Fresh Ceramic Coatings – Immediate Aftercare

While I have previously written a post about caring for your ceramic coating, this article is a little different. Clients who visit my detailing premises in Petersfield often ask me about initial aftercare for fresh ceramic coatings. This is an important topic as the correct care immediately after application will ensure you get maximum durability and longevity from your ceramic coating.

Why apply a Ceramic Coating?

Before we move on to the immediate aftercare of fresh ceramic coatings I thought I’d just recap on why so many people choose this service at our Petersfield detailing studio. Ceramic coatings make your car a breeze to maintain. Firstly, they help to prevent staining and etching of the paint. They also stop dirt from sticking to the paintwork, thus ensuring the weekly maintenance wash is super easy and quick. Plus ceramic coatings don’t require treatment with any top-up products like spray sealants or waxes. You’ll also find that drying a ceramic coated car is far quicker than a non-coated car thanks to the coatings hydrophobic nature.

Fresh Ceramic Coatings – Immediate Aftercare:

So, with all that said you might be wondering why a fresh ceramic coating requires immediate aftercare. Ceramic coatings have a fantastic ability to protect against chemical damage. This protection means you don’t have to worry about acidic cleaners, petrol or heavy alkaline chemicals stripping the coating. But the ceramic coating will only have this chemical resistance once it is fully cured. If the coating comes into contact with these heavy chemicals before it is cured it will significantly reduce the coating’s durability and performance. The chemicals can even strip the uncured coating away from the paint.

I can’t speak for all brands of ceramic coatings. But the coatings that I use from Gtechniq, Gyeon and Kamikaze Collection all perform at their best once they’ve had time to properly cure.

How long does a coating take to cure?

The coatings that I currently use from Kamikaze Collection cure with humidity. So, following application, they will continue to harden and cure. They are usually fully cured within a week. Here at Black River Details, we advise that you don’t wash your car for that first week. However, if washing your car is unavoidable, then only do so with Ph neutral shampoos. Avoid any type of heavier chemical, like a tar remover, traffic film remover or APC (All Purpose Cleaner).

To help ensure your coating remains uncompromised during the week-long curing stage we now include a FREE maintenance wash 2 weeks after the vehicle coating application. This allows us to carry out a follow-up inspection to ensure that the coating has properly cured. We want to be sure your fresh ceramic coating will protect your paintwork for years to come.

To Recap – Five rules to follow:

1. Wait at least 1 week for the coating to cure before subjecting the paint to any kind of wash chemicals
2. Only use Ph neutral car shampoos and snow foams
3. Avoid any harsh chemicals like Tar Removers, Traffic Film Removers or All-Purpose Cleaners
4. Never use washing up liquid
5. All of this is especially important in the week following a fresh ceramic coating

After reading this it may seem like ceramic coatings are rather delicate and easy to damage. But let me reassure you that once the coating is fully cured (usually a week after installation) you’ll soon discover that they are incredibly tough and durable. A ceramic coating will also allow for super easy maintenance of your vehicle’s paintwork for many years to come.