After much debate and budgeting you’ve finally opted to invest in long-term Paint Protection for your car. Great. Still, you have some questions about what happens afterwards. With the help of Schmicko, let’s dive in to answer those questions for you right here so that you can keep your pride and joy looking top-notch day in and day out.
Proper Car Washing After Ceramic Coating/Paint Protection
- Wash Your Car Often
Many people mistakenly believe that once you have a Ceramic Coating or Paint Protection for your car, you no longer need to wash it regularly. This is absolutely false. You need to give your car a frequent washing just like you normally would. Just because it is coated with premium protection does not mean it is 100% resistant stain proof and can’t get dirty. It can still get dirty, except cleaning the car will be significantly easier than a car that was not coated. You will instantly feel the difference once you have had your coating applied. Also, it is recommended that you don’t wash the car for up to a week once you have installed it.
- When to Wash
Grab your cleaning supplies and remember it’s not a good idea to wash your car in direct sunlight or as long as the paint stays hot, this goes for any car irrespective of whether it has paint protection or not. When you wash your vehicle in direct sunlight the heat causes the water to quickly evaporate, leaving water-spots on your car and can cause the product to evaporate, tedious when it happens. The heat can further reduce the durability of the Ceramic Coating or Paint Protection even though they have excellent resistance against them.
- Do Not Wash Your Car Within 7 Days of Application
You must give both Paint Protection Film and Ceramic Coating some time to completely cure on the vehicle. Washing can interfere with the curing process. Even though most ceramic coatings will dry almost instantly, they still need time to fully cure, so harden and give off its maximal gloss/shine.
- If Using A Pressure Washer
Do not use a pressure washer that can damage the finish of your car. Give sufficient distance when rinsing the surface, most pressure washers are safe to use. Typically the petrol based pressure washers have high PSI, also a bonus in that you can attach a foam lance to the pressure washer for a touchless foam wash – also an excellent option.
- Remove Bird-Droppings, Dead Bugs, or Tree Sap
Ceramic Coatings/Paint Protection Film cannot withstand everything. Natural acidic contaminants will do serious damage to them and harm their durability when left unnoticed or treated. Also, when removing any spots from your car, remember to blot not wipe, in order to minimize scratching to your finish. Despite having strong resistance against chemical damage, it is always a great idea to consistently wash your car as to avoid the etching of chemical contaminants. It would take time for these chemicals to eat through the coating, yet it is always better to be safe than sorry
- Don’t Dry Wipe Your Ceramic Paint Protection
When you are going to wipe down your car, make certain that the surface is wet as to ensure that there is some degree of lubrication involved.
- Do Not Use Excessive Force or Powerful Chemicals
Remember to always treat your coating and film gently, in the same manner you would factory paint. Moreover, keep powerful chemicals such as bug and tar removers tend to degrade the condition of your coating or film. These will do serious damage and reduce the durability of these products. There is a good reason why these chemicals can cut through etched on bugs and road tar, it’s because they are quite aggressive. So, only do use these chemicals only if necessary.
All of these suggestions are really just a matter of common sense. When you have something costly done to protect the finish of your car, you should automatically know that you must treat it right. Try to avoid making foolish mistakes above all, and think your actions through before you spontaneously rush off and do the wrong thing. Having your car chemically protected is a big investment, and you want it to last as long as it possibly can. The longer it lasts, the longer your car will remain in good shape too.
