Coating After Care

 in Car Care / Detailing by

After receiving a paint correction service and/or ceramic coating such as CQuartz FINEST it is important to take a proactive role in maintaining the pristine condition of your vehicle. Coated vehicles are much easier to maintain, especially since you will not need to frequently clay, polish, or wax the paint in order to keep it protected from the elements. However, it is important to note that no ceramic coating is bullet proof and the finish will begin to degrade if neglected or improperly cared for. Here are some tips that will help you keep your vehicle looking its best for as long as possible:

For the best, longest lasting results we recommend using premium quality wash media and chemicals. Here are some that we use and highly recommend: 

Car Wash Shampoo

  • Meguiar’s Gold Class Car Wash Shampoo & Conditioner — Locally available
  • CarPro Reset — Specifically formulated for coated vehicles

Car Washing Media

Special Chemicals for Coated Vehicles

  • Iron-X — This product chemically removes embedded brake dust and ferrous iron particles without the use of abrasive clay. It’s also a fantastic wheel cleaner.
  • Tar-X — Exactly as the name implies. Chemically removes road tar without the need to excessively agitate the surface.
  • Spotless — A water spot remover that is designed to chemically remove etched water spots without damaging ceramic coated finishes.

*** Recommended maintenance procedure for GlassCoat, CQuartz UK, and CQuartz FINEST ***

  • Parking the vehicle in direct sunlight within the first 24 hours will help accelerate cure time and assist in hardening the coating.
  • Keep the surface dry for 24 hours after coating installation.
    • If water is allowed on surface between the first 2-24 hours it will not harm the coating durability. However, gently dry off any water before it dries to avoid possible water spots during the hardening process of those first 24 hours.
  • Avoid washing with soap for the first 5 days.
  • Never use an automatic car wash. It has been proven that drive through car washes will damage your paint.
  • DO NOT ALLOW ANY CAR DEALER OR SERVICE CENTER TO WASH YOUR VEHICLE. You should have received a “Do Not Wash” mirror hanger to assist with this recommendation.

*** At home washing procedure ***

  • Pre-Rinse the heavy particulates off the paint before ever touching the surface with your wash media. Some people like to foam the car down and then rinse everything away before starting on the wash. This is fine if you choose to do so. The bottom line is to try to get the most dirt, grime, and grit off the paint BEFORE you touch the surface so as not to induce swirls or scratches while washing.
  • Wash from the top down, in straight lines (not wax on wax off circles). This will ensure that in the event there is an abrasive particle trapped in your wash media it will only leave a shallow, straight line scratch. Straight scratches are only visible if the light hits it just right. On the other hand circular scratches are visible from almost any angle.
  • Rinse your wash mitt very frequently and thoroughly. We recommend rinsing the mitt multiple times per panel if the vehicle is heavily soiled. If you wash frequently or if there is only light dust accumulation you can of course rinse you mitt less often. Just keep in mind that the more you rinse out your wash media the less chance you’ll have of rubbing abrasive dirt, sand, or other particles against the paint as you wash. A clean wash mitt mitigates the chance of ruining the paint as you wash each section.
  • When drying use a very plush microfiber towel (the softer and fluffier the better). Do not wipe the towel across the paint. Instead, pat the vehicle dry. Pat the water droplets off a section, lift the towel, and pat another spot. By not “dry wiping” the surface you will exponentially reduce the chance of scratching or marring your flawless paint and/or coating.

Maintaining your vehicle using safe wash methods, as described above, will help you preserve a flawless finish and extend the useful life of your ceramic coating for years of enjoyment.

If you ever have any questions about maintaining your vehicle’s finish (or anything else related to car care) please feel free to give us a call, text, or email to address your specific concern. Thanks again for choosing Autowerx for your detailing needs. Enjoy the drive!

-Nick