Free maintenance tool
A 12-month checklist for the coating you already paid for
Set your tier, climate, parking and wash habit and get a month-by-month checklist, with a plain reason for every step and a list of what to avoid year-round. Print it and keep it in the glovebox.
| Avoid year-round |
|---|
| ✗ Automatic brush or tunnel car washesBrushes that touch thousands of cars a week haze and scratch a cured coating. |
| ✗ Dish soap, alcohol-based quick detailers, or anything that isn't pH-neutralThese strip the hydrophobic layer early, long before the coating's rated lifespan. |
| ✗ Waxing or sealing over the coatingIt's unnecessary and can bond unevenly. Use the brand's own topper or booster instead. |
| ✗ Letting bird droppings, tree sap or bug splatter sitAll three are acidic and can etch through a thin coating if left in the sun. |
| ✗ Ignoring water that has stopped beadingThat's the sign to get the coating inspected, not something to wax over. |
Month 1
- Hand wash with a pH-neutral shampoo and a clean microfiber mittEvery two weeks is enough for most daily drivers to keep grit from building up and scratching the coating during washing.
- Let the coating finish curing, skip washing and, if possible, keep it out of rainMost ceramic coatings need 7 to 10 days to fully cross-link. Washing or rain exposure during cure can leave uneven gloss or soft spots.
Month 2
- Hand wash with a pH-neutral shampoo and a clean microfiber mittEvery two weeks is enough for most daily drivers to keep grit from building up and scratching the coating during washing.
Month 3
- Hand wash with a pH-neutral shampoo and a clean microfiber mittEvery two weeks is enough for most daily drivers to keep grit from building up and scratching the coating during washing.
- First full decontamination: iron fallout remover and tar remover, then a clay or chemical decon mittBrake dust and road tar bond to any paint within weeks of driving. Removing them now keeps the coating's surface smooth instead of gritty.
Month 4
- Hand wash with a pH-neutral shampoo and a clean microfiber mittEvery two weeks is enough for most daily drivers to keep grit from building up and scratching the coating during washing.
- Remove bird droppings, tree sap or bug splatter within 48 hoursAll three are acidic and can etch through a thin coating if left baked on in the sun.
Month 5
- Hand wash with a pH-neutral shampoo and a clean microfiber mittEvery two weeks is enough for most daily drivers to keep grit from building up and scratching the coating during washing.
Month 6
- Hand wash with a pH-neutral shampoo and a clean microfiber mittEvery two weeks is enough for most daily drivers to keep grit from building up and scratching the coating during washing.
- 6-month water-beading check: pour water on the hood and watch how it behavesA healthy coating makes water bead and run off instead of sheeting flat. Flat sheeting is the first sign it needs a decon or booster, and it's the easiest self-check there is.
Month 7
- Hand wash with a pH-neutral shampoo and a clean microfiber mittEvery two weeks is enough for most daily drivers to keep grit from building up and scratching the coating during washing.
- Second full decontaminationAnother six months of brake dust, tar and environmental fallout needs the same iron/tar treatment as month 3.
Month 8
- Hand wash with a pH-neutral shampoo and a clean microfiber mittEvery two weeks is enough for most daily drivers to keep grit from building up and scratching the coating during washing.
- Remove bird droppings, tree sap or bug splatter within 48 hoursAll three are acidic and can etch through a thin coating if left baked on in the sun.
Month 9
- Hand wash with a pH-neutral shampoo and a clean microfiber mittEvery two weeks is enough for most daily drivers to keep grit from building up and scratching the coating during washing.
- Inspect the whole car for new swirls, scratches or chipsA coating does not stop scratches, it just makes them show more against the gloss. Catching them now means a quick polish instead of a bigger correction later.
Month 10
- Hand wash with a pH-neutral shampoo and a clean microfiber mittEvery two weeks is enough for most daily drivers to keep grit from building up and scratching the coating during washing.
Month 11
- Hand wash with a pH-neutral shampoo and a clean microfiber mittEvery two weeks is enough for most daily drivers to keep grit from building up and scratching the coating during washing.
- Apply a compatible ceramic booster or topper sprayA topper refreshes hydrophobic performance partway through a multi-year coating without disturbing the base layer underneath.
Month 12
- Hand wash with a pH-neutral shampoo and a clean microfiber mittEvery two weeks is enough for most daily drivers to keep grit from building up and scratching the coating during washing.
- Annual inspection and warranty check-in with your installerMost ceramic coating warranties require a yearly check-in to stay valid, and it's the fastest way to catch a failing spot before it spreads.
- Remove bird droppings, tree sap or bug splatter within 48 hoursAll three are acidic and can etch through a thin coating if left baked on in the sun.
This schedule is a general guide for a gold (3 yr) coating. Your installer's specific care sheet and warranty terms take priority if they differ.
Questions people ask
Do I really need to decontaminate a ceramic-coated car?
Yes. The coating protects the paint underneath, but brake dust, tar and tree sap still bond to its surface. A periodic iron and tar removal keeps that surface smooth instead of gritty.
Can I use an automatic car wash?
A touchless automatic wash is fine. Skip anything with brushes or cloth strips: they are shared across thousands of cars and will haze a cured coating over time.
What does a booster or topper spray actually do?
It refreshes the hydrophobic, water-beading layer on top of the cured coating without replacing the coating itself. It is maintenance, not a new application.
How do I know the coating is failing?
Water stops beading and starts sheeting flat across the panel. That is the signal to get it inspected, not to reach for wax.
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