How to Maintain Ceramic Coating on the Gold Coast

So you’ve just had your car ceramic coated. Now what?

You’ve spent good money getting your car looking its best, so the last thing you want is to undo all that work by washing it incorrectly, right?

One thing we always tell our customers is that even the best ceramic coating in the world won’t last if you don’t look after it properly.

Ceramic coating makes washing and maintaining your car a whole lot easier, but that doesn’t mean you can neglect it completely. How you wash your car, the products you use and how often you clean it all make a difference.

Here’s how we recommend looking after your ceramic coating. We use ArtDeShine NGC+ on every car we coat, so the maintenance schedule below follows ArtDeShine’s own recommendations for NGC+.

The First 7 Days After Ceramic Coating

We have one simple rule: no washing your car for 7 days after the ceramic coating has been applied.

This gives the coating enough time to properly cure before introducing cleaning chemicals or physically touching the paintwork.

But what if it rains?

Don’t stress. Getting caught in the rain during those 7 days is completely fine. You don’t need to panic every time you see a rain cloud.

We also recommend avoiding parking under trees where possible, especially during the initial curing period.

If you get bird droppings or bug splatter on your car during the first week, don’t leave them sitting there. Contact us if you’re unsure how to remove them safely. Otherwise, carefully soften and lift the contamination with clean water and a soft microfibre towel rather than scrubbing at it.

How Often Should You Wash a Ceramic Coated Car?

ArtDeShine recommends washing an NGC+ coated car every 1 to 2 weeks.

That’s especially important if your car spends most of its time parked outside or near the beach.

The biggest thing is not letting dirt and contamination sit on your paintwork for too long.

After all, what’s the point of having a ceramic coating if you’re going to let bird droppings and road grime sit on it for months?

How to Wash a Ceramic Coated Car

Step 1. Start With a Thorough Rinse

Before touching the paintwork, give the entire car a good rinse using a hose or pressure washer.

The goal is to remove as much loose dirt, dust and grit as possible before introducing your wash mitt. The less dirt you’re dragging across the paintwork, the lower your chances of introducing swirl marks.

Step 2. Get Your Buckets Ready

We recommend using the two bucket wash method. One bucket contains your car shampoo and clean water, while the other is used to rinse dirt out of your wash mitt.

Ideally, both buckets should have grit guards to help keep dirt and debris at the bottom. It’s a simple extra step that can make a big difference to how safely you’re washing your car.

Step 3. Use a Good Quality Car Shampoo

You don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on detailing products.

We recommend using a good quality pH neutral shampoo such as Bowden’s Own Nanolicious Wash, which you can pick up from Supercheap Auto. Pair that with a clean microfibre wash mitt rather than an old sponge.

The main thing is using a shampoo that’s suitable for ceramic coated paintwork and won’t leave unnecessary waxes or residues behind.

Step 4. Wash From Top to Bottom

Start with the roof and work your way down the car, washing one section at a time.

The lower parts of your vehicle generally collect the most dirt and road grime, so you don’t want to start there and then drag that contamination over the cleaner upper panels.

Rinse your wash mitt regularly and don’t apply unnecessary pressure. Let the shampoo and wash mitt do the work.

Step 5. Keep Your Wheel Cleaning Gear Separate

Your wheels are generally one of the dirtiest parts of your car. Brake dust, road grime and other contaminants build up quickly, so we strongly recommend using separate wash mitts, brushes and buckets for your wheels.

The last thing you want is brake dust and grit from your wheels ending up on your paintwork.

Step 6. Rinse and Dry Properly

Once you’ve finished washing, give the entire vehicle a thorough rinse.

Don’t leave the water to dry naturally, especially under the Queensland sun. That’s how you end up with water spots.

Use a clean, soft microfibre drying towel or a dedicated car dryer to remove the remaining water. A blower can also be handy for getting water out of mirrors, badges, grilles and other areas where it likes to hide.

One Last Thing: Avoid Washing in Direct Sunlight

If you’ve ever tried washing a black car in the middle of a Queensland summer, you’ll know exactly what we’re talking about.

Hot panels can cause your shampoo and water to dry before you’ve even had a chance to rinse them off. Try washing your car early in the morning, later in the afternoon or somewhere shaded when the panels are cool.

What Should You Avoid on a Ceramic Coated Car?

Automatic Car Washes

Avoid. Especially the ones with those big rotating brushes.

Think about how many dirty cars those brushes have been through before yours. All that trapped dirt and debris can end up scratching your paintwork, ceramic coated or not.

Touchless Car Washes

Also a big no from us.

There’s a reason they’re called touchless. Instead of physically washing the dirt away with a mitt or brush, these machines often rely on much stronger cleaning chemicals to do the work.

Repeated exposure to harsh chemicals can affect coating performance, and we’ve seen cars come through our workshop with stained plastics and paintwork after using these types of washes.

Just because nothing touches your car doesn’t necessarily mean it’s safe.

Dishwashing Liquid and Household Cleaners

Stick to products designed for automotive paintwork. Household cleaning products aren’t formulated with ceramic coating maintenance in mind, and there’s really no reason to use them when proper car shampoos are readily available.

Strong Degreasers and Harsh Chemicals

Avoid regularly using strong degreasers, aggressive citrus cleaners or other harsh chemicals on your coated paintwork.

Some specialised cleaning products have their place when dealing with stubborn contamination, but they should be used correctly rather than as part of every wash.

Leaving Bird Droppings and Bug Splatter Sitting

Ceramic coating provides additional protection, but it’s not completely resistant to chemical etching.

Bird droppings, bug splatter and tree sap can still damage the surface if they’re left sitting for too long, especially when they’re baking in the sun. The sooner you safely remove them, the better.

Waxes, Sealants and Other Coatings

ArtDeShine’s advice for NGC+ is not to apply any other coating, wax or sealant on top unless it’s recommended by ArtDeShine.

You’ve already paid for a coating designed to provide gloss, protection and water repellent properties, so there’s no need to layer something else over it. (If you’re still deciding, here’s how ceramic coating compares to wax.)

Polishing Your Car

Avoid machine polishing or using abrasive polishing compounds on your ceramic coated paintwork unless you’re intentionally trying to remove or correct the coating.

Polishing removes a small amount of material from the surface and can compromise or remove the ceramic coating. If you’re noticing scratches or defects, it’s best to have the paintwork inspected first.

ArtDeShine’s Recommended Maintenance Schedule

You’ll come across plenty of products advertised as ceramic coating boosters, toppers and maintenance sprays. We’re not here to push products you don’t need. This is simply what ArtDeShine recommends for keeping NGC+ performing at its best.

Source: ArtDeShine NGC+ technical specifications.

Do You Need an Annual Maintenance Service?

We don’t believe every ceramic coated car automatically needs to come back for a paid maintenance service every year.

A vehicle that’s regularly washed and looked after following the schedule above may not need much additional attention at all.

On the other hand, a car that’s constantly parked outdoors, driven long distances or exposed to heavy contamination might benefit from a more thorough clean and decontamination.

It really comes down to the condition of the vehicle. If your coating isn’t performing how it used to, we’d recommend having it inspected before assuming it needs to be replaced.

Looking After Ceramic Coating on the Gold Coast

Bird Droppings

We all know how quickly bird droppings can become a problem, especially when your car is parked outside.

If you notice one, try to remove it as soon as possible rather than leaving it until your next wash. Soften it with water or a suitable automotive cleaning product before carefully lifting it away with a clean microfibre towel. Don’t scrub dried droppings across the paintwork.

Salt Air Near the Beach

If you live closer to the coast or regularly park near the beach, your car is exposed to airborne salt and coastal contamination.

Ceramic coating makes it easier to wash these deposits away, but it doesn’t mean you can leave them sitting on the vehicle indefinitely. Regular washing is still important, particularly after driving along the beachfront or in areas with heavy salt spray.

The Queensland Sun

There’s not much escaping the Queensland sun.

Ceramic coating helps provide additional protection against UV exposure, but keeping your vehicle clean and parking in the shade or under cover where possible is still a good idea. And remember, avoid washing the car while the panels are hot.

Sprinklers and Water Spots

Ever parked near a sprinkler only to come back and find your car covered in dried water spots?

Depending on the water supply, those spots can contain mineral deposits that become difficult to remove once they’ve dried onto the surface. Ceramic coating doesn’t make your paintwork immune to water spotting.

If your car gets sprayed by sprinklers or covered in mineral rich water, try to rinse and dry it before the deposits have a chance to bake onto the paint.

Tree Sap

Tree sap can be particularly stubborn once it dries. If you regularly park under trees, keep an eye out for sap and other organic contamination.

Avoid scraping or aggressively rubbing at hardened sap. Use an appropriate automotive cleaning product to soften it before attempting removal.

How Do I Know if My Ceramic Coating Is Still Working?

One of the easiest things to look for is how water behaves on the paintwork.

A healthy ceramic coating will generally show good water repellency, with water forming beads or sheeting off the surface rather than sitting flat.

Another thing to look at is how easily the car washes. If dirt and road grime are becoming noticeably harder to remove, it might be a sign that the coating’s performance has changed.

But here’s something worth knowing.

Just because your car has stopped beading water doesn’t automatically mean the ceramic coating has failed.

Sometimes the coating is simply covered in road film, mineral deposits or other contamination that’s affecting its water repellent properties. A proper wash or suitable decontamination may help restore that performance.

Before assuming your coating needs to be reapplied, we’d recommend having the paintwork inspected. For more on this, see how long ceramic coating lasts.