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Many Ceramic Coatings will have 9H or some even 10H in their names. But if not their names directly, almost all of them will have the same written into the product description. So 9H ceramic coating - what is it? Contents: What does 9H mean? What is the Mohs Scale? Let's conclude what all of this actually means! Do all Ceramic Coatings have a hardness rating of 9H? Can Ceramic Coatings have a hardness of 10H? Will multiple layers of Ceramic Coating increase the hardness level? What does 9H mean? 9H refers to the hardness level of a pencil or a material's surface hardness (H for 'Hardness'). In pencils, it indicates an extremely hard lead that creates a very light mark. In material science, it signifies a high level of scratch resistance, often used in screen protectors or coatings. Now, for a little bit more context and why 9H is associated with Ceramic Coating products: And why are we talking about pencils on a ceramic coating website?! Well, here's why. If you go ahead and use Google to get an answer to the above question, you will likely stumble upon the following: "9H Ceramic Coatings get the 9H based on the Mohs scale." Unfortunately, this is where most people would stop their investigation regarding the matter and would start having wild expectations from Ceramic Coatings and would, naturally, be outraged when they do not deliver. What is the Mohs Scale? Back in 1835, a german scientist specializing in gemology and mineralogy named Friedrich Mohs invented a method to determine the hardness of various minerals and a way to rank them. This method is known as the Mohs Scale of Mineral Hardness. And that scale is what Friedrich Mohs would be known for the most throughout his career. We use this scale even today and it is quite handy when it comes to Ceramic Coatings as well. Well, any material, really, but Ceramic Coatings are why we are here. Talc would be the softest material that Mohs used, and he gave it a rating of 1, while a diamond was at that time the hardest known mineral and was given a rating of 10. Everything else we use, he's put in between the two. Hmmm... So if we consider this scale when doing our assessment, that would mean that Ceramic Coatings would have a hardness level of about a Corundum or a Sapphire. Wow! That is amazing. That basically means that unless you are attacked by a diamond hailstorm, you are unlikely to ever get a scratch on your car ever again. While you're at it, you might give yourself a Ceramic Coating as well and become practically bulletproof. Brilliant! If only... Obviously, that doesn't make much sense. Either Ceramic Coatings would be known by anyone worldwide, or they would cost so much that only a handful of people on the planet would be able to afford them. Neither is true, so let us dig deeper and do some more research. Hardness is the resistance of a material to scratches, while toughness is the object's resistance to chipping. When it comes to Ceramic Coatings, we are interested in their hardness in most cases. One thing in "9H" that definitely stands out when taking a closer look at the Mohs scale is the "H" part. There is no "H" on the scale at all. The other thing to consider is that almost all Ceramic Coatings will have the word "Quartz" written somewhere on the product packaging. And quartz is 7, not 9. So let us conclude what all of this actually means! Namely, the "H" stands for Hardness, and you might have seen 9H in school written on your pencil. This is where the "9H" comes from the so-called "Pencil Hardness Test". The Pencil Hardness Test, also known as the Wolff-Wilborn test, is a method of using graphite pencils to determine the hardness value of a surface, or more precisely, the coating. The H in graphite pencils stands for Hardness, while the B stands for Blackness. The ones marked with B tend to be much softer, thus leaving a darker line, while the ones marked with H would write a thinner, much lighter line due to their increased levels of hardness. The way we determine the hardness of a surface is by using a graphite pencil and pushing it along the surface under a specific angle using constant pressure. Since we know the hardness of the pencil used, we can determine the hardness of the surface as well. After the test has been performed, if the surface remains undamaged, then you would take the next pencil on the pencil hardness scale and redo the test until the surface gets scratched. At that point, the surface no longer can resist getting damaged, and the tested surface receives a rating of the last pencil used that did no damage. For example, you could start with an H pencil and go up in hardness all the way up to 9H. If the surface that is being tested resists all pencils until it gets damaged by a 7H pen, it would get a 6H rating. A handy tool that can be used to perform the Wolff-Wilborn test is called an Elcometer 501. Using such a tool is extremely handy because it will keep the pencil at a fixed 45-degree angle, and it will provide a constant amount of force, thus providing repeatable results that are reliable. Ceramic Coatings get their 9H hardness rating using the method described above. If you wanted to refer to the Mohs scale, Ceramic Coating would receive a 6 to 6.5 rating, just below quartz, depending on the quality of the Ceramic Coating used. Do all Ceramic Coatings have a hardness rating of 9H? No. Some quality products do, but unfortunately, some are very liberal and vague when it comes to their product descriptions, while others are straight-up lies. And as a newcomer to the world of paint protection and Ceramic Coatings, it is hard to know which is which. That is why we like to test products using the same method before making any judgment on our part. We do real-world testing and strive for situations that most people would have in their day-to-day life. If you would like to know more about the testings we do to rate the Ceramic Coatings we use or have used at some point, please check out our product Reviews page of our blog. So can Ceramic Coatings have a hardness of 10H? Well, conventional pencils range from 9B, the softest, all the way to 9H, which is the hardest pencil. Some manufacturers claim they produce pencils that have a 10H hardness. And technically, if you wanted, you could use that pencil in the Wolff-Wilborn test. Do such Ceramic Coatings actually exist, or are they just marketing ploys to reach more customers? Well, if you ask us, we believe that only some high-quality industrial-grade products that are thick enough and slippery enough when cured would have such a high hardness rating. So for the average consumer, 10H Ceramic Coatings are more of a unicorn than a reality. If you would like to find out more about ceramic coatings and how long it takes for them to fully cure, then read this article we've written. If I coat the car with multiple layers of Ceramic Coating, will it have a higher hardness rating? This one is a no. Installing multiple layers of Ceramic Coating on a car will only increase the thickness of the coat. Its hardness rating will not be affected. For example, you can stack two wooden planks on top of each other, and while they will be tougher to pierce through than just one plank, they will still be as easily scratched. It might take more scratching to go through the coating, but it will not be more resistant to scratches. If you want to learn more about multiple layers of Ceramic Coating on a car, read this article here. Cheers!

An interesting question that we often get asked is whether someone should use Ceramic Coating on their windshield or any other glass surface of a vehicle. Well, let us get into the detail about why you should or why you shouldn't do that. Is using a windshield ceramic coating a good idea, or is it a waste of both time and money? Contents: Why putting wax on a windshield is both dangerous and uneconomical? But are there better ways of making your windshield water-repellant? So, what about Ceramic Coatings? Can I use those on a windshield? Which Ceramic Coating is the best for Glass Surfaces? Our Final Thoughts on the matter Let's jump in! You might have heard of some veterans or DIY-ers in the car detailing department that after you give your car a good clean that it is a great idea to wax your windshield, then let it dry up a bit, and then buff it off with a clean cloth, or a microfiber towel. Supposedly this gives the windshield water-repelling properties and you do not have to use your windshield wipers anymore because of this! Well... this is very misleading but if you ask us - it is plain and simply untrue. Dangerous even if you blindly follow such advice. Why putting wax on a windshield is both dangerous and uneconomical? While wax will provide some water-repelling properties to the windshield after it has been treated, it really won't work long-term. But more importantly - the water-repelling will not be strong enough that you could consider referring to the term 'safe driving' while in heavy rain. Think of wax as fat or grease. It might repel water, but it will collect everything else like a magnet. Dirt, dust, debris, and all the minerals rainwater leaves once the rain droplets evaporate. All of this will obscure your vision to the outside of the car and could lead to unwanted accidents. TLDR; Don't use wax on a windshield. But you might say something like "It is dangerous if you clean the windshield regularly?" And you would be right! But you would also be cleaning the wax from the windshield as well. And if you do not mind rewaxing the glass on your car after each wash which you might have to do every other day depending on where you live and the current weather conditions - then what can we say other than "Go for it!" Also, consider every time you use those wipers, it will scrape some of the wax off the windshield. If you use the windshield cleaning liquid, you will most likely completely remove the wax from the treated area. But are there better ways of making your windshield water repellant? "What about Polymer Sealants?" - is a question that we get from time to time. Well, while the polymer sealant might not attract dirt as wax would, it will get washed off with the weakest shampoo as well. So it is a better option in terms of how often you have to wash the windshield. But it will still get dirty, and you will still have to reapply it on almost every wash. So, what about Ceramic Coatings, can I use those on a windshield? We are glad you've asked! You can, and out of the three, it is definitely the best option if you want to give the treated glass some hydrophobic or water-repelling action! It is very effective and due to the chemical resistance and toughness high-quality Ceramic Coatings have - they will persist through windshield cleaning fluid and windshield wipers. To some degree though. It will weaken over time. Also as the car gets dirty, if you clean it with stronger detergents or shampoos it will not remove the Ceramic Coating just like that. Ceramic Coatings are much more resilient, provided you are using one with high quality. If you would like to learn a little bit more about the hydrophobic properties of ceramic coatings click this link here. But Ceramic Coat Expert, what do you suggest then - to use a ceramic coating on a windshield or not? We usually do not coat glass surfaces on a car, except if it is specifically requested by the customer. The simple reason for that is that it does not offer much compared to the rest of the car. The windshield Cleaning fluid is usually a strong chemical that degrades the coat gradually and windshield wipers will not damage the coating on their own with the rubber, but all the dirt trapped on them will. If you, however, want to ceramic coat your windshield or any glass surfaces on your car you can use a product like Drexler Ceramic Glass Coating as it was created to cure on a glass surface much better. It also provides amazing water repelling properties. It also minimizes water beads getting stuck on the glass surfaces of your car. a quick demonstration of how Drexler Ceramic Glass coating performs All of this will leave you with crescent-shaped streaks that trap water and obscure your vision of the road in front of you. Compared to the rest of your car, where the coating will last you years, provided you are maintaining it properly, the windshield will not provide you with nearly as much and we feel that is a huge issue that many customers will simply overlook and blame the coating itself or call out for a botched job, making them question the quality of the product in question or the integrity of the detailing shop. Summary So, all things considered, if you take all those warnings that we have mentioned above and still decide to go for it - that is perfectly ok! You just have to know that you will not get the same long-lasting results on the glass as you will on other surfaces of your car. A Ceramic Coating is still the best option for glass compared to Automotive Wax and Polymer Sealants. Which Ceramic Coating is the best for Glass Surfaces? We would definitely avoid most Ceramic Spray Coatings because while they are easier, simpler, and less time-consuming to apply, they are also much less durable and they usually do not survive any stronger chemicals or last as long. They also tend to degrade much faster when damaged by even the smallest of stimulants. So, in short - do not use Spray Ceramic Coatings for glass surfaces! On the market, you will find specialized Ceramic Coatings for Glass surfaces and they promise hills and valleys. We have tested many of those and in one sentence we would describe them as - regular Ceramic Coatings. Some excellent, some not so excellent, but all in all they performed as any other Ceramic Coating has performed - no crazy surprises there. Conclusion - do not pay extra for a glass-specific Ceramic Coating, just stick to a tested good product that you would use doesn't the rest of the car. The one surface of a car we would avoid when using Ceramic Coatings is the rubber. Most of them can even be applied on plastic surfaces even - just check the product description. Our Final Thoughts on the matter As always, do not get swayed to believe something just because you saw some ad that shows a product that does wonders. Our thoughts are to best believe results that were provided by real-world testing and get them without prejudice and are reviewed objectively without favoritism or support from sponsors to bend some of those results in one way or another. Out of the products we have tested and made a Top List of, we can confirm all of them work. Even some of those "glass-specific ceramic coatings" are decent, but not worth the extra money since we feel they do not offer anything special compared to traditional Ceramic Coatings.

We are sure you've heard at one point that by Ceramic Coating your car, you will never have to wash your car ever again. Or that once you Ceramic Coat your vehicle, it is permanently protected! Grandiose claims like that make people like you - the interested reader, doubt anything you read or hear in the future once you find out that those claims were not precisely accurate. Well, we are here to bust some of those ceramic coating myths so that you may get more clarity on how ceramic coatings work and what they can and cannot do. Well, we can't stop people from saying things they say, and we aren't really some sort of Ceramic Coating Warriors who fight for what is true and correct. We are really here to educate those interested in Ceramic Coatings, Car Paint Protection, and Automotive Detailing. We share the knowledge and experiences that we have acquired over many years of working in the industry and working on cars under different circumstances and under other conditions. So! Today we will shed our view on some wild myths running around the internet and that some customers who came to us came with. We have heard many different things regarding Ceramic Coating that are simply not true or are at least stretched out so much that they would barely come out as possible. Contents: You Will Never Have To Wash Your Car After You Ceramic Coat It Ceramic Coatings Make Your Car Rock Chip Resistant Ceramic Coatings Make A Car Resistant To Chemicals Ceramic Coatings Are Guaranteed To Last For Years A Ceramic Coated Car Is Scratch-Proof Ceramic Coatings Have Self-Cleaning Properties Ceramic Coatings Can Make A Car Fire Proof Washing A Ceramic Coated Car In The Sun Is Ok Ceramic Coating Is Extremely Expensive Ceramic Coatings Offer Better Gloss Than Any Sealant or Wax All Ceramic Coatings Are The Same You Can Skip Preparation Work On A New Car A Ceramic Coating Heals Damage A Ceramic Coating Easily Peels Off Applying Ceramic Coatings Is Easy And Simple Conclusion Let us sum up the best myths we have heard of so far in a Top 15 list! Here goes! You Will Never Have To Wash Your Car After You Ceramic Coat It It seems only natural to start with this one since it comes up the most. Some people might even say that Ceramic Coatings require zero maintenance. That is, you've guessed it, also not true. To keep it short - you still have to maintain a Ceramic Coated vehicle as you would any other. The critical difference is that the car will be less dirty from the get-go as the slickness of the coating prevents dirt from sticking as quickly onto the vehicle's surface. The other thing is how much easier it is to clean whatever managed to stick onto the car. You can learn more about how to maintain a Ceramic Coated car here. Ceramic Coatings Make Your Car Rock Chip Resistant This one pops up pretty often as well. Sometimes people are under the impression that once they go through the whole lengthy and costly process of Ceramic coating their car that they will have a car that is impervious to damage. Well, some people do think that way, while others tend to be more realistic and go with this- they will be resistant to those nasty rock chips. Unfortunately, that one is also rather flimsy. Rock chips are usually caused by a vehicle in front of you picking up a small rock at high speeds and launching it toward your car at high velocity. Of course, all those variables can differ in many ways, and sometimes Ceramic Coating may help soften the damage because of its hardness rating. Still, realistically, it will not do much. The forces involved in the impact are so high that the rock often goes through all the layers of paint all the way to the metal plate. So to summarize - ceramic coatings will not make your car rock chip resistant. Ceramic Coatings Make A Car Resistant To Chemicals Uh, also a juicy one! People even claim that Ceramic Coated cars can use any type of car shampoo or soap. While this one has some truth to it, it is usually advertised so that consumers are led to believe that a Ceramic Coated car can resist any type of strong chemical without being damaged at all. Ceramic Coatings can resist strong chemicals to a certain degree. Still, it will weaken and degrade the more it is exposed to such chemicals. The stronger the chemical, the faster it will eat up the coating. It is advisable to use pH Neutral Car Shampoo or Soap to maximize the lifetime of the coating. If you want to learn more about pH-neutral Car Shampoos and strong chemicals, here. Ceramic Coatings Are Guaranteed To Last For Years Nothing is eternal but time. - Ceramic Coat Expert Probably some physicist said that at one point, but that is the first thing that popped into our mind when this claim came to us. People even say that Ceramic Coating is permanent. Some even go so far as to say that Ceramic Coatings are for lazy car owners. Once you do it, you are free of any obligation regarding maintaining the car's appearance. It will, from now on, be permanently beautiful! The only way to get the most out of Ceramic Coating is proper maintenance. Technically it can last forever if it is garaged, for example, a showroom car or a valuable vintage model that is not driven at all. But those are not realistic options for a daily driver, which is why you get that 'ceramic coatings last 2-5 years' note on many products. It can last that long, but it can also really last 30 minutes once you attack it with some industrial-grade chemicals and a very abrasive sponge. It all depends on how well you look after the car. A Ceramic Coated Car Is Scratch-Proof Scratch-proof means that it cannot be scratched. That is false. Period. Now, if you want to know whether it is scratch resistant - meaning it can resist scratches to some degree? Yes, they can, of course. But what is the threshold? Is it something you can rely on? Well, a Ceramic Coated car will typically resist the usual scratches you would get from driving, washing, or drying the car. Swirl marks are usually a thing of the past once you coat a vehicle with a quality Ceramic Coating product. It will not, for instance, resist keying a car. As long as the toughness and hardness rating of the coating is higher than the toughness/hardness rating of the object affecting the paint, the Ceramic Coating will most likely protect the paint. Ceramic Coatings Have Self-Cleaning Properties A Ceramic Coated car does not magically clean itself. It will, however, be due to the slickness of the coating, and its hydrophobic properties make it hard for dirt and grime to stick to the car's surface. That means that while you drive your car, a large portion of particles that would usually stick to the car would fall off due to wind resistance just by driving the car a bit faster ( e.g., highway speed ). So yes, a ceramic-coated car will have a form of self-cleaning, but you need to be more specific when saying that for it to be true. Ceramic Coatings Can Make A Car Fire Proof No, it cannot. Do not try that on your own car. You will regret it. Do not believe what you see on the internet or whatever a Ceramic Coating products manufacturer might claim regarding one of their products being fireproof. Ceramic coatings will improve the performance of the surface to resist high temperatures, but that does not mean that it will not be damaged. Washing A Ceramic Coated Car In The Sun Is Ok Well, this one is a no-no. But you just might even ask whether leaving those water beads on the car after a wash or after rain is ok. That is also a no-no for the same reason. Let us explain why! Almost all water, unless it is distilled, will contain minerals. Once the water dries in the sun and the water evaporates, it will leave all those minerals baked into the paint. These we know as water spots. Most water spot stains you will be able to wash off if the car is Ceramic Coated. Still, some will remain visible and will require compounding or polishing. That process would also eliminate the Ceramic Coating, meaning you would need to recoat the affected area. Learn how to remove water spots from your ceramic-coated car. Ceramic Coating Is Extremely Expensive It can be, depending on whether it is being done by a professional or you. It depends on the product used. It depends on the part of the world you live in. But basically, why it gets so expensive is the time, the processes involved, and all the tools used in them. Plus, the experience you get from a professional is likely not close to your own if you are an Average Joe. Ceramic Coatings Offer Better Gloss Than Any Sealant or Wax In our opinion, a good quality Automotive Wax will give the paint the most substantial shine and gloss out of all the paint protection methods. Ceramic Coating can also provide a crazy gloss to your car, but in the end, it all depends on the product used. And then, in the future - personal preference. For more info, you can check out our Ceramic Coating VS Wax VS Car Sealant VS PPF. All Ceramic Coatings Are The Same While they may seem the same to an untrained eye, they definitely are not. Anyone who has worked with multiple brands of Ceramic Coatings and is experienced with them will know that almost all Ceramic Coatings individually offer something unique to them. Check our product reviews section to see different Ceramic Coating products and how they perform in the real world. You Can Skip Preparation Work On A New Car You can, but once you put Ceramic Coating onto a car like that, all you will be doing is eternalizing its current condition for the duration of the Ceramic Coating. Apart from a higher shine, it will not help make the paintwork look better. You will need to detail a car if its paint is in bad condition prior to applying the Ceramic Coating. Follow the link if you want to learn about the whole process that goes into applying Ceramic Coating from the prep work stage all the way to a finished, successfully coated car. A Ceramic Coating Heals Damage We sometimes get asked this question, and our response is usually, 'What do you mean?' - Do you mean a Ceramic Coating will remove all existing damage on the car by 'filling' the damaged area, or do you mean that once you Ceramic Coat the car the existing damage underneath the coating will not be visible anymore? Both things are not true, but we tend to get curious. Some people might even say that Ceramic Coating dull, faded paint will restore its shine. Same answer - not true. Some might say that Ceramic Coatings Have Self-Healing Properties - they do not. What they were likely thinking of was Paint Protection Film, as it can 'heal' some minor damage by applying heat to the damaged area. Ceramic Coating has no such properties. A Ceramic Coating Easily Peels Off Ceramic Coating will not peel off but usually degrade and lose some of its strength and other properties as it is exposed to the elements, maintenance, time, etc. A human eye cannot see that degradation by physically seeing it, but instead, you will know that it is weakening by noticing a more unsatisfactory performance in its hydrophobic test. Applying Ceramic Coatings Is Easy And Simple Do not believe everything you hear or read. If the information you've got came from a trusted, reputable source - then yes, it probably is true. But consider the word reputable - we do not mean someone famous. We mean someone with a reputation behind its name, known for giving out good quality and truthful information in the past. Read and learn more about other Frequently Asked Questions about Ceramic Coatings. Let us finish with this one because we feel this one is, in fact, the biggest myth of them all. Someone might say something like, 'You Don't Need Professional Help In Applying Ceramic Coating'. Well, you do not, you can do it DIY style, and we encourage everyone to do so. We even educate people on how to do it. But if you are a novice in this area, then getting advice or help from a professional surely won't hurt! Don't get us wrong. While the process of Ceramic Coating a car is complex, it is not hard - once you know how to do it. And that is key, that you have experience actually Ceramic Coating a car, not just reading about it, watching tutorials and things like that, but actually doing it in the flesh to a real car. Then, once you have put all the things you have learned into practice and seen firsthand what it actually takes and what it feels like, and how you go about doing the whole process - then it becomes easy, or at least not hard anymore. Until then, it is hard, no matter what you think of it or how confident you are. Even if you are a first-timer and perform excellently without error, most people will fail and be discouraged by it. And that is the harsh reality. Once you know that what you are doing is not simple or easy. You are open to the idea of failing and learning from your mistakes so that the next time you do it, you will surpass the previous attempt and do better. You can click here to learn how to apply Ceramic Coating in detail. So do we have to say to all of this? Do not believe everything you hear or read or hear. If the information you've got came from a trusted, reputable source - then yes, most likely, it is true. But consider the word reputable - we do not mean someone famous, but instead, we mean someone that has a reputation behind its name, known for giving out good quality and truthful, unbiased, and unsponsored information in the past. Cheers!

You are probably here because you have decided to Ceramic Coat your car or are at least interested in doing so! Suppose you decided to go to a professional to Ceramic Coat your car. In that case, you can skip this article since this will cover all the ceramic coating tools you would need or would be using if you were Ceramic Coating your vehicle at home DIY style! We will write this article for you to understand what needs to be done from start to finish and what tools we are using for those tasks. Suppose there are multiple options to perform the same job, for instance, a budget option or a more professional option. In that case, we will also list them so you can pick what works best for you. A little about us We are a Car Detailing Company focusing on Ceramic Coatings, and we have been in business for years now. We will share what we feel works and why based on our experiences with multiple items or tools that we've tried over the years and settled on after tons of testing. Ok, let us not drag this on. Let's jump into it instead and see where we need to start. How to ceramic coat a car in 8 easy steps: perform paint correction if needed fully wash the car clay bar the car leveling paint touch-up if done earlier compound and polish degreasing ceramic coat the car wait 24 hours at least for the product to harden Let's go through each section separately and see what they are all about and how you can maximize your efficiency and results by listing the tools we use daily. If you want to learn a little bit more about the whole preparation process at any point, you can read our article we've linked above. Also, you can check out our article to see how to apply Ceramic Coating to your car in full detail. Ceramic Coating Tools you'll need In each of the 8 steps, we will give you a list of tools needed to complete the step successfully. We will also go into detail on how we use each of the listed tools in the given step. Let's dive in! Perform Paint Touch-Up If Needed Tools used in this step: disposable latex gloves eye protection glasses breathing mask pressure washer pH-neutral car shampoo sandpaper 1500, 2000, or 2500 grit paint thinner the correct color for the car ( explained below ) 2k clear coat (described below ) ear cleaning cotton buds ( a few are enough ) small painting brush Always use gloves when detailing cars. Always make sure to use breathing protection when working with fresh car paint. And Always use eye protection when sanding. When you think of paint correction when working with cars, you are probably imagining a hand-polishing machine. Still, paint correction actually means that if there is visible damage on your car's paintwork and that it will be removed by neither compounding nor polishing it, you will need to fix the damage by performing paint correction before the buffing step. That process is commonly referred to as Paint Touch-Up. For instance, if there is rock chip damage on the hood ( where you usually find that type of damage ), the damage often goes all the way to the metal panel of the car. Also often accompanied by corrosion and rust in most cases. Or if there are deep scratches beyond the clear coat and paint layer, revealing the primer or, again, the metal panel underneath. There are all kinds of scenarios where the paint has been damaged so much that no matter how much effort you put into detailing it, the damage will still be visible. So what do we do then? First, give the car a good wash with car shampoo so you can clearly see what condition the paint is currently in. If you see a scratch or chip in the paint and are unsure whether buffing it will fix the issue, you can use water to test it. Once the damaged area is covered in water and is not visible anymore, the damage can be fixed by buffing it. If the damage is still visible even when watered, that means the damage is too deep to correct with compound or polish. If you find it challenging to identify all the damage that needs to be repaired, consider machine polishing before making the picture clearer. If there are many small chips, it is not a bad idea to draw a small circle around them with a marker to keep track of all the spots that need to be addressed. We need to buy a small amount of paint with the correct color code for the vehicle in question and a small amount of 2K clear coat from the local Color Store. You will usually go there with the car or a small panel that has been cleaned ( e.g., the fuel cap ). They will use a color reader tool to check for the paint's exact tone and use the color code that you can find in the driver's door's inner side to get a precise color mixture to match the car's existing paint. Sometimes you will see a white car and think that you can just buy white color paint and fill the damaged area, but you will soon find out that the shade is very different once it dries. Always use the method above to be sure, no matter how much you think you can pick the same color - sooner or later, you will have a mismatch, and the results are not pretty. Keep in mind that you can skip this step entirely if there is no such damage to your car. Once you have acquired the correct paint for the car you are working on, you will need to clean and degrease the area you are working on. If there is corrosion, remove that first by scraping all the corrosion off until you have just the metal. If you are unable to scrape it off, then use a rust converter to be safe. After it has been cleaned, use 2000 grit sandpaper wrapped around a sponge and basically the weight of your hand to flatten the damaged area's pointy and jagged edges. If you, for any reason, are not able to get a hold of 2000 grit, then 1500 or 2500 grit will work just fine. Keep in mind that the lower the grit number means the sandpaper is more aggressive, and you will need to be more careful when working with it. Do not be afraid to cut the sandpaper into strips to avoid sanding areas that do not need addressing. As for the technique used, use short back-and-forth strokes vertically and horizontally around the damaged area. Avoid using circular motions. Make sure to spray the area with water and the sandpaper with some water to prevent dust from going all over the car and reduce heat buildup caused by friction - that type of sanding is called 'Wet Sanding.' When done, wipe the area you've worked on with a microfiber towel. The sanded spot will be hazy. That is normal. After that, use an ear cleaner cotton bud stick to apply some paint thinner onto the area. This will ensure the area is clean, and the paint thinner will serve as a bonding agent for the upcoming paint. Let it air dry for 30ish seconds, and then use a small brush to apply the paint onto the area by slowly dabbing the paint into the damage. Make sure the damaged area is not visible. The cavity will be filled with a clear coat. When the color has surface dried a bit, apply some clear coat on top of the paint. Ensure the damaged area has been completely filled and, to be safe, leave a bit more on top of the spot you are working on. Like a bit of a hill. Because once it dries, you will sand and buff the area to perfection. Give it at least 48 hours to dry up before you continue with further steps to ensure the paint and clearcoat have cured enough to not come off when performing the following steps. Sometimes Color Shops will mix the paint with the clearcoat, meaning you will have to apply and fill the area with two coats. Perform as described above to ensure the highest quality result. Tools Recap: When working in the car detailing business, it is always essential to have two things - a pressure washer and a machine polishing machine. Those two cut the time you have to perform labor by so much that we couldn't imagine not having them. We have been using Karcher Pressure Washers for years now, and we fully stand behind their products. The Karcher K5 does the job so well. It is straightforward to use and has been very reliable. Latex gloves are also a must when detailing a car. The Mr. Pink pH-neutral Car Shampoo from Chemical Guys has been our number one choice for a while now, and we are happy with how it performs. All the other tools that we use in this step you can usually buy at most Color Shops. Some might not have such high grades of sandpaper. If you cannot acquire it there, just get a sandpaper set to have around when you need it. Eye and breathing protection is an excellent idea to have. Some people like to live dangerously, but if you plan to do this long-term, it is definitely a good investment! You can get these in Color Shops as well or in any hardware store. Fully Wash The Car Tools used in this step: disposable latex gloves pressure washer foam cannon pH-neutral car shampoo brake dust cleaner or iron remover detailing brush 3 standard-sized buckets ( 3-5 gallons ) grit guard ( that can fit one of the buckets ) microfiber washing mitt microfiber towel ( always good to have a dozen ) microfiber drying towel ( best to have 2-3 at least ) If a correction has been performed, you need to wait until the new clearcoat completely dries up. We suggest waiting at least 48 hours before sanding and buffing the corrected areas. But clearcoat cures for up to 2 weeks if there is time. You best wait the entire duration, but we realize you cannot afford to wait that long in the professional world. That is why you need to perform paint correction beforehand because of the long waiting time. Ok, so you have a car with no hard damage in the paintwork, and we are ready to give it a proper wash. Before you start, you want to put on your latex gloves. All the dirt, sweat, salt, and oil on your hands will leave marks on the paint. You want to avoid that. Now take your pressure washer and rinse the whole car making sure everything has been covered, from the top all the way to the inner wheel arches, to start loosening all the dirt that may be on the car. After that, you want to attach the snow foam cannon addon onto the pressure washer filled with some pH-neutral car shampoo and cover the whole car with the foam. You want to let all the dirt and grime soak into the soap. Let the foam do all the work. As it slides down the car, it will pull most of the grime from the car's surface. In this article, we wrote you could learn everything about pH-neutral car shampoo and why they are important when maintaining and cleaning your car. In case you do not own a pressure washer, you can use a water hose with a spay mode addon to achieve similar results. There are foam gun addons that can be connected to the hose. They are much weaker, but you will still achieve outstanding results, even though it is slower and a bit more tedious. Now you want to take 2 buckets and wash the inside to make sure they have no dirt inside them. Place the grit guard in one of them and fill it with water - this bucket will be your 'Rinse' bucket. Then take the second bucket and fill it with water and pH-neutral car shampoo diluted as per the product's instructions depending on the size of the bucket you are using. Ok! Now what you want to do is take your foam cannon and reapply the snow foam over the whole car again. Once done, take your microfiber washing mitt and start working the vehicle from top to bottom, moving the glove in straight lines to prevent any additional swirls from forming. As you wash the car and collect dirt, all that dirt will act as grit and introduce scratches. Straight lines are less visible and are easier to work with. Rinse often, and do not be afraid to replace the dirty water inside the rinse bucket ( even though the grit guard will prevent you from collecting any heavy dirt with your washing mitt ). The bottom of a car is always the dirtiest part of the vehicle, so pay close attention to those parts. The best practice is to use the 3rd bucket for the bottom of the car and the wheels. But using this method, you can get away with using the 3rd bucket for the wheels only. While the car is still soapy, you want to use the detailing brush to go in all the tight and hard-to-reach places on the vehicle, window edges, tight spots, and areas you wouldn't be able to fully clean with the wash mitt to agitate all of the dirt and let the soap pull it down from the car. Once you are satisfied, use the pressure washer to rinse the whole car with water from top to bottom, pushing all of the soap and dirt that managed to survive from the vehicle. Time to clean the wheels! Wheels need special attention because of brake dust. All those tiny iron particles are embedded into the clear coat. They will rust over time, making them almost impossible to remove without using machine polishing. To avoid that, you can use an iron-removing chemical or a brake cleaner. Both do the same thing. Spray it all over your wheels and all over the bottom of the car. You will see all the iron particles react with the chemical and become purple-colored. That means the chemical is working as intended. Let it work its magic as per the instruction on the product. After that, you can use your 3rd bucket to rinse off the mitt often. All those particles are tough and rigid and will definitely leave scratches as you drag them along. That is why you do not want to rinse it off in the regular rinse bucket to avoid carrying them by accident during rinses onto the car's paintwork. Use your washing mitt and add some shampoo to the sprayed areas. Wash them thoroughly. Use the detailing brush to make sure all 4 wheels have been cleaned properly. After all the brushing and cleaning, rinse the car with the pressure washer again. Once cleaned, you want to dry the car off. You do not want the water drying on the paint's surface because that will leave water spots. Use the microfiber drying towel to collect all the water from the car, and use regular microfiber towels to get into the tight sports. Bonus hint: It is a great idea to use an air compressor to push out water from all the tight spots where it might be hiding. Tools Recap: We've mentioned the Karcher K5 Pressure Washer in the previous step. Still, we just might again since it is really so important. Without a pressure washer, it is challenging to be efficient in this type of business. If you do not have one, you really are spending so much time and energy that you could be pointing elsewhere. Karcher has been providing that service for us over the years. We've used multiple models and have been delighted with each and every one of them. A foam cannon addon that you attach to the pressure washer to shoot car shampoo in the form of thick foam onto the car is also a fantastic feature if you have one. The one we use is made for all Karcher pressure washers, but you can get away with most. Just make sure it fits. Coverage with this one is impressive. We can cover a mid-sized car in under half a minute. Touchless foam cleaning does wonders when working with luxury cars because it minimizes the risk of scratching the paint. Even if you perform a touch wash, it lubricates the whole vehicle so well, softening all the dirt and dragging most just by sheer gravity. Also, be sure to use some good quality pH Neutral Car Shampoo to compliment the pressure washer and foam cannon nicely. Make sure to have at least 3 buckets and a grit guard. The VIKING Bucket Grit Trap we are using fits all standard-sized 3-5 gallon buckets and performs amazingly. We have been pleased with it. If you are thoroughly washing your car, you will need some sort of Iron Remover for the wheels and the lower sections of the vehicle. You can get one in most stores. Equip yourself with a few Detailing Brushes of different sizes until you figure out which one works best for you. It is always good to have a set nearby. They allow you to clean the car much more effectively and clean hard-to-reach places that would usually be skipped using traditional methods. Make sure you are stocked with microfiber towels. They are the foundation of the detailing business and also have at least 2 microfiber washing mitts and a few microfiber drying towels. The drying towels are usually specially made thick microfiber towels that absorb water much better. Claybar The Car Tools used in this step: automotive clay bar water spray bottle washing and drying the car when finished The car may look clean, but it can be even cleaner! If you close your eyes and go over the paint with your hand, you will feel that some paint parts feel rougher than others. That is because there are still particles embedded into the car's clear coat that is usually hard to get rid of just by washing. Take the clay bar, flatten it using your fingers, lay it flat on your palm, and spray some water onto the area you will be working on and on the clay bar as well. You do not want to use circular motions but instead move the clay bar back ad forth in straight lines, as explained before when using the washing mitt. Do that until you can feel the area is smooth to the touch. If the area is tacky or grippy, it will still have some contaminants in it. You will even be able to hear if the area has impurities or not. Make sure you lubricate the area you are working in often. If the side of the clay bar you are working with is too dirty, fold it in half, flatten it again, and continue working until the whole car has been clay bared. Once you have clayed the whole car, you want to snow foam the entire vehicle again, give it the 2-bucket method treatment again to remove all the dirt that you might have loosened up by claying, and once you have soaped the whole car using the wash mitt rinse it with the pressure washer. And make sure it has been dried. You might ask yourself then - why not do the clay baring before the washing to save time? Well, the reason is that the clay bar itself is a type of abrasive. It will also collect dirt like crazy. Working with it, along with all the heat from the friction created, you would scratch up and burn the clearcoat like crazy. Not to mention, you would fly through the clay bars as they quickly get too dirty to work with. Just stick to the proven methods to maximize your results and be economical with the tools used. Tools Recap: We get our clay bars in bulk. The amount we use is a bit more than usual since many vehicles go through our shop. If you plan on doing this as a hobby or just for personal use, then 2-3 clay bars should last you a lifetime. By the time you use up one, you will get a feel for how much one would linger for you and your habits, and then you can adjust accordingly. A spray bottle you can get almost at any store. Get a specific spray bottle, or just reuse an empty one you have lying around the house. Leveling Paint (If Touch-Up Was Done Earlier) Tools used in this step: disposable latex gloves eye protection glasses breathing mask sandpaper 1500, 2000, 2500, 3000 grit microfiber towel If you have not done any paint correction on this vehicle prior to this step, then you can skip this step completely. Always use gloves when detailing cars. Always use breathing protection when working with fresh car paint. And Always use eye protection when sanding. You will notice that there are not many tools needed beyond what you already have. So the addition is 3000 grit sandpaper. You will be using small straps from the sandpaper, so it will serve you for a long time. It is a good investment and a handy thing to have around any car enthusiast. As for the lower grades of sandpaper, it would be ideal for you to have 1500, 2000, and 2500 as well. You might get away by not having 1500, but then it will be a longer sanding process, or you might skip 2000. Still, then you are risking having too deep scratches for the machine polisher to buff out. You need to cut the sandpaper in straps the width of the area that you will be sanding. So not too small and not too big either. Wrap the strap around a sponge. A harder sponge or a softer sanding block is perfect because they are sturdy enough to exert equal pressure. They are also soft enough to adjust to the panel you are working on. Use plenty of water with a spray bottle preferably or just splash some water on the area that is currently being sanded. When wet sanding, water helps lower the temperature that is generated due to friction to prevent you from burning through the clear coat. The water will also help catch all the dust particles. Use the same technique when you are sanding away the jagged edges from the damage when preparing the damaged spots before painting and clear coating. The result you want to achieve is that the new paint is leveled with the old paint. The haziness is common. You do not want to sand too much, obviously, but you do not want to sand too little either because the spot will show then. To be perfect and blend with the paint as if there was no damage in the first place, you need to find that sweet middle. Even if you mess it up, you can go back and do more sanding until it is perfect. Once you are done with this, you will need to compound and polish the areas to eliminate that haziness and bring out that mirror shine. In order to degrease the places you've worked on, use some isopropyl alcohol and a microfiber towel, and let us jump to the next step! Super hint: Using a micro machine polishing machine that can attach different sandpaper grades will get you superior results and much faster than working the area by hand. The reason behind that is that machine polishers are consistent and continuous, as opposed to you doing the work manually with different pressure, speeds, direction of movement, etc. Tools Recap: Nothing too crazy to cover here. Most tools that you will use up until this step have already been covered. The specific item would be very high-grade sandpaper. You might find those in a hardware store, but those usually have just the rough low-grade ones used in construction and woodworking. We want some high-grade sandpaper to almost polish the paintwork. You can commonly find them in stores that specialize in colors. Other items used in this step you can get there as well. If you have trouble finding suitable grades of sandpaper, you can get them here. Also, disposable gloves are critical to a perfect detailing job. Make sure you have them ready at all times. Microfiber towels, no surprises here, are a must-have when working on cars in the Automotive Detailing Industry. Compound And Polish Tools used in this step: disposable latex gloves paint depth measuring tool car inspection portable light masking tape dual action polisher machine polishing pads car compound and polish microfiber towels This step is the most important one and probably requires the most time and energy to prepare a car for paint protection. This step will determine whether the vehicle will look like a show car or have swirls, micro scratches, and faded paint all over the place resulting in a worn and tired look. Using a machine polisher or polishing by hand is an art on its own, so we won't go into great detail but will instead point out what the whole process looks like and utilize it to excellent results. First, you want to tape off all the rubber and plastic trim edges on the car using masking tape. You do not want to polish those to not damage them or leave them with a dull, hazy finish. Polishing a car basically removes the clear coat until it is leveled so light can reflect from it perfectly. If you are not sure whether there is not enough clear coat to work with, you can take a paint depth measurer. Pick one panel of the car ( e.g., the hood of the car ). Divide it into workable sections. If you cannot do it mentally, use masking tape to separate the hood into 4 sections. You want to keep your working areas manageable. First, you want to use the automotive compound as it is more aggressive. The compound will eliminate all the significant imperfections. Simultaneously, the much more delicate car polish will bring that mirror shine out of the paint. Apply 4 - 5 pea-sized drops onto the buffing compounding pad. Dab the pad all over the area you will be working on to spread it around. Using the lowest setting, you want to go over the area you are working on with medium speed using a criss-cross pattern. This way, you want to ensure complete coverage of the working area and will avoid splatter by hitting it with too much spin from the get-go. When done, increase the speed of the machine polisher and start buffing the area as described above. Use both hands to guide the machine where you want it to go. Do not press on it. Let the machine do all the work for you. The weight of your hands is enough. Also, you want the buffing pad flat on the paint, not under an awkward angle. You want to avoid using the high setting unless experienced. Also, avoid staying in one place. You want the machine polisher to be moving the whole time to avoid building up too much heat due to friction. That would result in the buffer burning through the clear coat of the paint. And that would not be good! Once most of the compound has been used up, stop the polisher, take a clean and dry microfiber towel, and buff the area by hand. The paint should already look AMAZING. In case you still see swirls of some deeper scratches, you might repeat the process. You can use either compound the whole car and then polish the whole vehicle. Or, you could compound and polish right after, section by section. It doesn't really matter which way you do it. It is up to your personal preference. If new, try both to see which method suits you the best. After the compound comes the automotive polishing process! You apply it the same way as you would with the compound. You work with it the same way as well. After you buff off the polish with a fresh microfiber towel, the paint should have a mirror shine. Tools Recap: When using a machine polisher, it is always a good idea to know what you are working with to not burn through the whole clearcoat. The Allsun Paint Thickness Gauge serves us just fine. There are others out there on the market that you might grab instead if you wish. Sunlight is the best tool to see all the imperfections the paint might have. Since sunlight is not available all the time, we highly suggest you get a Portable Working LED Light so you can get a closer look at the paint to know what it looks like. Do not be fooled by thinking you can rely on the lights from your garage or natural daylight that might be coming from your window. You will see all the imperfections you thought weren't there once you get a close look at the paint using the portable light. It also highly depends on the color of the vehicle you are currently working on. Some colors show imperfections more than others ( ( i.e., black shows imperfection more easily than white ). The Dewalt Random Orbit Cordless Polisher is the weapon of choice for us to remove imperfections and bring out the shine in the paintwork of a car. The Cordless part saved us lots of headaches that we didn't even notice before we started using it! Having the polisher cordless makes the job so much simpler. Using Random Orbit or Dual Action Polishing Machines ( two names for the same thing ) is much better than using traditional rotating buffers. It is harder to burn through the clear coat using those. They also weigh less in most cases, and the only thing you need to do is to guide the machine where you want it to go. It will do everything else for you! When detailing a car, always have Masking Tape around to protect all surfaces you do not want to affect when working with a machine. When working by hand, you have a bit more precision, perhaps, but then you are using a device to do that job for you then. We highly suggest masking off any rubber trims or sharp edges to avoid damaging the clear coat. When detailing, you will first need a compounding paste, and to finish the job, you will need a polishing paste. We have been using this set from Chemical Guys for the last few months, and we are thrilled with the results. If the paint condition is terrible, we always go with Mother's Aluminum Polish instead of other compounds. This one has repeatedly proved itself how good it erases any imperfections in the paint. It being a cream instead of a liquid also helps with reducing splatter. Truly a fantastic product! Do not forget the buffing pads that you attach to the polishing machine. We use these 5.5-inch pads from Chemical Guys. Even though we mostly use the orange pad for compound and the green pad for polish as a finishing step, the other ones come in handy depending on the paint condition. It all depends on what you plan on doing with the car. You can get any pads really as long as they fit the machine polisher in size and they have been tested to good results. We feel that these foam pads with the hexagonal pattern have brought the best results than many others we have tried over the years. Degreasing Tools used in this step: isopropyl or rubbing alcohol, or surface prep product disposable latex gloves microfiber towel The car is looking fantastic right now, but it is currently covered with oils and grease from the buffing solutions. Before you can apply any type of paint protection, you need to remove those so the method used can bond with the paint properly. Ceramic Coating is no exception to this rule. For the Ceramic Coat to connect correctly with the car's paint, there can be no grease of any kind on the car's paint. Put on your gloves if you haven't, and get to work. Spray the alcohol onto the paint and buff it off with a microfiber towel straight away. Do this to the whole car. Once you have completed this part, your can is ready for the Ceramic Coating of your choice! Tools Recap: Rubbing Alcohol, you can usually find in hardware stores. Yet, Isopropyl Alcohol you might not find in stores depending on where you live. Some countries might have them listed as restricted items. So if you have trouble finding them, try getting them online from Amazon or eBay, but again, you have to check first whether it is legal to get them that way. Because of that, Rubbing Alcohol might be the safer way to go. They are unique because they degrease, clean, and evaporate quickly, leaving no water sports or smears. Ceramic Coat The Car Tools used in this step: ceramic coating kit of your choice microfiber towels disposable latex gloves If you want to learn how to Ceramic Coat your car, you can click the link to learn all there is about it. If you are not sure which Ceramic Coating to use, you can check our Top List of Ceramic Coatings that we have reviewed and go from there. Wait 24 Hours At Least For The Ceramic Coating To Harden Tools used in this step: patience The curing time of Ceramic Coating is usually around 7 days. All of that varies depending on the climate of the area where you live and the product used. Always follow the manufacturer's instructions to achieve the best results. We suggest you do not go for any heavy and fast driving during those 7 days and refrain from washing the car. However, if you want to use the car, we suggest you wait at least 24 hours for the Ceramic Coating's surface to harden enough for it not to get damaged. Congratulations! You are now done and have successfully finished Ceramic Coating your car! - If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail us at info@ceramiccoatexpert.com - Cheers!

A strange question coming from us - a detailing company that promotes Ceramic Coatings in shiny bright light. Well, the reality of the situation is that we do not promote Ceramic Coating to everyone. We will not shove it down your throat just so we can make a quick buck. We overall care to build up a good reputation that we can be proud of so customers trust us and know what they will get and what they will not get based on what we tell them. And that is a huge thing that is missing from, unfortunately, some detailing companies or even Ceramic Coating manufacturers. While those types of products are excellent and widely beneficial to both you as consumers and your vehicle, they are not all-powerful. They will not do everything, as some claim. They have their limits. There is really no need to stretch the truth or introduce claims with no business near a Ceramic Coatings description. With that out of the way, the question you came here for was whether Ceramic Coating is for you. Should you Ceramic Coat your car? Is Ceramic Coating worth it? All of those are valid questions. And it is not easy to answer them. The answer would depend on a lot of factors. For example, suppose you came to us and asked us whether you should Ceramic Coat your car. In that case, we would attack you with a bunch of questions to determine whether you should or shouldn't go into this endeavor. Questions such as: How often do you wash your car? How do you wash your car? How long do you plan on keeping the car? What do you use your vehicle for? Are you using car-wash stations regularly? What kind of Car Shampoo are you using? Do you even care about the condition of your vehicle? And after we have gathered all that information, we need to decide whether we, as the detailers doing the paint protection job, should be reputable professional detailers or businessmen. If some detailing companies decide to eye the greens, well, that is on them, really. We at Ceramic Coat Expert want to perform jobs only we can stand behind and be proud of. It might sound cheesy, but if you are passionate about something, you really do want to do that thing, so it makes you happy. And selling a high-end Ceramic Coating job to someone that will not benefit from that long-term wouldn't really do that, would it? Satisfied clients, happy us. That is how it works here. There are loads of misconceptions when it comes to Ceramic Coatings about what they do. For example: Ceramic Coatings will not prevent water spots Ceramic Coatings are not permanent Ceramic Coatings will not prevent damage to your paint Having Ceramic Coating on your car doesn't mean you never have to wash your car ever again The last one seems a bit harsh, but some people believe all of these, and all those ideas draw some people to Ceramic Coatings, and once they learn that they are not true, they lose that will very quickly. That is why we firmly believe that education about Ceramic Coatings is vital to understand all of its benefits and what it provides for you as a consumer and for your protected vehicle. There are people out there thinking that if they coat their cars with Ceramic, they will never have to rewash them. Or even that the paint of the vehicle cannot be damaged anymore. If you are looking for a tougher variant of paint protection, you should look into Paint Protection Films. As for the washing part, you will still need to wash and maintain your metallic friend. It will be just that much easier. It will get less dirty because dirt will have a much harder time sticking to the car. Even things like wind or fast driving might clean the car because the air pressure will be more substantial than the grip grime has on the coating. Maintenance is critical for the longevity of the Ceramic Coating. Read our article if you want to properly maintain your car after being ceramic coated to get the most out of it. If you would like to learn more about what Ceramic Coating is and how it protects your car's paint, you can click the link. Is ceramic coating for you: Yes or No? If you want to see our thoughts on all the Frequently Asked Questions about Ceramic Coatings, then you can click here. When not to get Ceramic Coating: You do not care about how your car looks You do not wash your car regularly or ever You are using your car or truck as a workhorse or for offroad purposes You do not like to spend money on your car You do not look to keep its value over time as high as possible You could Ceramic Coat your car regardless. But if you came to us, we would likely turn you down and introduce you to a Ceramic Coating that we can vouch for based on personal experience. We would suggest you do the coating yourself and educate yourself on how to do it properly. Not to be rude, but because doing a complete detailing treatment of your car wouldn't likely be entirely beneficial to you. You might have seen that pesky neighbor's shiny and glossy freshly Ceramic Coated car the other day and thought to yourself how you could do the same. You come by your local vehicle detailer, and the price they give you shocks you making you back out of it instantly. The whole idea of a Ceramic Coat on your vehicle is to protect the paint that will be underneath the Ceramic Coating. If the paintwork is not in pristine condition, it will stay that way. Ceramic Coatings do not remove swirl marks, oxidation, dirt, or grime that might be embedded in your clear coat, scratches, or rock chips. Your paint will look the same as it looks right now, plus a bit of gloss. But if you invest in the car's paint being corrected and appropriately detailed to bring out that factory look. If you get it as close as you can to that factory look and then Ceramic Coat that car - you will be a pleased customer with a brand new-looking vehicle for years to come. Provided you maintain the coating, of course. That is what the majority of the price tag comes from - washing, claying, compounding, polishing the paint to perfection, and only then would we Ceramic Coat the vehicle. We want to make the car 'Pop!' and for it to look amazing. We want that neighbor of yours to be jealous and wonder how your car looks so slick all of the time. You will simply not get that result without detailing the car unless the vehicle is brand new. And to do that, you also need all the right tools and experience to perform it correctly. Experience and a lot of time. And you might think, 'Well, I can learn all that, and I can practice and get great at detailing.' Of course, you can. It really isn't that difficult. With a bit of knowledge and guidance and a few hits and misses, you could technically become a novice detailer. But to do that, you would need to buy a severe amount of items and all that to detail your car every few years when you reapply for the Ceramic Coating. That isn't worth it, really, unless you are looking to start a business. In that case, we say, 'Go for it!' and if you have any questions, feel free to ask us. So, to summarize... Should you ceramic coat your car? We believe that every car should be Ceramic Coated. It is that good of a product, and there are so many benefits that come with it, provided you are using a proven and tested product. That is our opinion, but the decision comes down to yours. If you like your car to look glossy and shiny, and you like that, it is more easily cleaned and maintained. It repels water really well and things that usually would doesn't stick to your car's paint that easily. Suppose you care for your vehicle, so it looks clean and fresh. In that case, if you like to protect your car as an investment so it keeps a higher value in the future - then Ceramic Coating is for you. If you cannot find yourself in any of those above and are still wondering if you should ceramic coat your car then read our article answering that question. You are also welcome to check out our list of Best Ceramic Coatings 2023 to help you find one that would suit your needs the best. Cheers!

Short Answer - pH neutral car shampoo, unlike those with stronger chemicals in them, will not damage your car's paint or the Ceramic Coating protecting your car's paint. The same applies if you use any different kind of paint protection like automotive wax, polymer sealants, or paint protection film. Long Answer - Oh boy! Looks like we're going on an adventure. If you are the Average Joe car owner and are using your car as a workhorse or just as a way of transportation from point A to point B, then you probably do not care about what kind of Car Shampoo you will be using on your car when giving it the good ol' clean. In that case, you probably do not care about pH Neutral Car Shampoos and are more likely interested in using dishwater detergent diluted in some water instead to do the job. Worry not! You might still find this article educational either way! Now, if, on the other hand, you are one of us - a proper car enthusiast, then you already know about them, in which case we will do our best to try and teach you something that you might not know. But for all you others, that have heard of the term 'pH neutral' or 'pH balanced' car shampoo, but aren't quite sure what to make of it. You are at the right place to educate yourself on this topic and learn all there is about it. Of course, we aren't scientists or chemists to teach you everything about chemistry and how it all works on a molecular level, but we know a lot about this topic because it affects our work heavily and the more we know, the better of a service we can provide for our customers and a better job e can do about caring for cars! So let us dive into what it all means! What does pH neutral mean? Well, the correct term is 'pH neutral' even though you might find people using 'pH balanced as well. Both refer to the same thing, but we just want to be as accurate as possible. The pH scale measures how acidic or alkaline/basic a substance is. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14. A pH of 7 is neutral. A pH less than 7 is acidic while a pH higher than 7 is alkaline. If you want a more detailed explanation, a substance is ranked on this scale based on how many hydrogen ions it has in it. The p stands for the German 'potenz', meaning power or concentration, and the H for the hydrogen ion (H+). The pH concept was introduced by S. Sørensen, a danish scientist, back in 1909. The pH scale is also logarithmic, meaning that, for example - pH 2 is ten times more acidic than pH 3. You might be sitting there and thinking to yourself, "But CCE, what is all this scientific stuff? I just like cars!". Worry not our fellow car detailer! We will try and teach you all the basics, so you know exactly what you are buying, and who knows, you just might find yourself in a heated conversation with a scientist one day so all this stuff might give you the edge in the interaction. All of you have probably heard of the word 'acid'(no, not THAT acid), and while you might not know exactly how it all works, you would definitely know that something acidic is likely, not good for you. You also likely haven't heard of a substance being a base or it being alkaline as well. So the further something goes left from the center of this scale, is more and more dangerous for you. The same goes if it leans too far right as well. Here are some examples of what everyday items would be ranked at each pH value: pH 0 - battery acid, hydrochloric acid pH 1 - stomach acid, sulfuric acid pH 2 - lemon juice, vinegar pH 3 - grapefruit juice, orange juice, soda pH 4 - tomato juice, beer, acid rain pH 5 - black coffee, pepto bismol, bananas pH 6 - urine, saliva, milk pH 7 - distilled water ( pH neutral ) pH 8 - baking soda, seawater, eggs pH 9 - toothpaste, hand soap pH 10 - mild detergent pH 11 - ammonia, cleaners pH 12 - soapy water pH 13 - bleach, oven cleaner, lye pH 14 - drain cleaner, caustic soda So, what about regular tap water or normal rain? Rainwater and water, in general, would affect your car the most outside of cleaning it, so what about those two? That really depends on where you live and where you get your water, what kind of pipes you are using - things like that. Also, rain heavily depends on soil and air pollution. So rain might be more or less acidic, depending on where you live. If you have acidic rain that is valued at around pH 4 in one bucket and you want to make it less acidic, you would have to add 9 buckets of regular water to bring the pH number by one to pH 5 or 99 buckets to bring it down 2 numbers to pH 6, or 999 buckets to pH 7 to make it neutral. That is what logarithmic means. While you probably will not find yourself in a position where you need to make acid rain less acidic unless you currently live in a post-apocalyptic future world, making it really weird that you are still in Ceramic Coatings, who are we to complain? No one is prouder than us! You might find yourself in a situation where you bought a concentrated solution of car shampoo that needs to be watered down for usage in a 10:1, 100:1, or even 1000:1 ratio. If you see this, you will know why you need to water it down and what will happen to the pH value of the car shampoo that you are currently using. If you would like to learn more on how to deal with water spots on your car, especially if yo use heavy water regularly, then read our article on that matter. Can't I then just take regular car shampoo and water it down until it becomes pH neutral? Well, no, not really, because while it may be pH neutral at that point, it might not be strong enough to deal with the grease, dirt, and grime that it was designed to deal with. That is why pH-neutral car shampoos are more expensive. In this article that we wrote, you can learn more about how to maintain your ceramic coating correctly, so that it lasts much longer. Ok, now I have learned all the basics about pH value, but still, why use pH-neutral car shampoos instead of regular more acidic, or more alkaline car shampoos? If you are using paint protection of any sort, Ceramic Coating included, stronger pH value car shampoos will damage the protection in question weakening it to the point it is completely eroded from the paintwork of your car, effectively neutralizing it. So if you have Ceramic Coated your car and expect it to last for a very long time, by using pH-neutral car shampoos, you are ensuring the Ceramic Coating isn't being damaged and will last for however long the manufacturer claims it should last ( providing the manufacturer of the said Ceramic Coating has given us accurate data ). Otherwise, if you use strong chemicals on your Ceramic Coating you might find it performing worse or being completely gone after a few good washes. That would also indicate how good of quality the Ceramic Coating you are using is. But the manufacturer of this Ceramic Coating claims that this coating resists chemicals from pH 1 to pH 13! That claim is most likely true, but you could also just say that the said Ceramic Coating resists chemicals from pH 0 to pH 14 as well. Resisting something doesn't mean that you will be unaffected by it. It just means you will be affected less. More slowly. So while the damage on a Ceramic Coating from just acid rain at pH 4 would be minuscule, it would still be there. Also, while the Ceramic Coating will resist a chemical with a pH value of 13, for example, it will still be damaged, and given enough exposure the paint protection will at one point fail. The same goes for pH 0 and pH 14. Much higher quality Ceramic Coatings will survive a few washes with some strong industrial cleaners that are rated at pH 14, or contain hydrochloric acid rated at pH 0. We would still recommend not using those strong chemicals on Ceramic Coating, though. A handy feature Ceramic Coatings give your car's paint is its slickness that prevents dirt to stick to the surface of your car as hard as it would if the Ceramic Coating wasn't there. That allows you to use less aggressive chemicals for your cleaning. Car Shampoos that are pH neutral will usually do the trick just fine, and you won't need anything stronger to get rid of any grease or dirt to make your car shine as if new once again! The one that we use is Mr. Pink pH neutral Car Shampoo. Get your Mr. Pink pH neutral Car Shampoo on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/37gOA4a Throughout the years, we've been working with various brands, but this one has stuck with us for a very long time now, and we are more than happy. Compared to some, it might seem a bit expensive, but when you want superb results that both you and the customer will be happy with, then we definitely recommend this that we know for certain will get the job done right. Cheers!

Absolutely not. Whatever someone may claim, the current developed technologies in the ceramic coating industry clearly answer the question"Does ceramic coating protect against scratches?" - and that answer is "No.". Perhaps one day in the future. But what the best Ceramic Coatings currently do, and they usually do it really well, is give the coated surface scratch resistance. That is thanks to its toughness once the coating has cured. That hardness is measured and classified as 9H, or 10H. We will explain what that means shortly. But first, we will get rid of a huge misconception that is running around the internet. If you do or have done some research about the hardness rating of Ceramic Coatings, you will know exactly what we mean! Namely, if you check what 9H means, you will most likely get an answer like '9H is the hardness level based on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness.' That is so very misleading and let us tell you why so you don't get the wrong idea about Ceramic Coatings. Namely, '9H' doesn't exist on the Mohs scale. So, the Mohs scale was developed by a German mineralogist Frederich Mohs some 200 years ago, and we've been using it since 1822 and are still using it to this day still. It was created to measure toughness (resistance to cutting/scratching) and hardness (resistance to breaking/chipping). So, for instance, you will find glass having a 5 on the Mohs scale, while you will find diamond having a Mohs scale rating of 10! Now by getting that information and reading the Mohs scale chart, you might be led to believe ( as many people do ) that Ceramic Coatings, once cured, have a hardness rating of 9 which would be the hardness of the mineral Corundum or Sapphire. While in reality, if you used any of these to cut or scratch the Ceramic Coating, the rock would likely cut not only through the Ceramic Coating but also likely through the clear coat, base paint layer, and primer and would cut the metal surface itself. That is why information on the internet is wrong, and Ceramic Coating manufacturers give out vague information regarding this. If measured using the Mohs scale, Ceramic Coatings would get a toughness rating of around 6-6.5 in reality, depending on the product. So what does 9H mean, then? Well, 9H is a toughness rating based on pencil strength. That chart goes from 10B ( softest ) to 10H ( hardest ) graphite pencils. Yes, that Graphite, the material Graphene is extracted from. The way they measure it is by using a device called Elcometer and a 9H pencil under a 45-degree angle. Then they drag it along the surface that has been Ceramic Coated and check for scratch marks. Most Ceramic Coatings have a pencil toughness rating of 9H, while some claim to have a 10H rating even. Now do not get us wrong, 6-6.5 on the Mohs scale for toughness, or a 9H pencil rating, is very impressive considering how extremely thin the Ceramic Coating layer is. It is a nano-thin protective layer that sits on top of the clear coat layer of your car's paintwork, and it would still provide such impressive results. It would prevent scratches or swirl marks that would usually affect and damage the clear coat if it were not protected by Ceramic Coating. If you want to learn more about 9H in ceramic coatings, you can read our article fully dedicated to that topic here. It was important to us to educate the general public interested in paint protection, so they do not think that Ceramic Coatings are some magical liquid capable of such extreme feats. They are amazing, but they are nowhere near scratch-proof. So, by having a car Ceramic Coated, you will have no scratches or swirl marks anymore? This one is also a bit tricky to answer. It is certainly possible, depending on how you maintain the Ceramic Coating. It also depends mostly on its lifespan and how close it is to its maximum based on what the manufacturer of the product indicates. Over time due to UV radiation, chemical damage, and time the structural integrity will start failing as the coating slowly decays. All of its properties will start weakening to the point of complete failure. Of course, a recoat is recommended on the first signs of the coating failing before that happens. When weakened, the coating might lose the 9H toughness rating in some areas resulting in possible damage to the coating. It will still try to absorb the damage that would otherwise go straight to the clear coat or even deeper. How do Automotive Waxes and Polymer Sealants react to scratches? Well, they do not, really. While both Car Waxes and Paint Sealants have their own advantages, they, unfortunately, offer very little to no resistance when it comes to damage, whether it comes in the form of scratching or swirl marks. They have almost no toughness or hardness to resist physical harm. You can read more about Automotive Wax, and more on Polymer Sealant. Our final thoughts on this matter It is easy to get seduced or tricked into thinking that Ceramic Coatings are some magical force fields that prevent your car from taking any damage or any similar claims. With today's marketing, while it is regulated, the grey areas allow companies to make such ambiguous claims that leave you wondering what is real and what is fake. With no fault to yourself, you might find yourself in such an unsavory situation that you end up being played with a sour taste in your mouth and trust issues regarding Paint Protection products going further. No one can blame you. We have tested tons of different products since we have been in this business for a long, long time, and we have really seen it all. With a lot of people reposting the '9 on the Mohs scale' thing, we are getting so many people coming to us misinformed with much higher unrealistic expectations of the product in question. Some leave disappointed thinking how a 9H pencil rating strength seems like it does nothing while, in reality, it does, A LOT! We believe it is our mission to educate our customers and now readers, so you cannot be put in such a position. Ceramic Coatings are amazing. We certainly love working with them, we love them on our cars, and our customers love them on theirs. Because it has so many good benefits. One of them is the above-discussed 9H toughness rating. While it is very reliable and very strong when it comes to everyday events, it certainly isn't invulnerable and will not prevent endless beating. It will, however, help prevent damage that would otherwise go straight onto your paint. For some extra points you can check out our article on the best way to protect the paint of your car, whether it is new or you just want to keep it looking new for the forseable future. Cheers!

Ceramic Coating Spray! We hate it; we love it... Actually, that is not true - nobody loves them. The thing with them is - they are promoted as the future of Ceramic Coating technology, as the 'better, easier and cheaper' Ceramic Coating, or even as a replacement to products that we think of as standard Ceramic Coatings. Where in reality, they are just glorified Polymer Sealants with some SiO2 in them, at best. The best Ceramic Spray Coating could perhaps take on the worst of the standard Ceramic Coatings. That is how big of a gap these two completely different products have. Now with all that battering on them, there are some advantages that come with them. Those are usually presented in the form of price and ease of application. For those uninitiated in Ceramic Coatings or Paint Protection options in general, all those 'amazing and unrivaled and best products' look very seductive when they are thinking of long-term and high-quality ways to protect the paint on their cars. That is normal, and that is what marketing is all about. All you need to know is that with these products, you aren't getting a traditional Ceramic Coating, or what you would expect a Ceramic Coating to be, but instead a severely weakened version of those. So the question is - 'Is Ceramic Coating Spray a scam?' Well, no, that would probably also be exaggerated. We are not here to bloat things according to our narrative but instead deliver honest reviews of those products and how they perform in real-life conditions. Should you happen to look for a more serious and quality way to protect the paintwork on your car, you can click here and check out our Top List of standard Ceramic Coatings. A little bit about us We are in the automotive exterior detailing business, and we focus mainly on paint protection for cars - namely Ceramic Coatings. We've been working in the detailing for about 17 years now. We happen to know a thing or two when it comes to Ceramic Coatings and their weaker Spary-On alter egos. You can learn more about how we test, review, and grade Ceramic Coating products. We are making a top list of the five Ceramic Spray Coatings we have reviewed on our blog. The reason why we went with only those is so you have an easy-to-read list, so you know which one is the best Ceramic Coating Spray product on our blog and why, and also which one is the worst and why with a short description in the form of a mini-review. That way, you have the option to view them as a ranked list while still being able to click each one for a full review in case you want more information on them. We also might make a list of more products in the future so you can have a more clear picture of how all these numerous products compare one to another and, how they differ, what makes them stand out from their competitors. We have sorted all the Ceramic Spray Coatings we have done a review on into one nice easy-to-read Top List so you can see for yourself what is what quickly and efficiently. So, let us see what this top 5 list looks like. Top 5 Best Ceramic Spray Coatings ranked by Ceramic Coat Expert: 1. Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Spray Coating So, at the top, we have Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Spray Coating! This one has certainly surprised us with its ability to resist stronger chemicals, a property many Ceramic Spray Coatings seem to be lacking. It nicely repels water and is overall a good and quick way to protect the paint of your vehicle if you are in a hurry or do not have the conditions to cover the surface of your car in proper Ceramic Coating. In all those cases, this will do you just fine and it will survive some time and will resist at least a couple of washes! Certainly, one of the best Spray-On Ceramic Coatings we have had the pleasure of working with. How we have graded this product: product life time when applied: C resistance to elements: E resistance to damage: E resistance to chemicals: C application difficulty: A hydrophobic properties: B gloss / shine: C Average grade: C Cost: 0.94$ / 1 fl oz 0.03$ / 1 ml Probably the best feature of Ceramic Spray Coatings is the quantity you get. This one comes in a 16 Oz bottle giving it the better quantity for price ratio among its competitors. If you are all about doing the job as quickly as possible and you do not care if the protection lasts a long time and protects your car the best it can - this product is certainly recommended by us! If you would like to see our full review of Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Spray Coating, then click here. If you wish to buy Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Spray Coating - click here! 2. Adam’s UV Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating Adam’s UV Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating was the second-best product we had done a review on and would probably sit at the top if it wasn't for its high price. The graphene part of the marketing strategy is probably what drove the price up into the stratosphere, and this product would probably do much better if it was stripped of those hype words and just went with 'Adam's Ceramic Spray Coating', period. The truth is that graphene, if it does anything good to the product, probably does very little. Who knows, it might even be making it worse. What made this product stand out from its competitors was the 'Glow' technology, where you can use a UV lamp or any UV light source to track what part of the car has already been coated. That feature is certainly newbie friendly but might be costly if you do not have the equipment to make use of that technology. How we have graded this product: product life time when applied: C resistance to elements: D resistance to damage: E resistance to chemicals: C application difficulty: A hydrophobic properties: B gloss / shine: B Average grade: C Cost: 2.37$ / 1 fl oz 0.08$ / 1 ml This one comes in a 12 Oz bottle, and considering how much you have to pay for it is probably the sole reason why it isn't sitting up at the top spot. It is fairly easy to work with once you get the hang of it, and the lifetime of the coating will certainly be above average when it comes to Spray-On Ceramic Coating products. If you would like to see our full review of Adam’s UV Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating, then click here. If you wish to buy Adam’s UV Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating - click here! 3. Mothers CMX Ceramic Spray Coating Mothers have been around for a long while, and they have delivered some amazing products out there. Well, this one certainly isn't what they would be proud of. It might be marketed that way, but do not be fooled that easily. Is it worth buying? Well, we wouldn't recommend it, but if you already have it or aren't able to get anything better, and you really want that quick and easy paint protection product - We suppose you could go for it. It isn't a complete waste of money if you know what you are buying. The problem with these products is that there is so much hype around them, and they build up their customer's expectations to unrealistic levels, only for them to be disappointed that they do not work as advertised. If you are aware of all this, then this is still a viable option. How we have graded this product: product life time when applied: D resistance to elements: D resistance to damage: E resistance to chemicals: E application difficulty: A hydrophobic properties: C gloss / shine: D Average grade: D Cost: 0.58$ / 1 fl oz 0.02$ / 1 ml Mothers CSC probably gives you the biggest bang for your buck among the Spray-On Coatings with a whopping 24 ounces! Wow. Well, that is certainly worth it. If you do not mind using it a bit more often than other products, for instance, after each wash or each second wash depending on which car shampoo you are currently using - we can stand behind it. We would still recommend, if you are sticking to Ceramic Spray Coatings, that you go for better options. If you would like to see our full review of the Mothers CMX Ceramic Spray Coating, then click here. If you wish to buy Mothers CMX Ceramic Spray Coating - click here! 4. Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Wax If you have ever done any research on the Automotive Detailing Industry, you have like come across the name Meguiars. They are probably one of the well-known Car Detailing brands on the market. And for good reason - they do have some amazing products, but let's be honest... They also have some fantastic marketing as well. You simply cannot ignore that aspect. This product wasn't advertised as a 'wonder liquid that solves world hunger and will turn your '94 Corolla into a Lamborghini'. To be honest, it did as expected. While it is on your car's paint - it has good water-repelling properties and gives a decent amount of gloss. The problem is that it will wash out with the simplest amount of detergent. You would need to use the more expensive pH-neutral car shampoos for them to have a chance at longevity. So, applications are often required when working with this product. How we have graded this product: product life time when applied: D resistance to elements: D resistance to damage: F resistance to chemicals: E application difficulty: C hydrophobic properties: C gloss / shine: B Average grade: D Cost: 0.74$ / 1 fl oz 0.03$ / 1 ml With a 26 Oz bottle, it is probably at the top when it comes to quantity given, but it's a requirement for two coatings to be effective as advertised, and that isn't that much, effectively cutting those 26 ounces down to 13. And the strange application of the second layer is also a questionable and probably wasteful procedure, further degrading the quantity you receive. Top that with the hefty price that comes with the brand name, and you have a product that we definitely wouldn't recommend to our readers. This product is no more than a Car Sealant, and the company would probably do best to advertise the product as such and leave 'Ceramic' out of the product's name. Well, technically, a Sealant would be positioned somewhere in between a Car Wax and a Ceramic Coating, and they have 'Hybrid' in there... hmm. Perhaps I could take a Toyota Corolla and Ford Mustang and then call it a 'Hybrid Corolla Mustang'. Would that be viable? Meguiar's has some amazing products, but Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Wax definitely is not one of them. If you would like to see our full review of Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Wax, then click here. If you wish to buy Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Wax - click here! 5. SHINE ARMOR Fortify Quick Coat Ah... Shine Armor! If you haven't heard of Shine Armor and you are into Car Detailing, you have probably been living under a rock. Everyone, and we mean everyone and their grandmothers, has heard and perhaps even used Shine Armour at one point in time. The hype that comes from this product could probably jump-start a dead car battery back to full and turn it into a nuclear reactor. They have the best ads, they are everywhere, and they have the best packaging and the distinctive purple-colored liquid. They have the best everything - except the product they are selling. Does it work? Yes, sure. You spray it on, buff it off right away, or you can even wait a bit should you choose to do so. It gets slick instantly, and you can check for that slippage test where you place the bottle on top of the coated area, and it will slide down. It really does work. We have tried it many times. But some of the claims this company claims their product does or can do are simply ridiculous. It washes off with one or two washes with regular cheap car shampoo. And the wash-less feature they promote is arguably just plain stupid unless you want to damage the paint on our car. Dragging dirt and various particles along the paint while 'cleaning' is a recipe for disaster. You might as well be using sandpaper instead of a microfiber towel while you are at it. And Shine Armor claims this is good for saving water. Considering how much you pay for this product, you could fill a swimming pool before you cut your losses. How we have graded this product: product life time when applied: E resistance to elements: E resistance to damage: D resistance to chemicals: E application difficulty: A hydrophobic properties: C gloss / shine: C Average grade: D Cost: 2.49$ / 1 fl oz 0.08$ / 1 ml The price you pay for SHINE ARMOR is simply ridiculous. Probably the highest price you can pay for a product considering the packaging of only 8 Fl Oz!!! Compare that to 24 or 26 fluid ounces that products above this one on this list get you - this just seems ridiculous. Well, you might be thinking, 'Well, it is still worth it if the product is good', but it isn't. Apart from its nice appearance, color, pleasant grapey smell, and the one-trick pony you get with the slipping bottle - this product really has nothing else to offer. There is a much better, cheaper, and overall more economical product out there. And because of this, SHINE ARMOUR deserves the last spot on our list. We definitely do not recommend this product to our readers, well to anyone, really. You still might be thinking, after all of this and after reading the full review - 'They are just haters.' or something similar. But in that case, we challenge you to buy the product and test it out yourself. Good luck! If you would like to see our full review of SHINE ARMOR Fortify Quick Coat, then click here. If you wish to buy SHINE ARMOR Fortify Quick Coat - click here! There you go with this Top List of all the Ceramic Spray Coating we have reviewed on our blog. We will certainly look towards making a more extensive list of the Top 15 or even a Top 20 perhaps of Ceramic Spray Coatings because there are so many, and we have used and tried most of them out there. So even without harsh testing and written reviews, we could decently place them to rank among each other fairly. If you would like that, please let us know! UPDATE: We have worked on a number of articles after we tested dozen different ceramic coating products! The latest are Nexgen Ceramic Spray, The Last Coat Ceramic Spray, 303 Graphene Nano Spray Coating, Ethos Resist Graphene Ceramic Coating Spray, and System X Renew Ceramic Spray Coating, which were all requested a lot, and there are many more coming in the future. We have also created a new TOP 10 LIST for 2024 that includes all the newly tested and reviewed products! We hope this easy-to-read and easy-navigate trough list has been helpful and has given you more clarity when it comes to this ever-growing industry. As long as there are going to be cars, there are going to be products with the purpose of protecting them, so they look fresh and new for as long as possible. We will be here to guide you through all of it. Cheers!

Ah, Meguiar's... Probably one of the most recognized names in the Automotive Detailing Industry. Anyone who has ever had anything to do with cleaning, or detailing, or protecting a car has probably heard that name. Today we are looking at Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Wax, their take on the all-popular Ceramic Spray Coating. Will this product live up to the brand's reputation, or will it flop? Only one way to find out, so let us dive in! Just to clarify - we are not sponsored by Meguiar's or any other manufacturer of Paint Protection products, and we will test and review the product as it is in real-world conditions. We will follow the manufacturer's instructions during the application process, and we will prepare the surface to ensure the best finish and best adhesion possible. We are leaving an affiliate link to all our review products but in case the product turns out to be of low quality or not as all as advertised, we leave a warning to all our readers, and the quality of the product will always be reflected in the grade we assign to it at the end of every review. So if you do not want to sit through all of this text, you can scroll down to the Average Grade and read our Final Thoughts to get a general idea of what the product is all about. Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Wax - Should you choose to go for it after reading the review - Get your Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Wax on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/3sv9Bki Ceramic Spray Coatings have always been a thorn in the eye of serious car enthusiasts or professionals in the Car Detailing Industry. The reason for that is that they are mostly being advertised in a deceiving and ambiguous manner leading consumers to believe that they are a better replacement for traditional Ceramic Coating. And when people try them out, they naturally feel deceived. Sometimes customers go even a step further and, because of shame, even defend the product even though they themselves have seen it not working as advertised. This doesn't cover all of the Spray-on Ceramic Coating products out there. Some are fair, precise, and honest in their claims, and some had even surprised us in a good way when we worked with them throughout the years. Of course, it is hard for the average Joe to know what is good and what isn't. This is why we do these reviews, so people know exactly what they are getting. And not being sponsored by some of these huge companies gives us the power to do that. Let's see what this specific product offers: advanced SiO2 technology hybrid ceramic wax protection & durability beyond conventional wax spray-on, rinse off & dry no rubbing, curing, buffing, or mess extreme water beading made in the USA Ok, to be fair, whatever the outcome, the claims aren't too crazy as they sometimes are. They clearly state that this is a product that is better than traditional automotive waxes. So perhaps this is a sort of Spray-on Paint Sealant. It has 'hybrid' in its name, so it certainly is a blend of both infused with some SiO2 as well. The application process is a bit weird. The first time we have seen a product that instructs the user to pray onto the surface and just rinse it off with pressurized water. We wonder how effective that will cover the area in question. We will test all those claims and more. We expect the product not to handle stronger chemicals well, especially degreasers. That one will best determine how well this product handles itself. Let us begin! First, we will prepare the surface of the whole car. Even though it might be a bit overkill to go to such lengths, we want to give each product we test the highest chance to perform well. If you wish to learn more about how we prepare the surface of a car for Paint Protection products, you can click here and read all about it. Next, we will read the instructions on Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Wax to make sure we apply it the way it was intended. Remember that every paint protection product might have a different set of instructions. So make sure always to read them before you start working with the product. Once the car's surface has been properly prepared, we are ready to begin! We are going to apply the coating indoors inside a well-ventilated garage. The temperature is also regulated, so it is not too cold or too hot for the temperature to cause any issues. We will shake the product well before use. Unless instructed otherwise, do so with every paint protection product that is in liquid form. So the application process is a little bit tricky as it is currently described on the bottle. So if you are hasty, you might apply it wrong and produce unwanted results. So the instructions clearly state that we need to wash the car twice - first, we have to clean the car of all dirt, grime, and grease using car shampoo and water. We want to make sure the car's surface is ready to be ceramic sprayed. We are to rinse the whole car from all car shampoo it may have on the surface to ensure the adhesion of Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Wax. Secondly, we are to spray the product on all exterior surfaces of the car. Once completed, we need to rinse Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Wax off the surface, starting from the roof, using a jet of pressurized water. This way, the product will spread along the whole surface of the vehicle to ensure maximum coverage. That one seems extremely wasteful because there is no way you can ensure full coverage of a working area using this method. But those are the instructions, and we shall oblige. After that, we are to use a drying microfiber towel and dry the whole surface, even though there is no curing time, so even if there is some water left on the car, that shouldn't interfere with any curing process a Ceramic Coating might have. Time to test this product! If you would like to learn the full process of how we torture test products, you can click here and see it all in detail. See below for our rating in various categories we deem important regarding Ceramic Coating Sprays, the product's price per fluid ounce considering what you get for the money you pay, and our final thoughts describing how it held up in the test. Let's see how Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Wax performed: product life time when applied: D resistance to elements: D resistance to damage: F resistance to chemicals: E application difficulty: C hydrophobic properties: C gloss / shine: B Average grade: D Cost: 0.74$ / 1 fl oz 0.03$ / 1 ml Our final Thoughts on Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Wax Is this product a Ceramic Coating? No. It indeed performed as a Car Wax or a Polymer Sealant at best. It had decent hydrophobic properties until it was first introduced to even regular car shampoo. It started deteriorating pretty quickly, and once a stronger detergent was used, it lost all its hydrophobic properties. You get a decent amount of the product, a whopping 26 ounces for the price you pay, not cheap! But the downside to this product is that it requires two coats when used. We would agree that only one would be enough since we think the second application, due to the method used, is very wasteful. We would recommend a more conventional application method for the second use instead. Considering how good or bad the product performed, we would not stand behind a recommendation and think it is overpriced, considering how quickly and easily it fades. Its price is likely thanks to the brand's name stamped on it. Is it good? Not really. But not horrible either. You can still use it after each wash to push a bit more protection onto the car's paint should you happen to own one of these. The final grade of D speaks for itself, but considering it is a spray-on version of Ceramic Coating or Ceramic Wax, it was also to be expected. - Should you choose to go for it after reading the review - Get your Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Wax on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/3sv9Bki

Mothers! We remember the day we were introduced to this company by a friend. They came to us and asked us why we weren't using Mothers Mag & Aluminum Polish. We weren't sure what to think of it back then, but we went ahead and bought the product, we tried it, and it blew our minds. It was the best cutting compound we have tried up to that point, and we are still using it today - headlights, car paint, you name it! It does the job, and it does it brilliantly. If you want to learn how to restore headlights and protect them, check the link. Now you might be asking yourself - why this introduction? What does all that have to do with Ceramic Coating? Well, the reason we told you this story is that, for starters, it is true. And secondly, this shows that the product we're reviewing today - Mothers CMX Ceramic Spray Coating - has the potential to show great promise, but... Most Auto Detailing Companies out there come out with an amazing product that serves a specific purpose. They build up their company size and their reputation through that amazing product, and then, naturally - they start pushing out all kinds of automotive products. And that is how you get some very, very bad products out there. If you're a potato farmer. You've been farming potatoes for 20 years. You know EVERYTHING there is about potatoes. Great! Now you have decided to expand, and you think to yourself: "Hmmm... I've been growing potatoes all this time. I could grow corn. How hard could that be? It's all farming, after all!" And you're probably thinking: "Mark, why the heck are you rambling about potatoes?!" Well... that's the whole issue here. Just because you are an expert in one part of a field doesn't mean you're also an expert in the whole field. And if you suddenly decide to expand your prowess to the whole field - you're doomed to perform poorly. It might seem like a natural thing to do - to expand your business into the whole industry. But we probably will not have enough knowledge to produce the same quality in all those other products with drastically varied purposes. We think you might be guessing where we are going with this - we love Mothers for the reason we have stated above, but will we love them for their CMX Ceramic Spray Coating? Only testing and time will tell! Just to clarify - we are not sponsored by MOTHERS or any other manufacturer of Paint Protection products, and we will test and review the product as it is in real-world conditions. We will follow the manufacturer's instructions during the application process and we will prepare the surface to ensure the best finish and best adhesion possible. We are leaving an affiliate link to all our review products but in case the product turns out to be of low quality or not as all as advertised, we leave a warning to all our readers, and the quality of the product will always be reflected in the grade we assign to it at the end of every review. So if you do not want to sit through all of this text, you can scroll down to the Average Grade and read our Final Thoughts to get a general idea of what the product is all about. Ok, guys, let's jump into it and take a look at what we are reviewing today. Mothers CMX Ceramic Spray Coating - Should you choose to go for it after reading the review - Get your Mothers CMX Ceramic Spray Coating on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/31rdxGQ What does this product promise: SiO2 + TiO2 nano-quartz technology deep glass-like finish ultra-durable super hydrophobic easy application Let us go through all of them and see what all of this actually means. SiO2 ( Silicon Dioxide ) is basically silica, the main component in glass, what it is made of, and the primary thing Ceramic Coatings are based upon. So we are off to a good start. TiO2 ( Titanium Dioxide ) - what is this doing in a Paint Protection product? Well, if you want our opinion, we just think it is a nice marketing tool to sell more products when in reality, it is just Ceramic Coating based on SiO2, as all of them are. We have worked with a number of Ceramic Coatings and Polymer Sealants that claim to have TiO2 in them and that this gives them an edge in one way or another, but when we tested said products, we couldn't see those claims come to fruition. In our opinion, TiO2 is or was, the same thing as Graphene Coating is right now. They are all just Ceramic Coatings with fancy or cool names to sell more easily. Our claim is if you take a Graphene Ceramic Coating and remove all the Graphene from it, you would still have a product that performs just the same when used as a Paint Protection agent. If you want to learn more about Graphene Coatings, and a full in-depth review on that subject, you can click above. The same story applies, in our opinion, to TiO2 Coatings. Deep Glass-like finishes - we can test that easily. Ultra-durable, we can easily test that one as well. Super Hydrophobic - same story. And finally, they claim that it is very easy to apply. Our experience with Spray-on Ceramic Coatings usually confirms that last claim, so we would be surprised to see anything different here. Let us see how Mothers CMX Ceramic Spray Coating performed! What we first did, was wash the car and prepare the surface of the car for paint protection. There is no need to go to such lengths, but we want to make it as fair as possible and see how this product performs when applied under perfect conditions. If you want to learn how you can prepare the surface of your car for paint protection, you can click here. After we had prepared the car for Mothers CMX Ceramic Coating Spray, it was time to torture test it and see the results. How will we test the product? In short - for the next two weeks, we will leave the coated car outside for the elements to do their job. We will drive the car every day for the next 14 days hard, on dirt roads as well, to simulate months or years of regular driving. At the end of each day, we will wash the car using cheap car shampoo. Cheap car shampoos are usually not pH friendly, and the alkaline or acidic base it uses damages paint protection. We will also use stronger chemicals when washing and we will pick a spot of the care that will be scrubbed with an abrasive sponge to simulate scratching and test the toughness of the Ceramic Coating. If you would like to learn the full testing and reviewing process we go through with each and every product, you can check the link. Test results? The application was very simple. The bottle was shaken well before use. We sprayed the product on a designated working region ( 2 - 3 sprays are all you need for a reasonably sized area ). The solution was worked into the surface with a microfiber applicator using a crosshatch pattern to ensure full coverage. And since no curing or flashing time is needed, we have buffed the excess coating to a glossy finish. We found that this coating needs to be buffed very well because we had a bit of a hard time-fighting streakiness. After the first wash using regular car shampoo, the product showed good hydrophobicity. It was definitely beading much more than it was sheeting. That is certainly good, but you need to ensure to remove all those tiny droplets via drying or touchless methods such as using an air compressor, leafblower, or simply driving the car. On the second day, we also used an iron remover chemical and after we had rinsed the cleaning product off, Mothers CMX Ceramic Spray Coating lost almost all of its hydrophobic properties. After the third day and third wash using regular car shampoo and a degreaser, it was gone entirely. For further testing, we reapplied Mothers Ceramic Spray to the hood of the car so we have a certain indicator for how it will perform in other categories and went through with the rest of the two-week period, but this time using only regular car shampoo. How did we grade this product: product life time when applied: D resistance to elements: D resistance to damage: E resistance to chemicals: E application difficulty: A hydrophobic properties: C gloss / shine: D Average grade: D Cost: 0.58$ / 1 fl oz 0.02$ / 1 ml Our final thoughts on Mothers CMX Ceramic Spray Coating There is a reason we wrote our experience with Mothers at the start of this post and our view of how most companies in the Automotive Detailing Industry work when it comes to introducing new products. We already had this product tested, obviously, at the time this post was being written, but we also had a hunch before we started the test. Unfortunately, this one turned out to be true. Is this a Ceramic Coating Spray? It could be! We aren't scientists or chemists, so we cannot test it. But in our opinion it performed more like a Car Wax or Paint Sealant would when introduced to these chemicals. If you were to use a pH-neutral car shampoo and avoid using those automatic car washing stations, then it would be a solid paint protection agent. It might even outperform a Polymer Sealant in other rated categories. Is it really cheap compared to how much quantity you get? Yes, of course. Would we recommend it? Well, no. We simply couldn't say 'yes, it is an amazing product' and stand behind those words with our reputation at stake. - Should you choose to go for it after reading the review - Get your Mothers CMX Ceramic Spray Coating on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/31rdxGQ

So, you have decided to get into Ceramic Coatings, and the next thing you want to do is to learn a bit about them, to perhaps find the best ceramic coating for cars that you can get. But none of the people you know and trust work in the Car Detailing industry. And naturally, the next best thing is to look for an answer online. You went online to check which Ceramic Coating to use and were ambushed by tons of products that promise hills and valleys, and all claim to be 'The best Ceramic Coating on the market'. And you are overwhelmed and, frankly, a little confused. Well, who can blame you? You will see numerous lists like 'Top best Ceramic Coatings', 'Best Ceramic Coatings', 'Top Ceramic Coatings 2024', and all those crazy titles. But who to trust? Can you even trust what we are writing here? Again, who can blame you? No one. A little about us We are in the automotive exterior detailing business, and we focus mainly on paint protection for cars - namely Ceramic Coatings. We've been working in the detailing for about 18+ years now, and we have seen and used it all. Some to great success, some not so much. We find that it is always best to test a product before applying any judgment to it. Prejudice and brand likeness or dislike can be powerful things and it sometimes clouds our view of how things are. That is why it is very important to do those tests properly and as scientifically as the situation allows. It is important to us because we want to leave a good impression on our customers and we want to build up our reputation in a good way. To do that, when it comes to Ceramic Coatings, we need to be 100% sure what a specific Ceramic Coating does and how it does it. You can click here if you would like to know how we test, review and grade Ceramic Coating products. Today we will make a list of the five Ceramic Coatings we have worked with and did a review on. We have ranked them based on our own experience and opinion of those listed products. Since we aren't sponsored by anyone, we are free to rate those products as they really are and based on how they perform in the real world - good or bad. Some of these we have made a review on because they were interesting, different in some way, or simply it was marketed as the best, and we just had to know. We have sorted all the Ceramic Coatings we have done a review on into one nice Top List so you can see for yourself what is what quickly. So, let us see what this top 5 list looks like. Top 5 Best Ceramic Coatings ranked by Ceramic Coat Expert: 1. CarPro CQuartz UK 3.0 Kit with Reload We have been using this product for a very long time now, and we know its ins and outs. We use this specific product for our customers because we want to give them the best product that we can stand behind. And currently, that is CarPro CQuartz UK 3.0. CarPro, you might have heard about them if you are into Ceramic Coatings already! We aren't sponsored by them to say this, but still, we have decided to use this product because when compared to other contenders, this one just simply performed better in a way that works for us. Some of these products might excel in certain categories compared to CarPro but this one is just an all-around winner, we feel. This Ceramic Coating also promotes its 9H hardness level. How we have graded this product: product lifetime when applied: A resistance to elements: A resistance to damage: B resistance to chemicals: A application difficulty: C hydrophobic properties: A gloss / shine: B Average grade: B Cost: 47.33$ / 1 fl oz 1.60$ / 1 ml Taking into account how much this product costs compared to what it offers, we simply had to put it in the first place. It was a no-brainer, really. If we find a product that surpasses this one, we will surely update this list to keep you informed with fresh data. If you would like to see our full review of CarPro CQuartz UK 3.0 Kit with Reload, then click here. If you wish to buy CarPro CQuartz UK 3.0 Kit with Reload - click here! 2. Gtechniq Crystal Serum Light Ceramic Coating GTechniq CSL is definitely where it should be, according to our opinion. It not being the top product doesn't mean it is not amazing, because it surely is. It was a tight battle for the top with this one. There are a couple of things that separate it from being at the top, and those are - gloss, price, and utility. It is just a bit more expensive than our number one while it provides you with the Ceramic Coating only, whereas with CQuartz UK 3.0, you get much much more for your money. Other than that, placing those two products next to each other, you would hardly notice a difference. An overall amazing product nonetheless! How we have graded this product: product life time when applied: A resistance to elements: A resistance to damage: B resistance to chemicals: A application difficulty: C hydrophobic properties: A gloss / shine: C Average grade: B Cost: 65.06$ / 1 fl oz 2.20$ / 1 ml The price tag on this puppy isn't the highest there is, and it surely thanks you for every penny spent on it with its amazing performance. If it weren't for a few hiccups, this product could have easily made 1st place. If you would like to see our full review of Gtechniq Crystal Serum Light Ceramic Coating, then click here. If you wish to buy Gtechniq Crystal Serum Light Ceramic Coating - click here! 3. Drexler Ceramic Coating Kit 30ml + 50ml Drexler Ceramic Coating Kit 30ml + 50ml can be an amazing product if you go for the 2 base layers and 1 top coat layer strategy, but it can also limit the usage of the coating. If you have a large vehicle, then you just might have to rely on only 1 base coating because of the limited amount you get. It can be tricky if you are a novice when it comes to Ceramic Coatings in general. Drexler provides its customers with everything they need to do the job right. It is great value for a solid price. We were very impressed by its resistance to chemicals, making it one of the most resistant and durable Ceramic Coatings we have tested so far. How we have graded this product: product lifetime when applied: B resistance to elements: B resistance to damage: B resistance to chemicals: A application difficulty: D hydrophobic properties: B gloss / shine: B Average grade: B Cost: 66.96$ / 1 fl oz 2.26$ / 1 ml The only obvious downside to this coating is its requirement to apply a base coating followed by a top coating. That can cause complications as it prolongs the application process by a lot compared to some other products. If you aren't organized, prepared, and quick, you might get in trouble with crystalized coating solution on the applicators or buffing microfiber towels. We recommend this product for advanced or expert users. If you are one, this product will do you just fine, and you will be very pleased with the results! If you would like to see our full review of the Drexler Ceramic Coating Kit 30ml + 50ml, then click here. If you wish to buy Drexler Ceramic Coating Kit 30ml + 50ml - click here! 4. GYEON quartz MOHS Ceramic Coating When using quality Ceramic Coating on your car, you want above all else, for the coating to last a long time. With all the preparation work that goes before you apply the coating on your car, you really want to make sure that the product lasts for as long as possible. Now that time is extendable with proper maintenance, but you do not want to really on that. That should be an extra bonus, not the base stat. GYEON quartz MOHS Ceramic Coating is good or at least very decent across all the categories except the lifetime of the coating itself. That is the only reason it ranked so low compared to its competitors. How we have graded this product: product life time when applied: C resistance to elements: B resistance to damage: B resistance to chemicals: B application difficulty: D hydrophobic properties: A gloss / shine: A Average grade: B Cost: 45.98$ / 1 fl oz 2.59$ / 1 ml What separates this product from others is also its price point. And it is by no means cheap, but at least GYEON provides you with Q2M Cure as a way to refresh or regenerate the Ceramic Coating after each wash. This way, they have managed to fix its biggest flaw, making it an overall good Ceramic Coating if you cannot get your hands on any of the above. If you would like to see our full review of GYEON quartz MOHS Ceramic Coating, then click here. If you wish to buy GYEON quartz MOHS Ceramic Coating - click here! 5. Weiruixin 10H Ceramic Coating 3.0 Last place... Weiruixin 10H Ceramic Coating 3.0 catches your eye very easily with its low price tag and the 50ml bottle as opposed to the usual 30ml that you usually get with other Ceramic Coating products. It also promotes 10H toughness as opposed to the 9H that you get with other coatings. Well, what could go wrong here? Turns out a lot. It just didn't deliver what it promised. The overall lifetime of the product isn't satisfactory, and it easily erodes on a small number of washes. The toughness rating isn't 10H; well, we found it less tough than 9H even. That one isn't a huge deal when it comes to Ceramic Coatings, but the false advertising just makes you question everything about it. How we have graded this product: product life time when applied: C resistance to elements: C resistance to damage: D resistance to chemicals: C application difficulty: C hydrophobic properties: C gloss / shine: B Average grade: C Cost: 14.79$ / 1 fl oz 0.50$ / 1 ml The price point really explains what this product is. It could be more, it could be better, but it simply isn't. What we find this product to be good at is when it's being used as a training or entry-level Ceramic Coating for absolute beginners. That way, you are able to learn the coating paint protection process and work on your technique while not spending a hefty amount of money. If you would like to see our full review of Weiruixin 10H Ceramic Coating 3.0, then click here. If you wish to buy Weiruixin 10H Ceramic Coating 3.0 - click here! FAQ Which type of ceramic coating is best? The best type of ceramic coating depends on your specific needs, but products like CarPro CQuartz UK 3.0 are highly regarded for their balance of durability, protection, and ease of application. Which company is best for ceramic coating? Companies like CarPro and Gtechniq are among the best for ceramic coatings, offering top-quality products such as CQuartz UK 3.0 and Crystal Serum Light, known for their performance and reliability. What is the longest lasting spray ceramic coating? While specific product longevity may vary, traditional ceramic coatings generally last longer than spray versions. However, products like CarPro CQuartz UK 3.0 Kit with Reload offer long-lasting protection, typically more durable than most spray coatings. What ceramic coating lasts 5 years? Ceramic coatings like Gtechniq Crystal Serum Light are formulated to offer long-lasting protection, with potential durability up to 5 years when properly maintained and applied, making it one of the longest-lasting options available. What are our final thoughts on the best ceramic coating for cars? Well, there you have it. All our reviewed Ceramic Coatings are in one place for you to see. We felt that this list was needed, so our readers do not have to go through each and every review to see where a certain product stands compared to the rest. You always have the option to read a full review should you want to anyway. UPDATE: We've worked on a number of articles after we tested a couple of new ceramic coating products! The latest is CarPro CQUARTZ Lite, Nano Bond Ceramic Coating PRO, Adam's Advanced Graphene Coating, and there are more coming soon! We are looking to make a top 10 or a top 15 list in the future. Since we have worked with many more other brands, perhaps more popular ones even and we have a fairly good amount of experience with those as well. It would be neat to see a big list of coatings so you can see what the market looks like when it comes to Ceramic Coatings, you educate yourself and you even have a bit of fun reading all of it! Cheers!

Today we are looking at the Drexler company. We saw an advertisement circling around on social media and read a bunch of good reviews about this specific product, so we decided to buy it and test it out ourselves! Just to clarify - we are not sponsored by Drexler or any other manufacturer of Paint Protection products, and we will test and review the product as it is in real-world conditions. We will follow the manufacturer's instructions during the application process, and we will prepare the surface to ensure the best finish and best adhesion possible. We are leaving an affiliate link to all our review products but in case the product turns out to be of low quality or not as all as advertised, we leave a warning to all our readers, and the quality of the product will always be reflected in the grade we assign to it at the end of every review. So if you do not want to sit through all of this text, you can scroll down to the Average Grade and read our Final Thoughts to get a general idea of what the product is all about. Drexler Ceramic Coating Kit Get your Drexler Ceramic Coating Kit on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/30TGsDk Ok, so what are we getting with this product kit? professional ceramic coating kit with unique two-coat formula crazy good shine last 3 - 5 years depending on if 1 or 2 layers easy application self-cleaning effect 9H hardness extreme heat resistance weather, UV, and chemical resistance So, what does all this mean, and most importantly - is it true? Well, let us find out. We will prepare the car for the Ceramic Coating application. Then we will apply the product onto the car as per the manufacturer's instructions and then we will do a torture test on it to see how Drexler Ceramic Coating will perform under some sped-up real-life conditions. Check the following article if you're looking to find out how to clean your car properly and want to learn everything there is to know about preparing your car's paint for Ceramic Coating or any other form of paint protection. Let's go! So what do you get in this 30ml + 50ml kit? What does that mean exactly? We have to say that this is among the nicer box sets we have seen so far among its competitors, and it does give the whole experience up to a kind of professional atmosphere level. That is both very nice and more perhaps more intimidating for the average consumer. Because you would have this feeling that this is much more serious and much harder than it actually is and you will feel more pressure to not make a mistake because of it. It is both good and bad at the same time. But our opinion is to better pack products like this because it does give the brand more authenticity. What do you get? Drexler Ceramic Coating Base Coat 30ml Drexler Ceramic Coating Top Coat 50ml ( spray ) applicator block 2 suede applicator towels microfiber towel ( for buffing ) Since the surface of the car is now ready to be Ceramic Coated, we will proceed as per the manufacturer's instructions. We will coat the entire car. We will also separate the hood of the car in half using masking tape and have one side coated twice to see if there is a visible difference during and after the test. Drexler Ceramic Coating instructs its users to apply 1 base coat and 1 top coat on it to get a 3-year lifespan of the coating. If we wish to extend this to 5 years, we are told to apply 2 base coats and then 1 topcoat instead. The obvious thing we noticed when preparing for the application process is the applicator block. Its length is longer than the applicator suede towel's length, and you will end up getting a squeaky sound when applying the product. It is also a question of whether there is more than just squeaking and whether the naked block might be interfering with the final quality of the finish when applied this way. If you want to avoid that, we suggest using a standard microfiber applicator or simply cutting the applicator block to the proper length and then doing the procedure. We aren't sure if that is intentional or not, but it is the first time we have seen something like this. Ok, once you are ready to start, if you are a beginner, we suggest you check our article about the Ceramic Coating application process. Otherwise, take the block, and wrap the suede towel around it. Take the 30ml base coat bottle and get a few drops onto the application towel at its full length to ensure maximum coverage when working. Pick a panel to start working with and start applying in a crisis cross pattern, top to bottom in a straight line, the whole panel, then from left to right, again covering the full panel. You can then move to the next panel doing the same thing, or you can wait for the Ceramic Coating to reach its flashing point, at which point you will use the microfiber towel you've got with the kit ( or any other microfiber towel ) to wipe off the excess coating and level it by buffing it to a glossy, slick finish. If you want to apply two base coats of the product before applying the topcoat, then we suggest waiting for about 30 minutes before applying the second base coat. Depending on the humidity and the temperature, the product usually flashes at around the two-minute mark on average, but you will clearly see the rainbow streaky pattern that most Ceramic Coatings leave when they are ready to be buffed. When you are wiping the panel, the surface will be slick pretty much from the get-go, unlike some coatings that are tacky and grippy at first. This one, on the other hand will get a bit tacky to the touch after it has been sitting for a bit instead of staying slick. We are instructed to wait for about 2 hours before applying the topcoat. Make sure the car doesn't get dirty or wet during the waiting period. Once the base coat has been applied and more than two hours have passed, we will apply the topcoat. Simply spray it onto the panel and wipe it off. You want to cover the whole surface, from corner to corner to make sure everything has been covered with the topcoat. It will be sticky and hazy while you are wiping. Continue to wipe until you get a clear, glass-like finish. That is it! Now all you need to do is wait for 24 hours for the coat to harden and make sure the car does not come in contact with water in that period. Drexler Ceramic Coating will cure in about 1 week, after which period we suggest you do the first wash of the vehicle, not before. For the test, we will let the car sit in the sun for the next two weeks, outside be harassed by the elements, as most cars would. For that two-week period, we will be driving the car every day through town and a bit on a dirt road as well. We will give the car a total of 10 washes using regular car shampoo that is not pH balanced because most people will be using such a shampoo. We will also wash the car using more aggressive chemicals to simulate a larger amount of washes than the car actually got. We will also be testing the hardness of the coating and its resistance to scratching using an abrasive sponge. And after two weeks... Our verdict on this product: product lifetime when applied: B resistance to elements: B resistance to damage: B resistance to chemicals: A application difficulty: D hydrophobic properties: B gloss / shine: B Average grade: B Cost: 66.96$ / 1 fl oz 2.26$ / 1 ml Our final thoughts on Drexler Ceramic Coating Kit? How did Drexler Ceramic Coating perform during the torture test? It definitely isn't among the best Ceramic Coatings we have used, but we would definitely rank it high among the top Ceramic Coatings in the business, at least of all the ones we have used and tested ourselves. It can be applied to all types of surfaces on the car except glass. Now Drexler has another Ceramic Coating product that is specifically designed to be used on a glass surface because they claim that it is prone to streaking when used on glass. The half of the hood that had 2 base coats definitely lasted longer during the testing and retained its hydrophobic properties more than the rest of the vehicle. But even after the 2 weeks of abuse, the Ceramic Coating held up very well, and it seems possible that it could go for as long as they claim. You can always make sure that the Ceramic Coating lasts to its full potential by maintaining the coating properly. We found hardly any scratches or swirl marks after a thorough inspection. The area that we used an abrasive sponge on suffered some damage. But that is to be expected. It takes a really amazing product to prevent that type of damage. Do we recommend this product? Well, considering its cost, if that price point is your top budget, we say go for it. It is a bit more advanced to apply because of the two base one topcoat method, which we definitely recommend you go for if you are using this product, but it is worth the money you invest in it. Also, the mirror-like finish was a bit diminished after the two weeks, but we believe that is because the topcoat might have been eradicated. The paintwork was still glossy, nevertheless. Get your Drexler Ceramic Coating Kit on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/30TGsDk