How to Wash a Ceramic Coated Car Properly

A ceramic coating protects your paint from chemicals and UV damage — but it won't stop swirl marks and scratches if you wash carelessly. The goal of every wash is simple: lift dirt off the surface and carry it away without dragging it across the paint.

The two-bucket method

• Rinse the entire vehicle first with a hose or pressure washer to remove loose grit before a mitt touches the paint.
• Set up two buckets — one with shampoo solution, one with plain rinse water — both fitted with grit guards.
• Wash from top to bottom, so you're not dragging grime from the lower panels up over cleaner paint.
• Use a microfibre wash mitt with light, straight passes — never circular motions.
• Rinse the mitt in the rinse bucket between every panel.
• Finish with a full rinse before drying.

What to use

A pH-neutral shampoo (skip anything "wax-added" — it fights the coating rather than working with it), a quality microfibre wash mitt, and a waffle-weave drying towel or an air blower.

What to avoid

• Automatic or brush car washes
• Dish soap
• Single-bucket washing
• A mitt or towel that's been dropped on the ground

Drying

Pat or gently glide towels across the surface rather than dragging them — coated paint tends to sheet water off quickly, so an air blower works well here too.

How often

In Canberra conditions, wash at least every two weeks to stop contaminants from etching into the surface before they get a chance to build up.