or "other coating"?

Post by g2morrow »

fishnskiguy wrote: Thu May 13, 2021 4:19 pm I did a ton of investigating ceramic coatings and car finish care on You Tube before I had my new BMW X-3 professionally ceramic coated one day after I took delivery.

Here are the major points I learned:

Wash car with a pH neutral soap. Avoid high pH soaps. There are many reputable low pH soaps out there. I use Wolfgang Concours Series Uber Rinseless Wash. Have a grit guard in the bottom of your soap bucket.
Use a very soft microfiber towel or mitt for washing. Wash only in straight lines. Use very light pressure. Do not wash with a circular motion.
Dry car in similar fashion with a long nap soft microfiber towel in straight lines. Use light to no pressure.
Twice a year, immediately after washing, I apply one coat of Turtle Wax's Hybrid Ceramic Spray Coating. It is incredibly easy to apply (about 1000X easier than a good carnauba wax), is very forgiving, and is cheap.

If your car is really dirty, it is OK to take it to a car wash and wash it with the hand held high pressure wash prior to proceeding as above. NEVER USE THE AUTOMATIC DRIVE TRROUGH WASH!!
My car is in its third year and looks as good as the day it came out of the detailing shop. Water beads up and runs off like I had applied Rain-X to the whole car.

Chris
I basically do the exact same things except i use Turtle Wax's hybrid pro line - probably couldn't tell the difference between the two. I do use the spray as a drying aid and that really keeps it looking great!

-Geoff
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Re: What products do you use to clean and maintain a car "ceramic coating" or "other coating"?

Post by Sandtrap »

g2morrow wrote: Fri May 14, 2021 9:11 am
fishnskiguy wrote: Thu May 13, 2021 4:19 pm I did a ton of investigating ceramic coatings and car finish care on You Tube before I had my new BMW X-3 professionally ceramic coated one day after I took delivery.

Here are the major points I learned:

Wash car with a pH neutral soap. Avoid high pH soaps. There are many reputable low pH soaps out there. I use Wolfgang Concours Series Uber Rinseless Wash. Have a grit guard in the bottom of your soap bucket.
Use a very soft microfiber towel or mitt for washing. Wash only in straight lines. Use very light pressure. Do not wash with a circular motion.
Dry car in similar fashion with a long nap soft microfiber towel in straight lines. Use light to no pressure.
Twice a year, immediately after washing, I apply one coat of Turtle Wax's Hybrid Ceramic Spray Coating. It is incredibly easy to apply (about 1000X easier than a good carnauba wax), is very forgiving, and is cheap.

If your car is really dirty, it is OK to take it to a car wash and wash it with the hand held high pressure wash prior to proceeding as above. NEVER USE THE AUTOMATIC DRIVE TRROUGH WASH!!
My car is in its third year and looks as good as the day it came out of the detailing shop. Water beads up and runs off like I had applied Rain-X to the whole car.

Chris
I basically do the exact same things except i use Turtle Wax's hybrid pro line - probably couldn't tell the difference between the two. I do use the spray as a drying aid and that really keeps it looking great!

-Geoff
Great info!
Thanks.

I was told by the detailing shop to bring the car back "once a year" for the finish to be "renewed". I think it was around $300 for the to detail the exterior and "refresh the ceramic finish".

It sounds like they are doing what you folks are explaining.
True?

j :D
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smitcat
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Re: What products do you use to clean and maintain a car "ceramic coating" or "other coating"?

Post by smitcat »

RickBoglehead wrote: Fri May 14, 2021 8:51 am
smitcat wrote: Fri May 14, 2021 8:25 am
RickBoglehead wrote: Thu May 13, 2021 2:10 pm I guess I'm wondering why the detailing shop didn't convey this information before you paid for the work?

I use Collinite 845, no coatings. Works great, beads for well over a year.
We used Collinite 845 for many years on both cars and boat - good wax which requires a fair amount of work to apply.
Never did get it to last more than 4-5 months unless used with a garaged car that was not a daily driver.
Similar results reported on many online sites for auto detailing.
I don't know what you did differently than I do, but Collinite 845 is a liquid wax which takes almost no effort to apply. You use very little - a bottle will last years and years. Wipe it on, let dry, wipe off.

All our vehicles are garaged.
We found the Collinite to last about 4 months, one of the best carnauba old style waxes.
When moving away from carnauba waxes the newer sealants (not ceramic) lasted about twice as long, McQuires #21 as example. And the newer ceramics lasted about twice as long as the sealants before a touch up was required. Here is one link to the 845 Collinite...
https://www.autogeek.net/collinite-insu ... gL0ifD_BwE
YMMV
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Re: What products do you use to clean and maintain a car "ceramic coating" or "other coating"?

Post by Mr. Rumples »

I just finished my 20 year old Honda's annual cleaning. A wash with Dawn detergent followed by Turtle Wax 53409 Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Spray Coating - 16 Fl Oz ($20 +/-). It will last me a year with two coats. She looks brand new almost. Remember to restore the headlights.

The only thing I did not do was use a buffer, did the buffing by hand. A buffer would have made her pop more.
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Re: What products do you use to clean and maintain a car "ceramic coating" or "other coating"?

Post by hectorochoa »

I use Turtle Wax ceramic spray (53409). Takes about 15 minutes to apply a full coat to my Ford F150. I use a new microfiber cloth for application and another new microfiber to wipe off product a few minutes later. One application keeps water beading up for 4 months. Two applications within a few days/weeks result in water beading up for about a year. This is for a vehicle that is mainly not kept in a garage.

In between washings a California Duster does a nice job as dust and water spots come off easily since I have been using the ceramic.
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Re: What products do you use to clean and maintain a car "ceramic coating" or "other coating"?

Post by blueberrypi »

I use and recommend products from Optimum Car Care, especially the No-Rinse Wash product. Apply with a sponge (tile-grout sponges work excellent) and wipe dry with a microfiber towel. It's crazy effective, and efficient with very little water waste.
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Re: What products do you use to clean and maintain a car "ceramic coating" or "other coating"?

Post by Dakotah »

I'm really skeptical on the value proposition of ceramic coatings for most people. They are expensive and/or labor-intensive upfront...and more expensive/labor-intensive to maintain. Are they more durable and long-lasting than other alternatives? Yes...they absolutely are. In order to maximize that durability, however, you are encouraged to "top" them with another product...which is more money...and more time. Often times, those "topper" products end up masking the hydrophobics and gloss of that ceramic coating that you are trying to protect in the first place! You then should use ph-neutral and special-formulated soaps to clean your ceramic coatings. These soaps simply aren't as effective at cleaning as some of the cheaper and "non-neutral" soaps. Your car ends up not being as clean as it would be otherwise.

I've come to the realization that for a daily-driver, a ceramic coating is a rabbit-hole of money and effort. The right way to go about doing it is to find an easy-to-apply product that you can apply often. Some of these newer SIo2 spray-on/rinse-off formulas are incredibly easy to use and surprisingly effective. They advertise 6 months of durability...but in real life, 1-2 months is probably more realistic. I can then conduct my bi-weekly/monthly wash with an aggressive soap that's more likely to truly clean my car. Will that greatly degrade that SIo2 coating I have on there? Yup...but who cares? I can re-apply another layer in 10 minutes without even touching the paint.

Cleaner. Simpler. Cheaper.

Just my 2 cents...
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Re: What products do you use to clean and maintain a car "ceramic coating" or "other coating"?

Post by Sandtrap »

g2morrow wrote: Fri May 14, 2021 9:11 am
fishnskiguy wrote: Thu May 13, 2021 4:19 pm I did a ton of investigating ceramic coatings and car finish care on You Tube before I had my new BMW X-3 professionally ceramic coated one day after I took delivery.

Here are the major points I learned:

Wash car with a pH neutral soap. Avoid high pH soaps. There are many reputable low pH soaps out there. I use Wolfgang Concours Series Uber Rinseless Wash. Have a grit guard in the bottom of your soap bucket.
Use a very soft microfiber towel or mitt for washing. Wash only in straight lines. Use very light pressure. Do not wash with a circular motion.
Dry car in similar fashion with a long nap soft microfiber towel in straight lines. Use light to no pressure.
Twice a year, immediately after washing, I apply one coat of Turtle Wax's Hybrid Ceramic Spray Coating. It is incredibly easy to apply (about 1000X easier than a good carnauba wax), is very forgiving, and is cheap.

If your car is really dirty, it is OK to take it to a car wash and wash it with the hand held high pressure wash prior to proceeding as above. NEVER USE THE AUTOMATIC DRIVE TRROUGH WASH!!
My car is in its third year and looks as good as the day it came out of the detailing shop. Water beads up and runs off like I had applied Rain-X to the whole car.

Chris
I basically do the exact same things except i use Turtle Wax's hybrid pro line - probably couldn't tell the difference between the two. I do use the spray as a drying aid and that really keeps it looking great!

-Geoff
Is the Turtle Wax Hybrid Pro car wash solution okay to use on a ceramic coated car?

I tried looking it up but it's not directly said in that way so unsure. . .
Thanks for the help.
j :D
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Re: What products do you use to clean and maintain a car "ceramic coating" or "other coating"?

Post by Sandtrap »

fishnskiguy wrote: Thu May 13, 2021 4:19 pm I did a ton of investigating ceramic coatings and car finish care on You Tube before I had my new BMW X-3 professionally ceramic coated one day after I took delivery.

Here are the major points I learned:

Wash car with a pH neutral soap. Avoid high pH soaps. There are many reputable low pH soaps out there. I use Wolfgang Concours Series Uber Rinseless Wash. Have a grit guard in the bottom of your soap bucket.
Use a very soft microfiber towel or mitt for washing. Wash only in straight lines. Use very light pressure. Do not wash with a circular motion.
Dry car in similar fashion with a long nap soft microfiber towel in straight lines. Use light to no pressure.
Twice a year, immediately after washing, I apply one coat of Turtle Wax's Hybrid Ceramic Spray Coating. It is incredibly easy to apply (about 1000X easier than a good carnauba wax), is very forgiving, and is cheap.

If your car is really dirty, it is OK to take it to a car wash and wash it with the hand held high pressure wash prior to proceeding as above. NEVER USE THE AUTOMATIC DRIVE TRROUGH WASH!!
My car is in its third year and looks as good as the day it came out of the detailing shop. Water beads up and runs off like I had applied Rain-X to the whole car.

Chris
This is awesome info.

I looked at all sorts of Car Wash Solutions and its difficult to parse out the one's that are best used on a car "previously coated with ceramic" vs one that is not. Very few specifically say that.

Why do you use the Turtle Wax Hybrid Ceramic Spray Coating 2x/year of the car is already ceramic coated and is supposed to last for many years?

Thanks
j :D
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g2morrow
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Re: What products do you use to clean and maintain a car "ceramic coating" or "other coating"?

Post by g2morrow »

Sandtrap wrote: Sun May 16, 2021 7:11 am
g2morrow wrote: Fri May 14, 2021 9:11 am
fishnskiguy wrote: Thu May 13, 2021 4:19 pm I did a ton of investigating ceramic coatings and car finish care on You Tube before I had my new BMW X-3 professionally ceramic coated one day after I took delivery.

Here are the major points I learned:

....

Chris
I basically do the exact same things except i use Turtle Wax's hybrid pro line - probably couldn't tell the difference between the two. I do use the spray as a drying aid and that really keeps it looking great!

-Geoff
Is the Turtle Wax Hybrid Pro car wash solution okay to use on a ceramic coated car?

I tried looking it up but it's not directly said in that way so unsure. . .
Thanks for the help.
j :D
I'm sure there is no problem - if you use one of the spray sealants as a drying aid your car will continue to look fantastic
squirm
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Re: What products do you use to clean and maintain a car "ceramic coating" or "other coating"?

Post by squirm »

Project Farm did a review of ceramic coatings, just watch that.
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Re: What products do you use to clean and maintain a car "ceramic coating" or "other coating"?

Post by fishnskiguy »

Sandtrap wrote: Sun May 16, 2021 7:11 am
g2morrow wrote: Fri May 14, 2021 9:11 am
fishnskiguy wrote: Thu May 13, 2021 4:19 pm I did a ton of investigating ceramic coatings and car finish care on You Tube before I had my new BMW X-3 professionally ceramic coated one day after I took delivery.

Here are the major points I learned:

Wash car with a pH neutral soap. Avoid high pH soaps. There are many reputable low pH soaps out there. I use Wolfgang Concours Series Uber Rinseless Wash. Have a grit guard in the bottom of your soap bucket.
Use a very soft microfiber towel or mitt for washing. Wash only in straight lines. Use very light pressure. Do not wash with a circular motion.
Dry car in similar fashion with a long nap soft microfiber towel in straight lines. Use light to no pressure.
Twice a year, immediately after washing, I apply one coat of Turtle Wax's Hybrid Ceramic Spray Coating. It is incredibly easy to apply (about 1000X easier than a good carnauba wax), is very forgiving, and is cheap.

If your car is really dirty, it is OK to take it to a car wash and wash it with the hand held high pressure wash prior to proceeding as above. NEVER USE THE AUTOMATIC DRIVE TRROUGH WASH!!
My car is in its third year and looks as good as the day it came out of the detailing shop. Water beads up and runs off like I had applied Rain-X to the whole car.

Chris
I basically do the exact same things except i use Turtle Wax's hybrid pro line - probably couldn't tell the difference between the two. I do use the spray as a drying aid and that really keeps it looking great!

-Geoff
Is the Turtle Wax Hybrid Pro car wash solution okay to use on a ceramic coated car?

I tried looking it up but it's not directly said in that way so unsure. . .
Thanks for the help.
j :D
Absolutely.

Chris
Trident D-5 SLBM- "When you care enough to send the very best."
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fishnskiguy
Posts: 2635
Joined: Tue Feb 27, 2007 12:27 pm
Location: Castle Rock, CO

Re: What products do you use to clean and maintain a car "ceramic coating" or "other coating"?

Post by fishnskiguy »

Sandtrap wrote: Sun May 16, 2021 7:15 am
fishnskiguy wrote: Thu May 13, 2021 4:19 pm I did a ton of investigating ceramic coatings and car finish care on You Tube before I had my new BMW X-3 professionally ceramic coated one day after I took delivery.

Here are the major points I learned:

Wash car with a pH neutral soap. Avoid high pH soaps. There are many reputable low pH soaps out there. I use Wolfgang Concours Series Uber Rinseless Wash. Have a grit guard in the bottom of your soap bucket.
Use a very soft microfiber towel or mitt for washing. Wash only in straight lines. Use very light pressure. Do not wash with a circular motion.
Dry car in similar fashion with a long nap soft microfiber towel in straight lines. Use light to no pressure.
Twice a year, immediately after washing, I apply one coat of Turtle Wax's Hybrid Ceramic Spray Coating. It is incredibly easy to apply (about 1000X easier than a good carnauba wax), is very forgiving, and is cheap.

If your car is really dirty, it is OK to take it to a car wash and wash it with the hand held high pressure wash prior to proceeding as above. NEVER USE THE AUTOMATIC DRIVE TRROUGH WASH!!
My car is in its third year and looks as good as the day it came out of the detailing shop. Water beads up and runs off like I had applied Rain-X to the whole car.

Chris
This is awesome info.

I looked at all sorts of Car Wash Solutions and its difficult to parse out the one's that are best used on a car "previously coated with ceramic" vs one that is not. Very few specifically say that.

Why do you use the Turtle Wax Hybrid Ceramic Spray Coating 2x/year of the car is already ceramic coated and is supposed to last for many years?

Thanks
j :D
To be honest, the Turtle Wax Hybrid Ceramic Spray is probably overkill. Maybe it's just too easy to apply. Spritz twice on each panel, wipe off, go to next panel. Can't add much more than15 minutes to a wash.

Chris
Trident D-5 SLBM- "When you care enough to send the very best."
SaveMor
Posts: 18
Joined: Sun Mar 19, 2017 6:20 pm

Re: What products do you use to clean and maintain a car "ceramic coating" or "other coating"?

Post by SaveMor »

+1 for Turtlewax

It did well in the Project Farm testing and I've had good luck with it on my cars. Easy to apply and water beads for a long time. Here's the Projecf Farm bake off:

https://youtu.be/uYxKQwZah1s
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Lacrocious
Posts: 378
Joined: Thu Mar 22, 2007 9:45 pm
Location: Wisconsin

Re: What products do you use to clean and maintain a car "ceramic coating" or "other coating"?

Post by Lacrocious »

Another +1 for TurtleWax Hybrid Ceramic. I normally don't like waxing. TurtleWax Hybrid Ceramic went on quick and easy - no fuss. Is it the best? With my limited investigation into products that don't require much effort, but last pretty good and are easy, and don't cost a ton - it hit all my marks.

- L
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