We have a lot of customers that have ceramic-coated vehicles. We must make sure we use the correct auto detailing process to clean these vehicles. This is easy for us because we use the same wash techniques even if the vehicle is not ceramic coated.
After we professionally install your ceramic coating, you must wait at least a week before washing or getting your vehicle wet. This time frame is to allow the ceramic coating to cure. Once the week has passed, there are a few ways to wash your vehicle quickly and easily.
Whenever you wash the vehicle, the main objective is to clean it without scratching. Therefore, we don’t recommend taking the vehicle to the automatic carwash. This will without a doubt degrade or damage the ceramic coating. The brushes at the carwash are used on all the vehicles and will have buildup from the previous washes. The contaminants on the brushes will introduce scratches. The more you take your car to the carwash the more noticeable the scratches will be thus damaging the ceramic coating and the paint.
Even though the ceramic coating will keep your vehicle clean longer due to its hydrophobic nature you still need to wash it. Washing the vehicle will ensure that road contamination does not build up and clog the ceramic coating. Road contamination can be anything on the road or in the environment. This can be motor oil, gas, diesel fuel, brake fluid, washer fluid, coolant, rail dust, brake dust, environmental fallout, bird poop, love bugs, and so on. Washing your vehicle will ensure you remove the contamination, and you get the best performance out of the ceramic coating.
So, how to wash your vehicle?
Don’t wash the vehicle in direct sunlight. It is best to wash in the shade, early morning, or evening.
The first and best wash method is called the two-bucket method.
You would need;
Garden hose or pressure washer
Two five-gallon buckets Two grit guards PH neutral carwash soap
Microfiber wash sponge or mitt
Detail brush
Microfiber drying towel
Leaf blower
Step 1.
Place each grit guard in each five-gallon bucket.
Step 2.
Per instructions of the PH Neutral carwash soap, put soap in one bucket and using the pressure washer or garden hose, fill both five-gallon buckets. One should have soap and the other clean water.
Note: Make sure you are using a dedicated carwash soap. These soaps are designed for vehicles and created to help remove contamination.
Step 3. Using the pressure washer or garden hose rinse the vehicle. Make sure the rinse the lower two, thirds, and trunk area thoroughly as this is where most of the dirt can build up. You want to get most of the dirt and contamination off. Rinse the wheels as well.
Step 4. Dunk the microfiber wash sponge or mitt into the bucket with soapy water. Start on the roof. You do not need to scrub, simply let the microfiber wash sponge or mitt glide with not much pressure. Pass the microfiber wash sponge or mitt once or twice in straight lines. Don’t make circles because this will cause you to miss spots and unnecessary movements.
Step 5.
After a couple of passes dunk the microfiber wash sponge or mitt into the bucket with the clean water and squeeze it out. This will rinse and remove the dirt and debris. Now back to the soap bucket and continue to wash the vehicle where you left off. Do this for the entire vehicle until you are done.
Step 6.
Rinse the entire vehicle and now for the rims. Using the detail brush dunk, it into the bucket with the soapy water and use the brush to clean the rims and tires. Rinse and repeat for all four wheels.
Step 7. Dry the vehicle with the leaf blower or with a dedicated microfiber drying towel. Never use the microfiber drying towel on the wheels. Use the leaf blower to dry the wheels, but you can also use a cheaper microfiber cloth the dry.
If you don’t have a leaf blower, use the microfiber drying towel and without pressure, allow the towel to glide over the vehicle. On the sides make sure the towel does not touch the floor. One large 20 x 24 towel should be enough dry a vehicle.
Note: If the vehicle is drying before you are done washing it, you would need to wet the vehicle again. If not, this will cause water spots. Also, you can dry the vehicle before you clean the wheels.
The second wash method is the no-rinse wash. This is great for ceramic coating vehicles and you will be able to wash the vehicle anywhere, including inside the garage. Quick and fast, the best choice for in-between soap and water wash.
You would need;
Ultra-Black Foam Sponge
One bucket
Grit Guard
Rinse less wash chemical Microfiber drying towel
Step 1.
Put the grit guard in the bucket
Step 2. Per the instruction of the manufacturers rinse less wash chemical add water and rinse less wash chemical to the bucket.
Step 3.
Dunk the Ultra-Black Foam Sponge into the bucket and squeeze until only a small amount of water is dripping out.
Step 4.
Wash the top of the vehicle with the sponge by allowing it the glide. Don’t press or scrub, the sponge with the rinseless wash chemical will encapsulate and remove the dirt. Do one to two section passes in lines, not circles.
Step 5.
Dunk the sponge in the bucket and squeeze the sponge. This should release the dirt from the sponge. The dirt will settle at the bottom of the bucket under the grit guard. Repeat step 4 until the whole vehicle is done.
Step 6.
Use the microfiber drying towel to dry the vehicle. You can dry the vehicle at any time during the rinseless wash. You don’t have the wait until the entire vehicle is washed.
Step 7.
Using an old microfiber cloth, you can use the rinseless wash to whip the rims.
Done…
Note: If the vehicle has a lot of dirt, you can use a garden hose or pressure washer to rinse the vehicle and then wash with the rinseless wash.
Call Us: (407) 501-4446
View us Online: www.FreshEcoSteam.com
Email us: Gavin@FreshEcoSteam.com
Services Provided: Ceramic Coatings, Paint Correction, Auto Detailing, Steam Cleaning
Cities and Towns Our Customers are in Orlando, Central Florida, and surrounding cities