Your Method to Washing Ceramic Coated Car?

[Nishizawa]

hey everyone!

Winter’s getting quite rough now and I will need to get a thorough car wash soon. My car is ceramic coated and only have access to coin-op car washes due to city regulations. That means I can’t use a foam cannon at home or any other soap.

To those with ceramic coated cars, what is your method of washing your Stinger? What would you recommend without a foam cannon?

 

[POS VETT]

It depends on what kind of dirt. In the winter when the car is covered in salt, I use a pressure washer to rinse off the salt, especially the underside. I kinda don't care about appearance in this case, I just want the salt off. In the rare occasions that the weather allowed, I hand wash it.

In the summer, I wash the car by hand with a bucket and a mitt.

 

[Eugene Onegin]

^^^^ Me Too .

 

[Nishizawa]

It depends on what kind of dirt. In the winter when the car is covered in salt, I use a pressure washer to rinse off the salt, especially the underside. I kinda don't care about appearance in this case, I just want the salt off. In the rare occasions that the weather allowed, I hand wash it.

In the summer, I wash the car by hand with a bucket and a mitt.

Would you recommend hand washing even without something to lift the dirt from the paint, like a foam cannon? What is your process of hand washing?

 

[eflyguy]

There's a great thread here called "two bucket wash" I think.

I take a bucket and sponge to the coin wash. I do use their brush on the lowest parts of the car if grimy, but otherwise my clean and well rinsed sponge is the only thing that touches the paint - besides the pressurized spray, of course.

 

[jatleson]

The ceramic coating will protect the finish from the salt. I typically don't wash my car in the winter. If you get a nicer day, rinse it off with the pressure washer (keeping a safe distance from the car), and use the soap that is recommended for the ceramic coat you have applied. Two bucket method that someone mentioned is good or even easier is to use multiple sponges or microfiber cloths in a single bucket. Wash a section of the car and don't use that microfiber again during the wash. Any 'warranty' a ceramic coating has can easily be voided if you don't follow recommended chemical usage. Another option after pressure washing the car is to use a rinseless wash method (google Garry Dean Wash Method)

For salt and winter grime, foam cannons will soften some of the dirt, but to truly get it clean you are going to have to contact wash the car. Same is true anytime of year. Foam looks cool, but will not get a car truly clean.

 

[robz32]

Agree with the post above.

Two bucket method and I would say two wash mits as well (one for the lower parts of the car and the other the upper parts), pressure wash underside of the car and wheel wells thoroughly, use appropriate chemicals for the coating.
To soften the dirt/grime/salt on the paint work and other parts of the car you could use the foam soap the coin wash place has.

Do Not use the brush on any parts of the vehicle as you are guaranteed to scratch it, not even the wheels.

 

[POS VETT]

Would you recommend hand washing even without something to lift the dirt from the paint, like a foam cannon? What is your process of hand washing?

A foam cannon is somewhat of a finer method, I consider it to be on the impractical side for a street car that's driven in the muck of winter. My method is still a one bucket and a mitt; I briefly rinse the mitt before dipping in the bucket. Remember that by not hand washing, no additional scratches introduced to the paint. The negative side of it is merely the looks.

 

[Jimmer]

I'm one of the bad people. I use a car wash in the winter. I do hand dry it when it comes out, and keep going out to her to dry her more so the water that seems to constantly run down from the sides mirrors gets wiped up before leaving marks, but I also got Resistall put on the outside and inside and will have it professionally detailed once a year inside and out.

 

[Nishizawa]

Thank you everyone!!!

 

[washguy]

As a former owner of 5 carwashes (self serve/touchless too) find you good self serve....yes I know most are dawgs,but theres always a great one in town that's known to have good hot water and good soap...so heres what I would do....go looking at the self serves and the good ones will have hogs hair foam brushes not those plastic hard brush hairs,but real hogs hair.....so okay if you find that wash, then use the soap cycle cause it will be hot water.... soap the car and while the soap is on the car...go over to the hogs hair brush and hit it with the high pressure soap in the bristles to clean them off.....then gently use the foamy brush on top the soapy film....no hogs brushes no foam then ! Wash
oh and always start at the top of the car and work down,,, rocker panels and wheels last

if you were a streetwise guy....you would go to kleen rite carwash parts online....order you a hogs hair brush for foamy brush wands....3/8 is the size.....bring your own personal hogs hair brush with you and a pair of vise grips to the self serve......visegrip the foamy pipe unscrew his nasty brush put yours on....do your cleaning remove your hogs hair brush and put his back on.....hmmmmm so that means you could use any self serve...you got your own nice clean brush to use wherever you go....
here yall go Monster Hog Hair Aluminum Brushes at the Best Prices! Call 800-233-3873!

 

[brancky3]

As a former owner of 5 carwashes

Carwashes... washguy... I've figured it out! What do I win?

 

[gilthanis1]

I use the Garry Dean method, but use Optimum No-Rinse Wash-N-Shine. No waxing, just take very good care of it and the car will look new for a long time and water beads like crazy.

 

[washguy]

Carwashes... washguy... I've figured it out! What do I win?

Brancky...well you win our first ecu tune....".my guy" has a Korean subscription to the ecu just like all the others....send me your ecu .....LOL Wash

 

[Kazz]

Between "hand" washes: the local drive-thru touchless wash sells tokens at a discount when you buy a quantity of them. I keep them in my console. Of course, it has to get warm enough. But that seems to happen every couple of weeks at worst.