top of page

SEARCH RESULTS

68 items found for ""

  • Review: Weiruixin 10H Ceramic Coating 3.0

    Today on our hands, we have Weiruixin 10H Ceramic Coating!! Now this one is new to us. We have never used one of their products. It is a Chinese-based company. And the product price reflects it - it is much less expensive than the competition. Does cheap mean bad? Well, sometimes it does - let's test it first before we pronounce any judgment. We are interested in whether the product will perform as advertised since it has a toughness rating of 10H! While other Ceramic Coating products usually are at the 9H mark. Now there is not a huge difference between those ratings but it just might make the difference and would protect your paint where 9H wouldn't, and that is what's important. You always want to get the most out of the Paint Protection you are using. Just to clarify - we are not sponsored by Weiruixin 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. So let's dive in and see what this product is all about! Weiruixin 10H Ceramic Coating 3.0 - Should you choose to go for it after reading the review - Get your Weiruixin 10H Ceramic Coating 3.0 on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/2NgRNtU Ok, now, as you can see from the image above, this product already stands out from its competition in several areas. It specifies the product's tolerance levels towards chemical resistance, and it goes from highly acidic all the way to highly alkaline - pH 2 - 12. Now those are some SERIOUS numbers. We will test that before making any judgment. Heat resistance seems a bit excessive. We suppose they are talking about 760 degrees Fahrenheit. We hope. Otherwise, that is just crazy. Now the elephant in the room is the 10H hardness rating to the usual 9H rating that you get in most other Ceramic Coatings out there. Is it really stronger, or is this a marketing hoax to get more customers? Well, we will certainly find out! Durability is at a year and a half instead of in the 2-5 year range, so that might be something to be aware of. The quantity you get with the product is 50ml as per the usual 30ml bottles. And it promises a mirror-glossy finish. All these things will be tested once we apply the coating. First, we need to prepare the car's surface for Ceramic Coating application, and if you want to learn how to do that properly, check the link. Now that the surface of the car has been decontaminated of all the dirt and after we have polished the car and degreased it, and made sure it is completely dry, we are ready for application! The application process is quite simple and straightforward. You apply a dozen drops onto the small microfiber towel that is wrapped around the applicator block. Both come with the kit. You pick a section of the car to start with and work in small enough areas to ensure proper coverage and that you do not go over the flashing point of the product. Since almost all products have different flashing times, and this one didn't specify, we will just look for the haziness or rainbow colors while working. After about 60 seconds, you could see the rainbow meaning the area was ready to be buffed off. Once the excess material has been removed and the area is leveled, it loses tackiness and becomes very smooth as it should be. Once the whole vehicle has been covered with the Ceramic Coat, we will leave it for 24 hours in our garage to harden before we start using the vehicle. So 24 hours are up! How did it do? The car looks glossy but not much glossier than what it looked after it was polished. The car does look nice, though! So now, over the next 2 weeks, we will be using the car daily, driving in town, driving on a dirt road at a bit higher speeds to really pick up the dust, leaving the car parked outside in the sun every day and wash it up to a total of 10 times using a regular car shampoo that is not pH neutral. And we will also try out using stronger chemicals to see how it handles the stress. It has been a full sunny day, and the vehicle is in the garage, ready to have its first wash. Before we start we have to say that the car's paint looks very nice. The bottom parts and the back of the car have some dirt on them, as expected due to the offroading adventures the car will be going through. Now, we have our 2 buckets ready a microfiber washing mitt and diluted shampoo in the 'wash' bucket and clean water and a grit guard in the 'rinse' bucket. If you want to learn how to properly care for your car once it has been Ceramic Coated, click here. We will of course keep our washing methods in this test a bit grounded and perform it as most people would. Once the car has been washed properly with car shampoo, it is time to rinse it with the pressure washer using just water to see how Weiruixin 10H Ceramic Coating performs in the hydrophobicity department. Water beaded a lot at the surface, pushing the excess water off the surface very quickly. It sure is hydrophobic, alright. It wasn't the best we have seen, but it was satisfactory considering the price point. It didn't seem like the product lost any of its properties after the wash. During the remainder of the 2 week period, we washed the car a total of 10 times using strong products from regular car shampoo to industrial tar remover. We have also used the abrasive side of a dishwashing sponge to test the 10H toughness level that Weiruixin 10H Ceramic Coating promises. All in all, here are the results. The hydrophobic properties diminished more and more with each wash. After the ten washes, Weiruixin 10H Ceramic Coating had barely any hydrophobicity left, and water tended to stay on the surface or sheet extremely slowly. The 10H toughness rating didn't live up to its promise since some swirl marks were present at the end, and the area that had been treated with the abrasive sponge using light pressure was left with scratches. It wasn't bad, though, since it was visible under sunlight or a torch only, but still, not what you would expect from a Ceramic Coating. The 50ml of product that you get with the kit is enough, in our opinion, to easily fully coat two medium-sized vehicles. Also, the gloss levels, while they weren't that impressive from the get-go, they stayed that way pretty much throughout the whole experiment. Our verdict on 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 Our final thoughts on Weiruixin 10H Ceramic Coating? Weiruixin 10H Ceramic Coating performed more like a Spray-On version of Ceramic Coating, without the ease of application and without the massive increase in product quantity that you usually get with the sprays. Overall it wasn't awful, but if someone suggested this product t you while promising all these things, you would walk away as a disappointed customer with a flawed view of what Ceramic Coatings are. This product did perform as one. It just did a mediocre job throughout all categories. Was the product diluted, or was it a 'watered down' version of a Ceramic Coating and has such a low price point because of that - We don't know, we are not chemists, nor do we know their production process. Either way, we couldn't recommend this product to our readers knowing it would not be a product that we could stand behind. When companies use all these terms and phrases to promote their product, it just leaves a bad taste once a customer gets disappointed, leaving the customer unsatisfied, and will likely distrust other good products because of that experience. Did Weiruixin 10H Ceramic Coating do all the things it promised? Well yeah, if you want to be technical, but the ambiguity and loose, stretched terminology leave you to wonder if lawyers made those claims in the first place. That being said, Weiruixin 10H Ceramic Coating, considering its low price, is not bad for a beginner to perhaps learn to use an entry-level Ceramic Coating for the first time as practice. You aren't risking much money, and you will get the full application experience that you would normally go with other higher-end products. - Should you choose to go for it after reading the review - Get your Weiruixin 10H Ceramic Coating 3.0 on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/2NgRNtU

  • How do we Test and Review Ceramic Coating products?

    Hi there from Ceramic Coat Expert! Our mission is to, first and foremost - educate others on the topic of Ceramic Coatings. What they are, how to test them, how to review ceramic coating products, how they work, and how they compete with each other since there are so many. It can sometimes be confusing which product to pick because they all market themselves as the best, the most durable, or they claim to do something seemingly ridiculous even. But if you are new to Ceramic Coatings or Automotive Paint Protection, there is simply no realistic way for you to know what is authentic and what is a hyped-up, very well-marketed product. Also, keep in mind that most of these companies develop one amazing product that serves one specific purpose and does it extremely well. That is how they build their reputation in the Automotive Detailing Industry. And when they grow to a reasonable size based on that one product - the only logical thing is to expand with products that serve in all kinds of areas in the Interior and Exterior Detailing Industry. And, well, we cannot expect all these new products that have just flooded the market to perform as well as the gateway product that has risen them to power. It is simply logical thinking even. The customers are the ones that suffer because of that because you cannot really do your research on the specific product and get an 'honest' review that did not come from unsponsored people that have tested that product themselves. That is where we jump in - at least when it comes to Ceramic Coatings! That is why we do Reviews on products we have tested ourselves in real-world conditions, and we give you the results as we see them right there and then. The most important thing to note is that we are not and never will be sponsored by a Car Paint Protection manufacturer or company because we want to do unbiased reviews because we feel that our readers' loyalty and trust greatly outweigh the money we might get from a sponsor. And the only way to keep your trust, we believe, is by giving you the truth. So if you read something you do not like, well, at least you know it is as it is. NOTE: Also, another thing to make clear is that we keep getting angry emails from manufacturers claiming that we've botched their instructions and things like that. Now, we take those emails seriously, go through them carefully and ensure we've done everything correctly. If there was a mistake on our end, we'll own up to it. Why is this important? Well, keep in mind that some products will have very specific instructions, such as 'wipe your ass five times before shaking the bottle, and then do a backflip before buffing'. What we do in such cases, we apply the product as instructed AND we apply the product the standardized way based on decades of professional experience. And we'll report on both results (good or bad) so that the readers can make up their own minds. ANOTHER NOTE: (we had to do another one) Another common occurrence is that a specific product is really good, or really bad. And because of it, people automatically jump to the conclusion that all of the products from the specific brand are really good or really bad. Now this... this is rarely the case. And we will make sure that we make a note when such things happen. Don't judge a whole brand based on one product; instead, check multiple, and then make up your mind. We've seen some amazing ceramic coatings, while at the same time, most of the other products that the brand offers would be kinda sh*t. Usually, the product that a brand enters the market with is THE BEST (usually). And built on that foundation, more products are introduced to the market. And the rest of those products aren't necessarily as good as the primary ones. Food for thought. Let's get back to it! The second reason is that we are in the paint protection business, and we want to use the best product we can find for the money our customers are paying. It is important for us to grow and maintain our reputation, so we would like to feel safe knowing the product works as we tell it to our customers so that neither they nor we get an unpleasant surprise. Say it as it is - good or bad. No one likes surprises unless it's Christmas. Ok, so how do we review ceramic coating? The product we are currently using as our best Ceramic Coating in jobs that we offer to customers is CarPro CQuartz UK 3.0 Kit with Reload. To see our review of that product, you can click here. Now, if we find another product that performs best for our purposes and is cheaper, we'll certainly update this information and recommend that product instead. Since we know this product in and out, we have set it as a benchmark for others to beat. This way, we can give a score mark in the form of an average grade that we formulate based on different parameters, and then after we have the grade, we will take the product's price into consideration. This way, you know the quality of the product and how much you are paying for that specific level of quality. What does our grading system look like? product life time when applied: A resistance to elements: B resistance to damage: C 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 We will give the product a grade from F to A per category and an average grade for the product afterward. The overall score will give you a general idea of how the product will perform. But this way you can also always go to a specific product review and check a specific category that interests you personally. Everyone likes something specific about a Paint Protection Product that might matter the most to them. So what do each of these categories mean exactly? Product lifetime when applied Almost all Ceramic Coatings promise a lifespan anywhere from 2 years all the way up to 5. There is no point really in testing this by waiting. Because in those 5 years of waiting, technology will have evolved so much that perhaps a new product will be on the market that is far superior to the one we have tested. To go around that, we will be performing a torture test for 2 weeks where we expose the coated car to different elements to see what kind of damage and decay the Ceramic Coating suffers. This way we will get a general idea if the product is authentic and if it could theoretically hold up to what its manufacturers have promised. Resistance to elements By elements, we mainly refer to the sun that is blasting the car's paintwork with UV radiation thus damaging the clear coat heavily. That is why you see clear coats starting to flake off or headlights starting to yellow. It is UV radiation doing its job. Also, very high or very low temperatures can affect the paint surface. Wind and water can also affect the paint by carrying foreign particles and materials that might scratch or damage the paint. If you want to learn how to restore headlights and protect them, check the link. We will test this by leaving the car out in the sun during those 2 weeks and using an industrial heat gun to check how much damage a panel will suffer under those conditions after 2 weeks. Resistance to damage Ceramic Coating, when cured, is very hard. It gets a 9H hardness rating, usually, meaning it is able to withstand some damage. Now, this, we find, is sometimes being confused by the car becoming scratch-proof or even damage-proof or some similar wild claim. Those simply aren't true. Ceramic Coating provides some minor protection in the form of light to moderate scratch resistance and might even keep your paint safe from rock chips at lower travel speeds. It might not seem like a lot in terms of damage resistance, but those small things add up. And over its lifetime, the Ceramic Coating will keep your paintwork looking new and fresh if maintained properly. To test this, we will be driving the car off-road daily for 2 weeks at higher speeds, so it accumulates dirt, sand, and grime and gets scuffed up by small pebbles or stones. And when washing it, we will try using sponges with circular washing techniques to see if there will be any visible swirl marks after those 2 weeks. Read this article if you want to learn more about Ceramic Coating hardness levels and what 9H or 10H means. Resistance to chemicals Automotive Wax or Polymer Sealants can be easily dissolved even by using regular car shampoo. So anything too acidic or too alkaline will damage the car's paint, as well as the thing protecting the car's paint. Now unlike Carnauba Waxes or Polymer Sealants - Ceramic Coating will actually hold its own against such chemicals to a certain degree. Depending on the Ceramic Coating, each differs since not all are created the same. That can be a few car washes to hundreds. You cannot know until you try. That is why we will test this not only by washing the car with cheap car shampoos that are not kind to your car's paint but also with much stronger chemicals that you shouldn't really be using on your paint at all. Just to replicate 2-5 years' worth of washings. Application difficulty When applying Ceramic Coating to your car in a DIY fashion, the whole process might come off as a little bit intimidating if you have very little to no experience in that field. And some coatings, based on their chemical composition and their application instructions, might prove to be more difficult and less forgiving when working with. To test this, we will simply follow the instructions for the Ceramic Coating that is being reviewed at the time and see for ourselves how difficult the process is compared to our benchmark. If it is easier to apply, it will get a favorable grade, and if it is more difficult, it will get less. The same rules apply if the whole application process is similar to the benchmarked product. Note that regular Ceramic Coatings do not have the same application process as the new Spray-On Ceramic Coatings as these products tend t be much more easily applied, but since those are usually more of a polymer sealant in spray form with some ceramic coating elements, they suffer in other areas. So while these spray-on products might get a high grade in the application process, they usually do worse than their regular Ceramic Coating counterparts in almost all of the other categories. Hydrophobic properties Almost all Ceramic Coatings have strong to extreme hydrophobic properties meaning water is repelled from the coated surface due to the lack of attraction. This usually happens in two ways - beading and sheeting. Water beading means that all the water that didn't manage to escape from the surface leaves beads of water too small that gravity alone can pull it down from the car, but it instead needs some external force such as wind, or they have to be dried down. The simplest way is to drive the car, and you will usually successfully get rid of most, if not all, water beads. The other way is water sheeting. That means that because of the very high surface slickness, the slip angle has been highly reduced, preventing water beads from forming. Instead, the water is pulled along the other water molecules that are leaving the surface. And even if a water bead would form, gravity has a much easier time under those circumstances, meaning that water sheeting usually leaves a completely dry surface. To test this, we will wash and clean the car first before performing the test, after which we will use a pressure washer with an extension that allows us to simulate rain-like coverage as well. We will then determine how hydrophobic the surface is and how dry it is after the majority of water escapes the coated surface. The drier the surface, the higher the grade. Gloss / Shine While Car Waxes are known for how they enhance the color of your car into a deep glossy finish, technology has come a long way since, and Ceramic Coatings that we use today can leave fine glossy paintwork when applied and buffed. Among the many Ceramic Coatings available on the market, you will find different results regarding how shiny the car becomes after being coated. To test this, we will simply detail, paint correctly and polish the car before it has been coated to ensure maximum adhesion and a smooth finish underneath the coating. This way, we will be able to see if there is a massive difference or no difference at all once the car has been coated. Average grade Using this value, anyone can quickly see how well the product has performed overall when tested and how it ranks among its competition. If you find two or more products with the same grade, you can go into detail to see in which area each has performed best and see what their weaknesses are as well. Cost in USD per fluid ounce ( and $ / 1 ml ) This way, once you have a product and you know how it performs in real-world conditions, you will be able to see how much bang for your buck you are getting depending on how much you will need to spend for the product to receive its effects. Also, the product price may change over time due to a number of reasons or can vary depending on the location you are ordering from. This is why we do not grade this category. However, every other category gets a grade because regardless of the price you pay for the product, it will always perform the same. This way, you can simply check what the best product is based on its price point or what the best product is based on its performance and then determine how much it costs compared to similarly ranked coatings. You can find that information in our Top Lists easily. You might be wondering why the costs per 1 milliliter. The reason for this is that usually, regular Ceramic Coatings come in 30ml bottle packaging, but it may vary depending on the company and its location. Also, Ceramic Spray Coatings usually come in bigger packaging. Cheers!

  • Review: Gtechniq Ceramic Coating (Crystal Serum Light)

    Today we are giving Gtechniq Crystal Serum Light a go, and we are excited to see how it will perform on all the testing we usually do. Stay tuned to see how we go about the application process for the Gtechniq Ceramic Coating. We will look at how this product performs. We'll give it a grade and discuss our overall thoughts on this product compared to its competition. Just to clarify - we are not sponsored by Gtechniq 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. Still, 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. Gtechniq Crystal Serum Light Get your Gtechniq Crystal Serum Light on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/3bBaP7L Ok, so let's see what this Ceramic Coating is all about: best swirl mark resistance best chemical resistance extreme levels of gloss considered the thickest, most durable ceramic coating lasts up to 5 years We have seen similar claims on other Ceramic Coating products before, so nothing too crazy. But it does claim to be the thickest and most durable Ceramic Coating in the industry, and you would be able to remove it only using 1500-grit sandpaper or something more aggressive. We can test that with our standard scratch test. The 5 years test is realistic since we know that some Ceramic Coatings, with proper maintenance and care, can surely achieve such longevity. The first thing to do before applying any type of paint protection is to wash the car properly and prepare the surface so that the coating has the best chance to bond with the clearcoat and ensure the best results. To learn how to prepare the paint of your car for ceramic coating, click the link. Once the car is ready to be Ceramic Coated, we will read the instructions that came with the product to familiarize us with the details. While most Ceramic Coatings will have a similar application process, it is imperative to read the instructions and inform yourself before using the product because even the slightest deviation might result in unfavorable results. Gtechniq Crystal Serum Light Ceramic Coating application process When Ceramic Coating your care, you need to be aware of where you are performing the procedure, what the temperature is, and if you are doing it in a garage or outside. Always ensure you are not using the product in direct sunlight, no matter what the manufacturer claims the product can or cannot do. The reason for that is that in direct sunlight, you will have a much higher car surface temperature, and the Ceramic Coatings flashing point will be reached more quickly. Also, the curing procedure might not be finished correctly due to UV radiation. If you are coating your car outside, then we recommend you do it in the shade. Again, if under a tree, also keep in mind that you do not want foreign objects to fall onto the paint or coating before it has hardened after the initial 24 hours after it has been applied. Take the Gtechniq Crystal Serum Light and a microfiber applicator pad. Shake the bottle, open it, and get a few drops of the ceramic solution onto the applicator and start working on one panel, covering the whole panel using a criss-cross pattern to ensure full coverage. You want to make sure you have covered everything at this point because it can be a bother to have to reapply Ceramic Coatings after you have realized a mistake has been made. Better to do it right the first time. So we suggest applying the coating one panel at a time until the whole car has been coated. Once you coat a panel, it is advised to wait about one minute so the solution can settle on the worked area. After that, you want to buff the whole area to a glossy shine. You do not want to let the coating sit for too long because it might be increasingly difficult the more you wait. If you buff an area too late or forget to buff it, you will likely have to compound or polish the defective area, degrease it, and coat it again for safe measure instead of potentially leaving an ugly, noticeable spot on an otherwise great-looking vehicle. When finished, you want the car to look amazing because the way it will look then will be how it will likely look for the next five years, if that is indeed the lifetime of this Ceramic Coating. Once we have coated the entire car, we let it overnight inside the garage so it can have its first 24 hours to harden. Since the coating will cure for the next 1 week, we will wait until that period has passed to get real-world results. We are eager to find us as much as you are! Ok, so after a week, we are ready to start doing some testing. So for the next 2 weeks, we will drive the vehicle daily with a bit of dirt driving every day to get those stone chips, dust, and dirt going. At the time of testing, it was sunny but pretty cold outside, without rain. So we will simulate rain droplets with a pressure washer extension ( you can also use a water hose extension as well ). We will wash the car at the end of almost every day up to a maximum of 10 washes using regular, non-pH-neutral car shampoo. So the common shampoo anyone is probably using at home or in those self-service car washes since they usually go by what is the cheapest and most effective way. So sometimes you will have them use even hydrofluoric acid as one of the ingredients. Effective but dangerous and damaging for both you and your car. Especially the Ceramic Coating, since that is the only layer of sacrificial protection that is keeping your car's paint from starting to decay. How did Gtechniq CSL Ceramic Coating perform? Before the first wash, you could clearly see that the coating was handling the dirt really well. There was barely any there. We washed the car first and rinsed the shampoo with water using the pressure washer. Then we dried it to get the best results. We simulated rain using an extension on the water hose that gave multiple modes of water distribution and were pleased to see the water sheeting really well and fast and leaving an almost dry surface with only very few water beads here and there. We blew those away with a leafblower and only after a couple of minutes had the car in the same condition as it was after it was initially coated. Really impressive! We inspected the coating further using a flashlight to check for those hard-to-see swirl marks, especially in the bottom parts of the car where most of the dirt and grime would hit the paint. The surface was scratch-free and slick, as expected. We then performed a scratch test using the abrasive part of a dishwashing sponge and light pressure. We've rinsed the area with water, dried it, inspected it under a flashlight, and - surprisingly, it seemed intact. Very good results so far! Here you can check out our comprehensive how-to guide on how we at CCE test ceramic coating products! After 2 weeks of driving, washing, and checking, we found Gtechniq Crystal Serum Light Ceramic Coating didn't lose any effectiveness after those ten washes with a bit rougher car shampoo, if you may. It was still sheeting almost at the same rate regarding speed and effectiveness and leaving only a very small amount of water beads on the surface, definitely indicating that it hasn't lost almost any of its hydrophobic properties and, most importantly, slickness. The slickness is very important, so it doesn't leave the full vehicle covered in water beads because if those are not removed soon after contact and are left to evaporate on the car's paint, they will leave all those minerals that the water droplets contained, embedded into the coating or worse. Our verdict on 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 Our final thoughts on Gtechniq Ceramic Coating? Gtechniq Crystal Serum Light Ceramic Coating has certainly proven itself as a very good Ceramic Coating product and bumped up Gtechniq as a company in our eyes. Among so many new products coming from all over the globe, it is certainly challenging to know which product you can trust because all of them are promoting themselves as the best, the most durable, the product with the best longevity, etc. Well, Gtechniq Crystal Serum Light has held up really well in this industry, thanks to its own marketing. But their production of a great product has also been super helpful! We wouldn't say it has an extreme effect on the paint - enhancing, deepening, or gloss specifically. But it did have a visible effect which, most importantly, held for the duration of the torture test. Also, we didn't find it the most durable or hardest Ceramic Coating among those we have used so far, but it is up there with the best. Unlike most Ceramic Coatings, even those with amazing hydrophobic properties, this one has amazing sheeting properties when getting rid of water. That is an amazing property to have on your paint protection because if you are not there to get rid of all the water beads, it will certainly help keep your car water spot-free, and that is a very good feature to have, and one that you will not find in many high-end Ceramic Coatings. Certainly, a recommendation and Gtechniq Crystal Serum Light Ceramic Coating handles itself really well among the top brands on the market. Get your Gtechniq Crystal Serum Light, on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/3bBaP7L

  • How to maintain Ceramic Coating?

    You have finally coated your car with Ceramic Coating. It looks shiny, it looks perfect, and it is protected for the next 2-5 years, depending on what ceramic coating product you have used. Everything is nice, and everyone is happy. Great! But what now? How to maintain Ceramic Coating? Do you have to wash your car ever again? Is your car now bulletproof? Will it be able to travel through time? All these important questions, and more, will be answered in this article! How to maintain Ceramic Coating? To maintain ceramic coating, wash your vehicle with a pH-neutral car shampoo, use a soft wash mitt, dry it carefully, and avoid harsh chemicals or abrasive cleaners. Regular inspection is recommended. The purpose of Ceramic Coating is to prolong the life of your car's paintwork and the life and quality of the materials coated since some Ceramic Coatings are designed to be applied to any surface or material on a car. Ceramic Coatings will create a hard, slick, hydrophobic surface that will help you deal with everyday problems that your car will suffer from - water, water spots, dirt accumulation, light scratches, and swirl marks, protect the paint once it has been polished to perfection and to preserve it as it was at that point for the lifetime of the coating of your choosing. The main focus is on the word 'help', meaning you still will have to wash your car occasionally, even though it will get dirty much less and much harder while being much easier to wash. But if you do not wash it, grime and dirt, or even acid in tree pollen or bird droppings or squashed bugs, will eventually eat through the coating if left on the paint untreated. So it is very important to wash your car at regular intervals. We suggest once every 2 weeks or at least once per month. If it is winter and you live in an area with lots of snow, you can expect lots of salt on the road. And that salt, while driving, will find its way to stick to the body and paint of the vehicle. During those times, we recommend you wash the car as often as possible since salt is much more acidic than the hazards mentioned above. The most important thing to consider from the get-go is that you shouldn't wash the car for the first week until the coating has fully cured. The best even is to leave it in the garage if there might be rain. Learn more about ceramic coating curing times here. Also, it is important to not go for any heavy driving or highway driving, perhaps. The reason for that is that all the properties the Ceramic Coating gives in the form of protection are not fully utilized until the coating has cured. The cure time for Ceramic Coatings varies from product to product, but they all usually revolve around the 1-week mark. It is safe to drive the vehicle after the initial 24 hours from when the coating has been applied, but it is important to keep in mind the above. Once the curing process has been completed successfully, you are good to go. You can wash the car at regular intervals, as we've discussed earlier. Now the questions you might be asking yourself could be, 'Should I have my Ceramic Coated car washed only by a professional, or could I do it myself?, or 'If I am washing the Ceramic Coated car myself, what technique or products should I be using to do the wash successfully?'. Well, if you have the option and it won't hurt the bank, we suggest that you get the car washed by a professional that has a proven record. Do invest some research in all the local places where you could have your car washed. Look for reviews of other customers, perhaps call and check what type of products they are using ( you will have a better idea of what questions to ask once you have read this article in full ), or even ask friends or relatives that live in your vicinity for their experiences. It is important to know where you are leaving your car because, let's be honest - you won't know what products or techniques have been used for the washing process - so trust is key. Which products should I be using when washing a Ceramic Coated car? snow foam canon / gun pressure washer pH-neutral car shampoo microfiber towels ( have a few ) microfiber glove / mitt ( one is enough ) 2 buckets + 1 grit guard ( for the two-bucket technique ) air compressor water absorbing microfiber towels ( to collect water / dry car ) brake dust remover scratch-proof wheel brush Not everyone can afford to buy all this, or perhaps your living conditions wouldn't allow some of these products. For instance, you might be living in an apartment complex with no garage. You won't be able to utilize a pressure washer or a snow cannon or gun in that case. So, first of all, you need to see where you can wash your vehicle. And then check to see what type of products you will be able to use. When cleaning the wheels of a car, we suggest doing that before cleaning the rest of the car or after, not at the same time, because all the particles that might be stuck on the wheels might be transferred onto your washing mitt via the bucket or by accident resulting in possible scratching. You can check this article if you are debating whether to install a ceramic coating on the wheels of your car. If you are using a microfiber mitten glove on rims as well, we suggest you have 2, ideally in different colors, so you know which one to use for which job. If you aren't able to get the full cavalry of tools and products to clean your car for whatever reason, then we suggest getting this at least: 2 buckets ( +1 grit guard ) microfiber washing glove 3-5 microfiber towels 1 water-absorbing microfiber heavy towel pH-neutral automotive shampoo scratch-proof wheel brush ( for the wheels ) These shouldn't cost you much, and they will get the job done. Perhaps a little bit slower and perhaps a little bit less effective, but they'll get the job done nonetheless. What is the Two-Bucket Washing technique? One of the best ways to clean your car safely and properly while not spending much on it. The idea is to fill two buckets with water and put a grit guard in one of them. Inside the other, you want some pH-neutral car shampoo. As you wash your vehicle with the microfiber glove, you want to regularly rinse it off to remove debris and small particles that might be stuck in the mitten using the 'rinsing bucket' and then get some fresh, clean water shampoo to continue the process. This way, you won't risk scratching the paint by having your washing mitt turn into sandpaper. It is an easy-to-master technique that any car enthusiast should have mastered under their belt. Why should I use pH-neutral Car Shampoo? While pH-neutral Automotive Shampoos will be more expensive than regular alkaline or acidic ones, they will help break up all the grit, dirt, and grease off the vehicle while not damaging the clear coat. Remember that the Clear Coat is a protective layer that sits on top of the paintwork of your car. It is still prone to decay and damage. Those more expensive Car Shampoos will not 'eat' or damage the protective layer of the car. This way, you can ensure to get the maximum duration of the clear coats' lifetime and effectiveness. Learn more about why you should use pH-Neutral Car Shampoos. Why do I need to dry the vehicle? Isn't it hydrophobic? Yes, if it is Ceramic Coated, then it most likely is hydrophobic, but that doesn't mean that water cannot touch it. It only means that water tries to escape the surface as soon as it can because there is little to no attraction between the coating and water. That only means that water beading will be introduced unless you have a high-quality Ceramic Coating that sheets more than it beads. All those water beads that are trapped on the car, if they are not removed before they evaporate, will leave all the minerals that have been trapped in the water leaving nasty water spots that can be a headache to remove. If you are using distilled water, then you won't encounter these problems, but when washing cars, you are usually working with non-distilled water. You can click here to learn how to remove water spots from your ceramic-coated car. You could also drive your car for a bit. The wind resistance and gravity will ensure the water droplets slip off the surface. Or you can use an air compressor, a leaf blower, or even a hair drier. That way, you are definitely making the best non-touch approach for maximum protection, and with an air compressor, you can actually be done quicker than with a towel if you know what you are doing. An air compressor also allows you to get the water stuck between panels, which might be more difficult to remove with other methods. Why do I have to be careful when removing dust from my car? Well, think of dust as very small rocks. So the same type of damage rocks might do to your paint, dust will as well, just on a much smaller scale. Over time though, it might add up. So the best way to remove any type of dirt is using lubrication - water and car shampoo. Final thoughts on Ceramic Coating Maintenance It is always important to keep your car clean. A Ceramic Coated car will get dirty less often and will be more easily washed as well. If you are using the correct techniques to wash your car and care for it, then the Ceramic Coating will have a much longer protection duration than it would if you did none of these things. That only means that by maintaining the appearance of your car while coated, you are saving money long-term, in which you do not have to repolish and recoat the car in the near future. If the Ceramic Coating you have used on your car comes with a 'Maintenance Solution Product', then it is recommended you use it on your vehicle after every wash. Those products are there to prologue the lifetime of the Ceramic Coating and refresh the coating to new and ensure there is no drop in its performance.

  • Review: GYEON Ceramic Coating (quartz MOHS)

    Today we are reviewing a big boy product! GYEON ceramic coating was suggested to us, and we were determined to have it tested out to see how it would compare to other Ceramic Coatings in the detailing industry. Just to clarify - we are not sponsored by Gyeon 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. Still, 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. GYEON quartz MOHS Ceramic Coating Get your GYEON quartz MOHS on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/2UJgLpy Gyeon is perhaps not as well known in the automotive detailing industry as some other brands, but it came to us recommended and is being held in high regard. We will put it to the test and see what it's all about! We were promised that this product would perform amazingly compared to other products. But naturally, we cannot review products just like that without having them tested and seeing the results with our own eyes beforehand. So let us see what this product offers: the hardest coating widely available extremely high gloss chemical protection UV protection at least 18 months 2 layers requirement easy application 'The hardest coating widely available' would be a tough one to beat. All the other claims sound very good except the duration - 18 months. That one seems low. But if it is 18 months of real-world usage, then that would be quality instead of a downside. We will test all of them. Ok, now, the first thing to do is - prepare the car's surface so that ceramic coating can be properly installed. To learn how to prepare the surface of your car for Ceramic Coating, you can click the link. Now that the car's paintwork and other areas are ready, we will read the product instructions to see what we need to do next. If you want to learn how to install ceramic coating on your car. The whole procedure from A to Z along with all the techniques we would use and tips & tricks, we suggest you follow the link to our article. How to apply GYEON Ceramic Coating properly? With the product comes an applicator block and a microfiber suede application towel that we are supposed to wrap around the applicator block. After that, you apply several drops to the length of the application towel and we are supposed to apply a thick layer in a criss-cross pattern to ensure full coverage and wipe off immediately after application. Be sure to use another clean and dry microfiber towel to buff off the solution to a glossy shine. After the 1st layer has been applied and buffed off, you are to wait 1 hour before applying the second layer using the same technique. So what you can do is check the time when you start applying the 1st layer onto the whole vehicle and then start applying the 2nd layer starting from the same spot as the 1st layer when the 1-hour mark is up. If you apply that thick layer, GYEON quartz MOHS can be a little bit tough to buff off at times. Because of that, we presume it is very important to buff the product as soon as possible and not work in extensive areas to avoid using too much elbow grease. Ok, the product has been curing in the garage for more than 24 hours, and it is ready to be tested. We will leave the car in direct sunlight for the next 2 weeks and will be using the vehicle during that time by driving it daily in town and a few miles doing some light offroading to accumulate a fair bit of dirt and dust. We will also wash the car 10 times during that period using a standard car shampoo that is not pH neutral but instead a common car shampoo that anyone would most likely use when washing their vehicle in a DIY fashion. How did GYEON MOHS Ceramic Coating perform? After the first day, the vehicle wasn't that dirty at all. And we think it might be due to the slick surface it has created once the coating has fully cured. Because in other tests, even in dry conditions, dust and or dirt seemed to stick a little bit more to the paint. That was already a good sign. We proceeded to wash the car with regular car shampoo using a microfiber wash glove and a bucket with a grit protector. We have rinsed the shampoo off the vehicle using a pressure washer. The water sheeted off more than it was, forming water beads. That is, again, very good news and would be easily explained by the slickness of the surface. It left an almost completely dry surface with a couple of beads of water standing here and there. We have also tried giving the paint a few scratches using the abrasive part on a dishwashing sponge. For the scratching experiment, we have chosen the right-hand side of the hood panel. We also focused on using circular motions when cleaning and applying light pressure since hard pressure would surely leave deeper swirl marks. There were no visible swirl marks at this point. We continued repeating the same process for the remainder of the 2 week testing period, and we saw some drop in performance even after a couple of washes, but the performance didn't decrease but slowed down the sheeting process from a few seconds to about 8-10 seconds per panel. The end result was still the same. We just had to wait longer. At the end of the 2 weeks, we started to see some swirl marks, as to be expected after so much scrubbing. But they were minor and visible only under direct light and at a slight angle. Our verdict on 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 Final thoughts on GYEON quartz MOHS Ceramic Coating? GYEON quartz MOHS Ceramic Coating is one of the most expensive products we have bought so far. But was it worth the price? Well, actually, yes. The reason, we feel, was that most Ceramic Coatings have amazing hydrophobic properties, this one included. Still, hydrophobic surfaces tend to leave water beads that aren't heavy enough for gravity to do its thing. And if there is no wind and you don't wipe the car or drive it, it might result in water spots. Well, GYEON quartz MOHS Ceramic Coating has excellent water sheeting properties that are achieved due to its very slick surface once the Ceramic Coating has hardened. We have noticed a difference in how dirty the car was before each wash, also for the same reasons as above. That alone keeps the car cleaner and makes it even easier to clean. Standard Ceramic Coatings are harder to apply than Spray-On versions, but this product took that even a step further by requiring two layers making the application process among the most tedious ones we have worked with. Also, its duration isn't advertised as long as you would get from other Ceramic Coatings, but while it did show a drop in performance during and after the testing, it still performed really well. The product visibly deepened the car's paint, enhancing it and making the car stand out a bit more than it normally would. Considering the price of the product and the lifetime you get with it, we would place it among the most expensive, if not THE most expensive, Ceramic Coatings that we have worked with. But if you have money and you are looking for guaranteed results and the qualities it showed are the ones you are looking for, we say go for it! You will pay more, but at least you know what you got for your money. Get your GYEON quartz MOHS on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/2UJgLpy

  • Review: Adams Graphene Spray Coating

    Ceramic Coat Silica Sprays are popping out from everywhere, it would seem. All the big brands manufactured at least one of these to keep up with the competition, but it would seem that Adam's also took it one step further! We are looking at Adams Graphene Spray Coating. Graphene Coating and in Spray form as well! A unicorn, it would seem. Now, is it all talk and nothing to back up those words, or does it actually work? Also, what does that UV ( ultraviolet ), in the product's description, mean exactly for Ceramic Coating? Let us find out together! Just to clarify - we are not sponsored by Adam'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. Adam’s UV Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating Get your Adam’s Graphene Spray Coating on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/30ll2Pk First of all, what is Graphene Coating? Is Graphene Coating better than Ceramic Coating? Is Graphene Coating the same as standard Ceramic coating? Whatever question might dwell in that mind of yours, we have an answer. You can learn everything you need to know about Graphene Coatings by clicking here. We made a detailed explanation of how Graphene Coatings work exactly. The short answer is - it is a Graphene infused Ceramic Coating Spray. And the graphene part does little to nothing to the overall performance of the coating itself, and in some cases, it may even hurt its quality. The reason why is explained in the blog post mentioned above. So if Graphene Coatings are a scam, does that mean this product is bad? Absolutely not. Adam's Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating might be bad, but then again, it may be the best product you have ever used. The reason for that is that this product is still Ceramic Coating. So if the Ceramic Coating part of this product is good, then it just might perform really well. We will test it! Let us see some claims and properties that this product promises: bottle size 12 Oz first legitimate spray graphene coating ceramic glow technology can be used on all surfaces easy application at least 12 months of durability made in the USA Well, we have a lot of big words here and a seemingly new technology as well hiding in there. We could speculate about what something is or how something should or might work, but to be honest - the best thing is to just test it out in real-world conditions and just simply see it for ourselves. We will follow the manufacturer's instructions for product application, as you always should. Some products might be in the same category as other products that you have used in the past but could have a completely different application method that will define how well the product will perform. So to be sure and to ensure maximum performance, we will always use a product by the book. Ok, so before we do anything, we need to prepare the car's surface. To learn what this process looks like and learn all the juicy tips and tricks click here. Once the car's surface is clean and ready to be coated, we will need a microfiber applicator or a folded-down microfiber towel if you do not have an applicator, and spray Adam’s Graphene Spray Coating onto the applicator and you are ready for application. Section the vehicle into smaller parts beforehand, so you have an easier time applying the product, and so you do not miss a spot accidentally. Apply the product onto the working area, ensuring full coverage. Apply the product only, do not buff it. You want to apply the product and let it dry, so to speak. Once the area you are working on has been fully covered, you need to let it sit for about 2 minutes until it reaches its flashing time. At that point, you will need to buff that area with a clean and dry microfiber towel. Never use the same application towel for buffing purposes. If you are unsure whether the product is ready to be buffed, then just look at it under light to see if it has gotten rainbow colors on it. That means it has reached its flashing point, and it needs to be buffed off. Note that the 2 minutes of waiting time will give you enough leverage to cover a whole panel, if not even a whole side of a car. Just keep in mind that once the 2 minutes are up that you need to stop with the application. Remember where you have finished. And start buffing the product to a nice deep shine. Only when you have finished buffing all the areas you have already covered can you continue with the application. If you are a beginner, best to take your time and work on one panel at a time (e.g., hood, door ) until you get the hang of it. Only one coat of his product is needed per instructions, but for testing purposes, we will be applying two layers on half of the hood panel to compare the difference later. We will apply the 2nd layer after about 30 minutes. Once you have coated the whole vehicle with Adam’s Graphene Spray Coating, you are required to wait for 4 hours until the coating cures and is ready to be tested. It is advisable not to use the vehicle for that duration to ensure the coating has formed a hard and click surface everywhere, and introducing water or foreign particles such as dirt or dust might damage the coating before the curing has completed. The application process was straightforward and easy to do with a little bit of planning beforehand. It was also very easy to buff off, meaning - less elbow grease was needed to complete the task successfully. That is always a big plus! Time to explain the 'UV' in this product's name! Adam’s Graphene Spray Coating contains the Glow technology that will seemingly be patented by Adam's that allows you to use UV light to make the coated areas glow. This way, you can ensure that every area is fully covered because, for inexperienced or unprepared users, it is not uncommon that parts of the vehicle get skipped or missed or even that a panel isn't fully covered (e.g., edges, corners ). It is an interesting approach to solving that problem. But is that problem big enough that you will need to invest in a UV light source, most commonly a UV lamp? Well, to be honest, we think not. It is a nice feature if you have a UV light source already. But if you don't, we suggest you just simply section the car into parts and do the car panel by panel to ensure everything has been covered as it is with other paint protection products. Nice, but unnecessary. How did Adam’s Graphene Spray Coating perform? So, after application, we left the car in the garage overnight. So it got plenty of time to cure. The car looked as when we finished buffing. IT was still under the same light in the garage, and you could tell that it looked shinier and glossier than it was before application and after preparation. IT was already off to a good start, so let us see what we had in mind to test its durability. The plan now was that for the next 2 weeks, the vehicle would be parked outside in the sun, and it will be washed about 10 times using regular car shampoo that most people would use at home or the kind that you would most commonly encounter in DIY car washes or automatic car washes. We would also drive the car every day in town and do some light offroad driving to accumulate enough dirt and dust. Rain was also promised during the week, so let us hope for that as well. If not, we will try to simulate those conditions by using tap water and letting it evaporate in the sun to see how the coating handles water spots. The first wash happened that day to see if it would affect the coating at all. Many products would start to fail already at this stage, so it is a quick and easy test to perform. We used the regular diluted car shampoo as you would in any DIY application and used microfiber mitts to agitate the coating, and used the two-bucket method to rinse and clean the microfiber gloves. We didn't want to use a foam cannon because we wanted to see how to coating would perform in real-world conditions. Then we rinsed it with a pressure washer using just water. The water beaded off very quickly, leaving the car clean yet covered with water droplets that were trapped on the surface of the car in some places due to its hydrophobic properties. We used an air compressor to blow them off the vehicle. There weren't many, so you could have done it with a hairdryer or a leafblower easily. The first test was a success. Over the next two weeks, we washed the car nine more times. On some occasions, it was dusty. And it rained once, leaving the car with dried up dusty trails allower the car. Each time we've used the same method of washing. After the 7th wash, we noticed some drop in its effectiveness but saying that, it still performed amazingly. It started sheeting water in some areas after its final wash, but after a couple of seconds, the affected area was dry again. We certainly were surprised by how well this product has performed, considering the marketing and the claims. It definitely performed very well and was among the best Spray-On Ceramic Coating Products we have used. Our verdict on 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 Final thoughts on Adams Graphene Spray Coating? This product started off with wild claims that each other product is fake, and this one isn't leading us to believe that this will be one of "those" products. Well, we were certainly surprised, as this product performed very well, considering it is a Ceramic Spray Coating. Now unless they have made amazing leaps in scientific discovery and have found a way to get a hexagonal structure of graphene atoms once the product is applied onto a vehicle, the graphene likely does nothing to the overall performance of the coating. Otherwise, you would probably start hearing about Adam's name next to Tesla or Amazon. The graphene does give the liquid its dark, blackish color, but once applied, it really is only transparent. So it is safe to be used on any color of your paintwork, even white. Some scientists say that graphene might be reducing the temperature of the surface of the vehicle. We have tested this using an infrared temperature measurement tool, and we saw no difference in temperature on this vehicle or other with the same color. But if it did, that would mean it would block more of the UV radiation that we get from sunlight delaying the decay time of the car's paint and other coated materials. That would certainly be an amazing benefit. So who knows, we might see a Graphene Coating in the future that does exactly that. To be fair to Adam’s UV Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating, this product does not promote any temperature reduction, but we had to be sure. In the meantime, if you are looking for a Ceramic or Graphene Coating that is very easy to work with and isn't ridiculously expensive, then you have found what you were looking for in this product right here! Get your Adam’s Graphene Spray Coating on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/30ll2Pk

  • Review: CERAKOTE Ceramic Trim Coat Kit - Plastic Restorer

    We are all about Ceramic Coatings, but that doesn't mean we only review products that protect the paint on your car! Today we have a product that is used to restore faded plastic trims back to a like-new condition and appearance. And not only for a couple of weeks or until the next wash, as it is with most products that are created for the same purpose. Oh no, no, no. It will last up to 200 washes or about 2 years! Bold claims, but can Cerakote Ceramic Trim Coat Kit back them? We have bought it, and we have tested it! Contents: What is Cerakote Ceramic Trim Coat Plastic Trim Restorer? How to prepare the surface for CERAKOTE Ceramic Trim Coat? How to use the CERAKOTE Coating? How did CERAKOTE Ceramic Trim Coat Kit perform in the durability test? Final thoughts on CERAKOTE Ceramic Coating? Just to clarify - we are not sponsored by Cerakote 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. Let us check CERAKOTE Ceramic Trim Coat Kit - Quick Plastic Trim Restorer out! Get your CERAKOTE Ceramic Trim Coat Kit on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/3kGPblv What is Cerakote Ceramic Trim Coat Plastic Trim Restorer? Ok, now let us see what this product is all about. It is namely created to restore the plastic trim to its original condition using a ceramic-based solution. In this packaging, you will get 10 separately packaged white wipes that are soaked in the CERAKOTE Ceramic Trim Coat. You also get a pair of disposable latex gloves. The whole idea is to put on the gloves because you do not want the solution sticking onto your fingers and use a wipe until it is used up, at which point you take another wipe and continue where you left off. There is also a Cerakote PRO packaging with 50 wipes instead of 10. Now, unless you have a detailing or paint protection shop or have like 5 cars lying around, you won't need the 50 wipes. But it is still good value nonetheless! How to prepare the surface for CERAKOTE Ceramic Trim Coat? The surface needs to be cleaned of all dirt and contaminants. After that, it needs to be cleaned of all grease or oils. They suggest dish soap which is ok if you are using CERAKOTE as a DIY project. But if you have some, or if you are a professional, we would suggest using a dedicated automotive degreaser. It does the job just a little bit better and it is less harmful to the materials on your car. The idea is to remove all grease and or oils to get a completely clean surface to ensure a good bond. The product is not compatible with grease or water. Dirt will prevent it from coating those areas fully, so it should be removed. Read our article on how to prepare the surface of a car for ceramic coating. It doesn't matter how far gone the plastic you will be coating is. Actually, the worse it currently is, the more surprised you will be in the end with the result. Hint: We have already used it, so we would know! After the surface has been thoroughly cleaned, we also recommend you clean any excess water that might be trapped in or around the panels you will be working on. If you have an air compressor, that will do wonders for you. But if not, then just make sure that you get all the water with a microfiber towel. You do not want to introduce any water or moisture to the product until it has cured, and that will be around 1 hour after application. How to use the CERAKOTE Coating? So, to summarize the instructions: clean surface degrease surface dry surface use only on plastic surfaces avoid water or moisture until cured do not work in direct sunlight the plastic surface must be cool to the touch use provided gloves use a wipe until it is used up, then take another if needed only one coat is required; two coats if the plastic is in horrible condition We have used the product in a well-ventilated garage with a regulated temperature. But if you are working outside, just keep in mind what the weather will be like in the next hour. You might want to avoid wind as well, as it might damage the coating before it has cured, leaving an ugly finish. Make sure the plastic is cool to the touch before you use CERAKOTE Ceramic Trim Coat Kit on it. That is also very important according to the manufacturer. Hint: While ceramic coatings are able to resist higher temperatures quite effectively, that refers to a coating that has fully cured on top of a surface. If you want the coating to bond with the surface and fully and properly cure, you'll have to ensure the surface is prepared and the application is made under the right conditions. This product is meant to be used on plastic surfaces only. If you touch the car's paint by accident or another type of material, then just wipe it off with a clean microfiber towel before you continue working. What you can also do is use masking tape to prevent overflow onto other panels. We are now ready to start! Put on the gloves they've provided in the kit and open one of the pouches containing the ceramic coating wipes. Pick one plastic panel to start with and start applying it in the same direction consistently to ensure the best coverage and an even streak-free finish. As you coat the plastic, it will immediately darken and get a nice shine, making it look new. Make sure you have covered all the plastic, even the hard-to-reach edges, because one coat is all you really need. So to avoid redoes or another touch-up job, we recommend doing it right on the first run. Once all the plastic has been coated with CERAKOTE Ceramic Trim Coat, you do not need to buff it off, but instead, just leave it alone as it is for the next hour so it can cure and bond to the plastic. After one hour, that's it! The plastic is supposed to remain in the condition it currently is for the next 200 washes or up to 2 years on average. We will not test the 200 washes or the 2 years, obviously. But what we can do is a series of tests to see how it would perform compared to similar products that are meant to be used as plastic trim restorers. How did CERAKOTE Ceramic Trim Coat Kit perform in the durability test? What we did was use dish soap, brake cleaner fluid, a degreaser, and regular car shampoo on the treated areas once at first, then after the run, we performed the test another time. We drove the vehicle on a dirt road to see how the rocks, dust and chips, and scratches would affect the refreshed plastic. And finally, we took the car and left it outside in the sun for a week and came back to see the results then. We gave it another go with a degreaser and regular car shampoo to get a final idea. Check out how we torture test and review car detailing products. And, oh boy, do we have some results! Even though we specialize in Ceramic Coating, plastic trim restorer products are no strangers to us. And how they usually perform, some better, some worse, is that you apply them, and after a wash or a few washes, they are gone, and the plastic is back to its dull old look. Not CERAKOTE Ceramic Trim Coat Kit! After all the above, we wrote. The plastic still looked the same as when applied. No changes whatsoever. IT didn't lose any of its hydrophobic properties or shine or that deep revitalized pigment it gave the plastic once it was used. We are extremely impressed with this product! The price point is well above other plastic trim restorers, and the quantity you get for the price is much, much less than what you would get by buying a full bottle of another product that you would pay significantly less for. But that just doesn't matter. The time and effort, and labor you will invest with other products and having the trim be completely gone in a week or two or after a good wash is simply not worth the money. With the strong chemicals we have used on it, we basically gave it 50 times worth of washes. It did not budge. Now we do not know how long it will last. But based on how it performed so far, it looks like it just might do what it had promised. On top of all that, CERAKOTE is giving a no-questions-asked refund policy to its customers if the product doesn't work as advertised (provided you have been following the product instruction when working with it). Our verdict on this product: product life time when applied: A resistance to elements: A resistance to damage: B resistance to chemicals: A application difficulty: A hydrophobic properties: A gloss / shine: A Average grade: A Cost: 19.88$ / 1 vehicle kit This is the first product we have graded with such a high score! And it is well deserved. We were dumbfounded by how well it performed. But not only because it was so good. The main reason is that all the other products that are used for the same application would not come even close to this score. This one is lightyears ahead of its competition. If you have tested or used a plastic trim restorer that has performed similarly or better, please do leave a comment with your experiences because we are very intrigued! Final thoughts on CERAKOTE Ceramic Coating? If you have faded, old, or worn-out-looking plastic, we guarantee that this product will restore the plastic panels back to their original look. No matter what plastic you use it on, of course. But we are covering cars here, so let's focus on that. As per instructions, do not use the product on other types of materials, we haven't tested it on other materials so we do not know how it would perform, but on plastic - it is the best product that we know of for that purpose. Do you need to restore the plastic trim on your car? Buy CERAKOTE Ceramic Trim Coat Kit - Quick Plastic Trim Restorer. Enjoy! Get your CERAKOTE Ceramic Trim Coat Kit on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/3kGPblv

  • Review: SHINE ARMOR Fortify Quick Coat

    Hi everyone! Today on the repertoire, we have SHINE ARMOR and their all-marketed Fortify Quick Coat! It seems to be popping out everywhere lately. Now before we dive into this, we would like to give a slight warning. We aren't sponsored by any company and buy all these products at our own expense. Meaning we can give you an unbiased, honest review of the product. This also means that we can tell you all about how Shine Armor Fortify Quick Coat performs in the real world. That is very important for you to know because some of these products will be amazing. Others, not so amazing. So be sure to read the full review of the product you are interested in, as we will break it down, so you know exactly what you will be getting when buying it. We will also, as with all our reviewed products, give it a grade based on multiple factors, so you have a general idea of how it compares to other similar products. Let us dive in! Just to clarify - we are not sponsored by SHINE ARMOR 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. SHINE ARMOR Fortify Quick Coat - Should you choose to go for it after reading the review - Get your SHINE ARMOR Fortify Quick Coat on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/3sMTn5X You have most likely heard of this product as it is heavily marketed and is a best-seller among other Ceramic Spray Coatings. If you aren't familiarized with how these Spray Ceramic Coatings that keep popping up everywhere differ from the standard Ceramic Coating that you can get, from our experience and understanding - they are weaker substitutes than their big brothers. Usually mixed with waxes or polymer sealants and applied in almost the same way as the two, we can confirm they usually perform similarly to them. Though some have surprised us, most are, as we said before, highly advertised and have a strong marketing strategy that might have perhaps stretched their abilities a bit. We do not speculate. We have bought a bottle of SHINE ARMOR Fortify Quick Coat and eagerly tested it ourselves. What does SHINE ARMOR Fortify Quick Coat promise: advanced 3 in 1 formula that provides a waterless wash, coat, and shine gentle and effective car polish cuts dirt, grime, and grease and gives a showcase look safe for all surfaces gives a clear shield of protection and a beautiful gloss best hydrophobic car spray available 8 Fl Oz of product A lot to live up to. Let us see how it performed when tested! First of all, before you use any paint protection on anything, you will need to prepare the surface first. To learn how to do it as a professional would then click here and find out. But basically, you would want to wash the car properly, clay it and do paint correction and polishing for the best final results. Now SHINE ARMOR Ceramic Coating Spray is marketed as a waterless wash product that can be used as an effective car polish - meaning it has fine abrasive materials that would polish the surface of the car. That helps bring out a better shine, and abrasives help in removing harder to get rid of dirt from the car's surface. We would never recommend using such a product for a waterless wash for two reasons - it is wasteful and could damage the paint. What do we mean by that? Well, if you would use the product only to give the whole vehicle a waterless shine, you would burn through it very quickly, and it would end up costing you much more than giving the car a proper wash before using the product for its protective purposes. We can only justify giving a waterless wash if you are in a tight spot and washing the car is not an option, and you just want to have a clean, shiny car at that time ( e. g. a wedding or a similar ceremony ). Even then, you run into the second problem - damaging the paint. While this product was designed for a waterless wash and it promotes cutting dirt, grime, and grease while giving the car a showcase look. It also has those fine abrasives in it for polishing purposes. That is all great! But let's be honest here and use logic for a second if there are hard contaminants or any harder minerals or particles in general. While it may remove them, keep in mind that you will tag all those minerals along on the microfiber towel during cleaning or application and they will act as abrasives as well - just not that fine or small abrasives. They will sooner or later create swirl marks or deeper scratching that you will have to correct. Not to mention that you will be burning not only through the product but also through microfiber towels to clean the whole car. It is highly inefficient, and while it will clean, we would never recommend you clean using this method. We have tested those claims so we wouldn't have to speculate, but actually, see it in action. It performed well where there were oils or grease, but we have seen scratch marks when cleaning rougher dirt or even dust. So we definitely recommend you NOT to use it for waterless washes for all the reasons stated above. Next, it claims it has polishing properties. Not even getting into it - if you want to polish your car, it is far less expensive to buy a dedicated polishing paste and use a microfiber cloth or an applicator to polish the desired surface. It will most likely perform better as well because it comes in different grades depending on the damage in the paint you will be working on. It claims that it cuts through dirt, grime, and grease. We have seen good results when using it for that purpose. Even though we had a few stubborn spots where we had to use some elbow grease as well as spray it a couple of times. At the end of the day, even if it works - using a degreaser for that job is, again, much, much cheaper. SHINE ARMOR Quick Coat is supposed to give your car a beautiful gloss along with a protective surface. It did enhance the car's paint but only a small bit. Probably the polishing abrasives are to thank for that, as it did make the surface more reflective by removing some swirl marks. But it really took some hard work for it to be effective. A polishing compound, in our opinion, performs much better, and you can also use those compounds with a polishing machine making the job easier and quicker. Probably also better in the end unless you are experienced. As for the protected surface, we will come back to that shortly. Now SHINE ARMOR Fortify Quick Coat claims it is the best hydrophobic car spray available. Well, we do not agree on that either. What it did, though, was make a super slick surface very quickly and easily. You literally sprayed, buffed off, and there you have it. Place the bottle on the area you just coated, and the bottle will slide right off if it has even the slightest angle. That looked promising, so we continued investigating! We used the product on the whole hood of the car, and we cleaned, clayed, and polished the surface beforehand. We shook the bottle properly, sprayed on the hood, worked the solution onto the paint, and used a clean and dry microfiber towel to buff off the product from the hood. Before you buff it, we recommend waiting until it hazes off after about 15-30 seconds when applied. While buffing, you could feel some serious resistance at first, and only after a few seconds, it became extremely slick and slippery. We were pleased. Just to see if there would be a difference, we covered half the hood with another coat. It is said that you can use water on the treated surface immediately, but we gave it 24 hours as we would with any Ceramic Coating product - spray or not. Next thing was to cover the surface with water to see how it performed. We wouldn't rank it number 1 in its hydrophobic properties, but that aside it performed really well in that area. Water was sheeting more than it was beading, even though it felt as slick as ice. But it left little to no water on the treated surface. The twice-coated part of the hood did seem to perform a little better, perhaps because that way, we ensured that 100% of the surface was covered with SHINE ARMOR Ceramic Spray Coating. The next thing to do was to wash the panel using shampoo. We have used pH-neutral car shampoo, as most professionals would, but classic car shampoo that is much more acidic because of the chemicals on it would be much more aggressive and possibly have very different results that do not go in this product's favor. Note that you will find regular car shampoos or sometimes even hydrofluoric acid in car washes, automatic or manual. If you want to protect the paint of your car or have the paint protection last - the best thing is to do it to use pH-balanced car shampoos. We used pH-neutral car shampoo for the job, used a microfiber glove to clean the surface using horizontal and then vertical motions, and worked the whole surface once. Then we rinsed the shampoo off with a pressure washer using water. The hydrophobic properties were already very weakened. Even on the double-coated part of the hood, even though that part performed visibly better. We performed the shampooing process 2 more times, 3 in total. The hood still had some weak, hydrophobic properties in some parts of the hood, while other parts performed as if they weren't coated at all. We used the product on a testing panel that lost most of its clearcoat due to UV radiation from sitting in the sun for too long. The paint was, as expected, dull and damaged with no shine whatsoever. We used SHINE ARMOR Fortify Quick Coat on it, giving it two coats. You could see that the worked area gained a slightly glossy texture, but it was still very dull. It was super slick, though, and the hydrophobic properties were weaker than what we got from the previous testing on the hood of a car that was in good condition beforehand. That is, we believe the bad condition of the paint and its many hills and valleys prevented the water to escape as easily. We didn't expect that the dull, oxidized paint would become shiny or glossy as it would if we've used Car Wax, but we didn't expect it to have little to no effect on the gloss department there. That just proves that most of its claimed gloss comes from the polishing effect when applying and buffing the product. What have we learned? Marketing is key when selling a product. That is for sure! When we compare it with similar products from other manufacturers, we find that it performs mediocre overall. It has nice packaging and color, and it has a nice grapey smell. That is certainly refreshing. But it definitely is not a long-term solution for protecting your car's paint. We would describe this product as something to use to clean slightly dirty surfaces of your car to give it a quick clean, slightly better look, and some immediate short-term hydrophobic surface and slickness. It is not a complete flop, but the hype is certainly real. Let us see how we have decided to grade the 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 Our thoughts on SHINE ARMOR Fotrify Coat? We do not recommend this product as we believe it is too expensive for what it offers and how it performs. It is a solid product to use in some last-minute scenarios where you have perhaps no water or cleaning supplies available. But even then, we would still not recommend it. There are products that perform colossally better in their category, and we cannot justify going for this one unless all the others aren't available in your area. That being said, you can check our Reviews section to see how other products compare to this one, and you can check our Top Lists to see how it would rank among its competitors that you would find out in the market. - Should you choose to go for it after reading the review - Get your SHINE ARMOR Fortify Quick Coat on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/3sMTn5X

  • Review: Turtle Wax Ceramic Spray Coating (Hybrid Solutions)

    When it comes to Ceramic Coating Sprays, it is usually safe to say that the product will not have the same strength as a standard Ceramic Coating. That is not because they are fake products or because they are cheaper but instead because they were specifically created to be applied extremely quickly and easily with little to no preparation or training. All you really need is a clean car, and we would suggest decontaminating the car's surface by claying, compounding it, and finishing with a polish. We are excited to see how Turtle Wax Ceramic Spray Coating, in their Hybrid Solutions line, will perform. Even though Ceramic Spray Coating might not last for 2-5 years as their traditional counterparts or big brothers, so to say, they will still usually last a decent amount of time. Sometimes even a year if maintained properly. For a quick and easy application and considering the cost of the product - that is not bad at all! A Spray Ceramic Coating will most likely outperform a Car Wax or a Polymer Sealant of the same quality, and it has a similar application method to them. Contents: Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Spray Coating Specifications How to apply Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Spray Coating? Final thoughts on Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Spray Coating? Just to clarify - we are not sponsored by Turtle Wax 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. Today we have Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Spray Coating up for a review. Get your Turtle Wax Ceramic Spray Coating on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/3uMGhY6 Turtle Wax has been around for what seems like forever, and its Hybrid Solutions product line has proven to be very impressive. By buying this product, you will get a 16-ounce spray bottle to your door containing what we believe is one of the best Ceramic Spray Coatings we have tested to date. Now let's drop down some specifications: you can apply it even in direct sunlight you can use it on metal, plastic, glass, and painted surfaces increases the depth of color, gloss, and shine promises a superhydrophobic surface the coating is resistant to chemicals and protects your cars paint from chemicals effective up to 12 months made in the USA Now let's go through them to see what they offer and our experiences with the results. They claim that you can apply the coating in direct sunlight. Meaning the car's surface will be hotter than what is usually recommended when working with Ceramic Coating. The reason is that Ceramic Coatings, especially liquid ones, will start evaporating when applied to the surface of a car. If the car's surface is too hot at that time, the evaporation might happen too quickly and prevent a good bond with the car's paint, leaving an uneven finish when done. So it is generally not recommended that you work with Ceramic Coatings when the vehicle is in direct sunlight, but instead park it in some shade or in a garage. With that out of the way, we tested that claim on a testing panel, but we used Turtle Wax Ceramic Spray Coating in controlled conditions as we would with any other Ceramic Coating when we applied it to the car. When cured, the testing panel performed the same as the car did, but we didn't test out the longevity of the coating when applied that way, so we have no evidence to back up the claim that the coating is unaffected in the long run. So we suggest you still stick to controlling the car's surface temperature when working with this coating. But if you decide to work in the sun directly, it would seem that you will still get amazing results. All Ceramic Coatings are designed to be applied onto the surface of your car's paint - usually the clear coat - where it will cure and form a strong bond with the paint of your car during the coating's lifetime. Most aren't made to be used on different surfaces, such as glass, plastic, or metal, as they might give weaker or no results or might leave a hazy finish that you cannot clean off but instead will have to remove the coating instead to get rid off. This coating promises to perform the same on all the surfaces of your car, meaning you can cover your whole car with one product. We have tested that! The results are amazing. Working with it was the same on all surfaces, really. Just be careful when buffing the coating of plastic trims on the car as they are often textured, and if not buffed off correctly, it will be left hazy. All the surfaces became hydrophobic. The plastic surfaces darkened a little bit, and they got a slight shine as if new making them look fresh. The glass surfaces were clear and looked squeaky clean. You wouldn't know if it was on until it rained. Of all the metal surfaces, we really only tried it on the end of the exhaust pipe and wheels. It gave them a slick shine as if new. We avoided getting the coating on the tire rubber for safety reasons. We suggest you avoid that as well. You don't want a slick surface of the material that should be providing grip with the surface you are driving on - the ground! The spray coating gave the color a bit more intensified glossy shine, but an untrained person might not see a huge difference. The hydrophobic properties of Turtle Wax Ceramic Spray Coating are where it shines! Water would sheet off it very quickly, leaving little to no beads. Even those would fall off by the slightest wind. All Water beads would fall off when driving. Ceramic Coatings in spray form are notorious when it comes to chemical resistance. Not Turtle Wax Ceramic Coating Spray! Out of all Ceramic Spray Coatings, it kept going even after numerous washes with dish soap or other stronger chemicals. It did weaken and lose some coverage and hydrophobic properties after a dozen washes, but if you maintain the coating correctly, you will be a very happy customer. We were really impressed with this property! Now it promises its effects for up to 12 months. Of course, that is highly dependent on the way you maintain the vehicle and the climate of the area you live in. If you want to learn more about how to properly maintain the Ceramic Coating on your car you can click the link below and learn that and more in our Frequently Asked Questions section. How to apply Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Spray Coating? First, as always - read the instructions! When using it, you want your car clean and rid of contaminants that might be embedded in the paint's clear coat. If you have no idea what we are talking about, you can click here to learn how to properly prepare the paint of your car for ceramic coating and other forms of paint protection. Once the car's surface has been prepared and degreased of all grease, oils, or polishing residue, all you really need to do is pick a panel on your car, mentally divide it into sections, and you are ready to start. Shake the bottle and spray once per working area ( e.g., 2-3 sprays per the hood of a regular-sized vehicle should be enough ) and work the liquid into the paint with a clean microfiber towel. Let it sit for a minute, and buff it off with another microfiber towel. Make sure both towels are dry and clean. Use one for application and the other to buff the coating off when ready. If the buffer towel becomes damp, get another dry and clean one. Buff it off to a glossy shine. No streaking should be visible. If there is any streaking, then use the applicator towel to dampen the area ( or even spray the area again ) and repeat the process. That should get rid of all streaking. And that is really it. Work the surface of the whole car in the same manner. And keep in mind to take extra precautions when buffing off the coating prom textured plastic panels. If you get haziness or streaking there, just use the same trick mentioned above to fix it. You can learn a bit more about what to do to prevent and fix streaking or high spots on a ceramic coated surface. Our verdict on 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 Final thoughts on Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Spray Coating? Honestly, this one surprised us. We have used Turtle Wax products before, some were amazing, and others weren't as amazing. But this one, wow! This one is a gem. And we definitely stand behind this particular product. Considering spray Ceramic Coatings perform worse on usually all fronts except their application difficulty rating, Turtle Wax Ceramic Spray Coating nailed it. We haven't tested all the other products in their Hybrid Solutions line, so we cannot speak about them, but this one is - Amazing. It is inexpensive, considering how many times you can use it for how much you pay for it. And not only that, it is cheaper than some ceramic spray coating products the competition offers, and they are worse, at least in the testing we have performed. So we will not throw names around not to piss anybody off. Out of all the Spray On Ceramic Coatings we have tested, this one is the best. It will not perform as well as a standard Ceramic Coating, but considering how easy it is to apply, how much it costs, how much time you need to cover the whole vehicle and that you need no prior training or experience to work with it. There is not much else to say than - "Just go for it!". If you want a stronger and more long-term solution, read our reviews or check our top lists section to find a standard Ceramic Coating that meets your requirements and expectations. But, if that is not the case, then this one is what you are looking for. Get your Turtle Wax Ceramic Spray Coating on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/3uMGhY6

  • How to apply Ceramic Coating?

    So you have your preferred product in mind or have already bought it. And you are wondering how you can apply ceramic coating to your car's paint the right way. What technique do you have to use to apply the Ceramic Coating, so you get the best results? Is it hard to apply Ceramic Coating? Can I apply the coating myself? These are all common questions when you haven't used the coating before. But before you start googling 'Ceramic Coating near me', know that we are here to teach you how you can do it all yourself. Everything you need to know from start to finish is in this detailed guide. The first thing you need to apply Ceramic Coating to the paint of your car is to prepare the surface. It needs to be clean, scratch, and chip-free. You get this by detailing the car unless it is a new vehicle, of course. You can click here to learn how you can prepare the surface of your car before applying any kind of paint protection to it. After the surface has been prepared, you need the following: ceramic coating kit (disposable) latex gloves 4-6 clean and dry microfiber towels rubbing or isopropyl alcohol masking tape* *if the product is not suited for glass or plastic surfaces and you are worried you might cover those by accident, then use masking tape to mask the edges of those areas. Otherwise, you will not need it. If the car has been degreased already, you don't need rubbing or isopropyl alcohol. If the car already has a ceramic coating that is about to expire, you'll first need to remove it (for best results). Ok! If the car's surface has been prepared and it wasn't decreased by any chance, now is the time to do it. You want to use alcohol instead of water and soap because water, especially tap water, might contain minerals that will leave micro scratches on the paint or leave watermarks if not dried off properly. They can be difficult to remove. Instead, by using isopropyl alcohol, you will remove all oils or grease or polishing residue that might have been left on the paint from touching the car or any waxes that were leftover or anything really. Alcohol evaporates really quickly, leaving a clean surface without any smudges or water spots. You want the surface mint clean to ensure maximum bondage when you coat your car. Put on your latex gloves, and we are ready to start! We use latex gloves because you have oils on your hands and fingers naturally. If by accident, you touch the paint or even when handling the applicator, grease or oils might prevent the coating from covering the surface, you are currently working on evenly. We want to avoid that! In the Ceramic Coating kit, you usually get a 50ml bottle that contains a transparent liquid - the Ceramic Coating of choice. It usually also comes with an applicator block. That is basically a sponge. And with it comes a suede or microfiber applicator towel. Small but big enough to wrap the towel around the applicator block. The reason you do this is the same as with sanding. You ensure even spread when applying the coating, as opposed to just using a towel that is guided with your fingers. You might get uneven coverage or finish. If, by any chance, the Ceramic Coating came without an applicator block and or an application towel - no worries! You can use a sponge ( use the soft side only or even cut off the rough side to avoid scratching the paint unintentionally ) and a microfiber towel instead. Just wrap the microfiber towel around the sponge and follow the guide. Should I use Ceramic Coating on plastic or glass surfaces of my car? Read the instructions that came with the product. If they say the Coating is safe to use on plastic or glass, use it. Otherwise, avoid such surfaces and stick to the car's paint only. If it does not say, presume it is not safe to use on either plastic or glass. If you are worried that you might get some Ceramic Coating on the plastic or glass surface of your car unintentionally, use some masking tape to secure that area. The first thing to do is - read the instructions! Not every Ceramic Coating is the same, and the application steps or methods might differ from other products. It generally instructs you to apply the coating on an area and buff it off after 1 minute, for instance. Now that might be 20 seconds, might be 5 minutes, or might be when rainbow-colored streaks appear, or even when it gets a bit hazy. Those times might differ depending on the temperature, humidity, and ventilation. After you have buffed it with a clean microfiber towel to a glossy finish, that is it. Now you usually have to let it sit for the next 24 hours so it hardens. It is usually not recommended to use the vehicle before those 24 hours, so the hardening goes uninterrupted without any foreign materials disrupting that process. That time might also vary depending on the manufacturer. The ceramic coating will usually fully cure within the next week or so. Also, that time can be different depending on the product used. During the curing process, the outer layer has hardened, and it is recommended not to use the vehicle until it completely cures for perfect results. But in our opinion and experience, it is safe to use the vehicle during the curing process. We would, however, deter from washing the car or taking it on some offroad adventure or even maybe avoid highways for that time. Nothing will happen, probably, but just to be sure, the coating is not damaged until it is rock solid and is bonded with the car's paint. Some products will require a second coat, usually some 1-3 hours after the first coat has been applied. If so, just follow the same instructions above after you have finished with the 2nd coat of Ceramic Coating. Since you are reading this guide, chances are you are a beginner and have coated one or two cars so far or even perhaps have never worked with Ceramic Coating at all. That is ok. The important thing is to work in small areas. For instance, do not try to cover the entire hood of the car at once. Because by the time you have covered half or two-thirds of the hood, you should already start buffing off the coating to avoid streaks or haziness. If you do mess up and end up with streaks or high spots once the coating cures, here you can find out how to get rid of them in detail. So once you have read the instructions and have a general idea of how to section the car's surface into smaller parts, you can open the bottle containing the Ceramic Coating. Get your applicator block with the application towel wrapped around the block and pour a few droplets onto the towel to get a full line on it to enable maximum application range. It will darken on the towel as if normally wet, so you know how much and where you have the liquid already. Now pick the hood panel to start with. Start applying the coating in a criss-cross pattern, meaning vertical lines first, from one side of the working area you've picked to the other. So a full line from one end to the other. Then do a line next to it, and so on. After you have covered the area you are currently working on, you can do the same, but with horizontal lines ( left to right ) on the same area to ensure full coverage of the designated area. As if painting a white wall with a brush. You'll do a full line from top to bottom and then do a line next to it until you have the whole wall covered. At all times, you see the area you have covered and where the coating still needs to be applied. Ceramic Coatings are transparent, and it will be harder to keep track of what areas you have covered so far. Just keep a mental map when applying the coating to the paint. Once you are done with that first area of the hood, continue in the same manner on the next part, and so on. If you notice you aren't getting enough coating onto the paint upon application, just get some more Ceramic Coating liquid onto the applicator towel again and continue where you left off. Once you complete the whole hood panel, it shouldn't take you more than a couple of minutes. You will get a general idea of how often you need to apply the liquid onto the applicator and how long it takes to complete a section or a full panel. Now, remember what the instructions said about when to buff off the coating. For instance, if it tells you to buff off the coating after 1 minute, then go ahead and buff off all the coating you just applied from the whole hood panel with a clean microfiber towel until you get a glossy shine. No haziness or streaks should be visible. Some products might tell you to wait 5 minutes before buffing. In those cases, you can decide for yourself if you want to proceed to coat the next panel and come back to buff it when it is ready or just wait to be safe. It all depends on how comfortable you are with it and how quickly you are working. Try to focus on quality ahead of speed because it is more important for it to be covered fully, and if it takes a few minutes more to do the whole car perfectly, it is well worth the time. Remember that the buffing time might be affected by temperature, or ventilation, or even humidity. So make sure you have read the instructions correctly. Some products will get hazy or even sweaty, while others will get streaky or even rainbow-colored when they are ready to get buffed off. Some, on the other hand, might not react in such a way at all. That is why it is important to prepare beforehand. I did not buff the Ceramic Coating in time! What should I do? If you do not buff off the ceramic coating in time, it might be forgiven after a few minutes, but quickly it will become tacky and significantly harder to buff off, even leaving streaks or hazy areas that won't come off. That is not a problem if you do not panic and act quickly. Just apply some more liquid Ceramic Coating on the problematic area and buff it off immediately. Do not use water! You can get more information about how to get rid high spots and streaks on ceramic coating in this article. I forgot to buff off the Ceramic Coating from a panel. What now? If a long time has passed since you were supposed to buff an area, try the method above. If it doesn't work and it is still hazy and visible, our suggestion is to complete covering the whole car with Ceramic Coating first before doing anything with the problematic area. What you will have to do is use compound and then polish on that the whole panel where the affected area is. So even if a small section is problematic, for instance, on the hood, you will have to compound and polish the whole hood. Sounds scary, but it really isn't. It will just consume more time. As long you are confident not to touch any other panel ( and you cannot use masking tape now ), you can do the compounding and polishing as soon as you have finished coating your car. If you do not feel confident, then wait 24 hours and do it then using masking tape on the edges of areas where the panels meet. After that, degrease the panel using a panel wipe, isopropyl alcohol, or rubbing alcohol and recoat the panel with ceramic coating again. Cover the whole car using this technique and buff off the coating at regular times as per instructions. Once the whole car has been coated, you are finished. Leave the car as it is now for 24 hours so the outer layer of the coating can harden enough so it cannot be affected by outside particles, debris, or water that easily. Once it has fully cured, in about 1 week, the car will be fully protected. It is important that while coating and for the first 24 hours that the car is not introduced to any water. Rain, washing, wiping at all. You do not water trapped in the toating or ruin the finish while it still hasn't hardened properly. Some products might ask you to do a second coating on the car sometime after you have finished with the first. They come with 2 applicator towels or pads. So use the 2nd for the second run. Simply follow all the instructions you have when doing the first one. And then wait 24 hours. Applicator pads used to coat your car will remain soft as long you are applying the coating on it. But if you leave it to dry for longer than 30 minutes up to an hour ( you will feel the crystalization under your fingers ), it will harden enough to make the applicator unusable. You can throw it away at this point since even washing it will not help. That is why Ceramic Coatings that require you to do two coats usually come with a pair of applicators or small suede or microfiber towels. MEGA PRO TIP: We have tried working with different brands. Some were a simple one-step coating, buff it off, and you are finished, while others required another coat. Now, our suggestion is that in cases the product you are using requires only one layer, you apply another coat after about 30 minutes to 1 hour. Just make sure to use a different applicator for the second run because the previous one will be rendered useless after waiting for so long. Well, that is it! Your car has been coated successfully. Make sure to keep it out of the rain or any contact with water or wind for the first full day so that it hardens. Then it'll be more resistant to outside elements. Once it is fully cured, it will give you all the properties it promotes, usually. Here you can learn more about ceramic coating cure time. To check some products that we have used multiple times and have reviewed for you and our opinion and score of the product, you can go to the Reviews section and perhaps find one suitable for you or even the one that you are using currently now and learn more about it there. For any more questions, you can refer to the Frequently Asked Questions article in our Education section of the site, or if you cannot find your question answered, you can write a comment with your question here or in the FAQ section, and we will try our best to resolve your issue as soon as possible. Have fun and happy coating!

  • Ceramic Coating FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions

    In this article, we will be answering some popular Ceramic Coating FAQs, or frequently asked questions, that we've found people asking us in the shop or we've seen people ask on the internet. If you find yourself having a question that wasn't answered here or hasn't been covered in one of your articles, please post it here in the comments, and we will give our best to help you with your query and add it to the post for others to learn as well. Contents: How much does Ceramic Coating Cost? How long does it take to coat a car with Ceramic Coating? How long does Ceramic Coating last? How long does it take for Ceramic Coating to cure fully? Is Ceramic Coating DIY friendly? Is Ceramic Coating a shield? Are Ceramic Spray Coatings a scam? Can I use Ceramic Coating on a plastic or glass surface? Does Ceramic Coating create a perfectly flat surface? Should water sheet or bead from a Ceramic Coated surface? Can I reuse the applicator used to coat my car with Ceramic Coating? How long do I have to wait when I Ceramic Coat a car? How do I maintain the Ceramic Coating on my car? Should a Ceramic Coating be Hydrophobic or Hydrophilic? Is Ceramic Coating permanent? Ceramic Coating VS Car Wax Can you put Ceramic Coating on top of Car Wax? Can you put Car Wax on top of a Ceramic Coating? Should you use a clay bar on Ceramic Coating? Can I keep using towels that I used when Ceramic Coating a car? How thick is Ceramic Coating? Why are Ceramic Coatings in a glass bottle? Can you Ceramic Coat leather? Can you use Ceramic Coating on your wheels? How do I start my own car detailing business? But before we jump in, if you want to learn more about which Ceramic Coatings are the best, you can check our Top List of the Best Ceramic Coatings we have tested in our shop. Here we go! How much does Ceramic Coating Cost? If you are referring to the bottle that contains the Ceramic Coating Kit - they, on average, cost between 50$ and 80$ ( USD ). You, of course, will find those that are much cheaper and those that are a lot more expensive. But we are talking about some averages here. Keep in mind, while you might even find some for like 5-10$ on eBay, we would take those with a grain of salt because some might be fake or really bad quality. We suggest you stick to those that have been proven and tested and are backed by someone reputable and trustworthy behind them. You can go to the Reviews or Top Lists section on our site to see our reviews of the products that we would recommend, along with their advantages and disadvantages. If you are referring to how much it costs for a shop to coat your car with Ceramic Coating professionally? They would charge you anywhere from 1000$ all the way up to 5000$ depending on multiple factors: shop reputation, the product they are using, condition of the car, how many layers of the ceramic coating are being applied, is the car being detailed beforehand, how big the car is, is it a showroom car, etc. But most of the price percentage would be all the preparation work that would go into the car before the Ceramic Coating itself. It all depends on the type of paint you have on your vehicle, whether it is a showroom vehicle, the value of the vehicle, car surface terrain, and how much clear coat there is left on the vehicle ( perhaps it would even need a repaint ). There are simply too many factors to consider to simply slap a price and just say, 'That is how much it will cost'. If you want to know the price, then you need to break it down to everything you are paying for and understand why all those things are important when taking your car into consideration. Also very important to note is that once the preparation has been completed and it has finally come to Ceramic Coat your car to keep that newly perfected paint safe and protected, most professionals will use a tested and proven high-end Ceramic Coating product that they usually work with and know its ins and outs. Their reputation would be on the line, and their mission is to make your car beautiful and preserve its appearance as it currently is for years to come. How long does it take to coat a car with Ceramic Coating? If you think that detailing your car is not needed ( paint correction, claying, polishing ), then whatever time it takes you to properly wash your car plus 1 hour on average for one coat, depending on the size of your car and your experience with using Ceramic Coating. Note that some Ceramic Coatings will require you to apply 2 coats of that product with some waiting time in between. Usually, that time is 1 hour, so if you have one of such products, then coating your car might take you up to 3 hours under those conditions. Then obviously, if you think that you should do some exterior detailing on your car, we definitely recommend, then the above plus whatever you decide to do to your car. Detailing a car, meaning - washing, claying, and polishing might take you around 5-6 hours on average, obviously depending on various factors. It could be more, or if you are really experienced and prepared, you might even be able to do it in 4 hours. Not every vehicle is the same to work on, so even experienced professionals working in the car detailing industry might have variable times when working. As noted above, we recommend detailing your car prior to covering it with Ceramic Coating because whatever the condition of the paint of your car is currently, it will stay in that condition during the coatings' lifetime. Ceramic Coating does improve the gloss of your car's paint, but it does not remove scratches or swirl marks, and they will still be seen underneath it. How long does Ceramic Coating last? It varies depending on the product and the way you treat your car during that period, but if the car is being properly maintained then anywhere from 2 years upwards on average. Some manufacturers promise much longer longevity of their Ceramic Coating. If you are not properly maintaining the exterior of your car thought, then deterioration of the ceramic coating might happen faster. Learn more about how long ceramic coating lasts from one of our articles. How long does it take for Ceramic Coating to cure fully? Once applied as per instructions, the Ceramic Coating usually hardens after about 24 hours, but it continues to cure and fully bonds onto the car's paint after about 1 week, but with some products, it may take even longer. It is important to note that the Ceramic Coating will not cure at the same speed because of things like weather, temperature, humidity, etc. So your best bet is to read the manufacturer's instructions and perform as they say. Read this article if you want to learn more about how long it takes for ceramic coatings to cure. Is Ceramic Coating DIY friendly? Yes. With research and preparation, you will be able to successfully coat your car with Ceramic Coating in a DIY fashion. Here you can learn more about how to prepare your car's surface for ceramic coating and other forms of paint protection. After that, you can learn more about how to apply ceramic coating to your car. If you do not care about your car's appearance before application but would just instead coat your car using Ceramic Coating in its current condition, our suggestion is to not use Ceramic Coating in that case but instead opt for cheaper alternatives such as Automotive Car Wax or Polymer Sealants since the application process is simpler and they cost less. In any case, do your proper research before you proceed to apply it to the paint of your car. Is Ceramic Coating a shield? No. Ceramic Coating is a paint protection product, and it does protect your car's paint to a certain degree. It is not some magical forcefield but it does have some amazing properties that help it do its job extremely well. Once fully cured, it bonds on top of the paint of your car. Usually, that is the clear coat layer of your vehicle's paint, and forms a hard, slick surface that has some resistance to damage and is fairly resistant to harsh chemicals, and has excellent resistance to heat. It is also resistant to UV radiation that we receive from sunlight and weather. It has amazing hydrophobic qualities, and the slick surface not only prevents water from sticking to it but also prevents particles, in general, from fully sticking to it, such as mud, bugs, or dust. And if they do not fall off while driving due to wind resistance then they should be easily washed off by rinsing them with water. Are Ceramic Spray Coatings a scam? No, they are not. That being said, Ceramic Coating Sprays usually do not perform nearly as well as their counterparts in bottled form. They are actually a different formula, even though, on first inspection, it might seem that they are doing the same thing. That is why you will likely find them at a cheaper price point than true Ceramic Coatings. Spray Ceramic Coatings have been invented as an easier-to-work-with alternative to Ceramic Coatings. Spray-On Ceramic Coatings are usually polymer sealants combined with ceramic coating technology. Some are even infused with graphene for supposed added benefits. They, indeed, are much easier to work with since they are mostly applied in a spray-on and buff-off manner, and it takes a significantly shorter time to coat a car. But they are really not designed to replace Ceramic Coating since they offer mostly the same properties but at a weaker scale and thus perform worse. Most notably, they will, on average last as an Automotive Car Wax would since they deteriorate quicker and easier when dealing with any day-to-day activities. Can I use Ceramic Coating on a plastic or glass surface? Make sure to read the product label and use the product as per the manufacturers' instructions before use. Most Ceramic Coatings can be used on both plastic and glass surfaces, but not all Ceramic Coatings are the same. Even though they might look like a transparent liquid and they might smell the same, their chemical properties might be different and might affect those materials differently. So some Ceramic Coatings may leave a hazy or whitish finish that wouldn't look good on plastic and would be considered unsafe on glass. Does Ceramic Coating create a perfectly flat surface? Generally no. It all depends on the condition of your car's paint prior to coating. Damage to the paint of a car leaves all these hills and valleys. And Ceramic Coating does, since it is based on nanotechnology - meaning its molecules are super small compared to something like Wax or a Sealant - meaning that the coating will trace all those imperfections, leaving a thin protective coating on it once dry and cured. So the surface will not be perfectly flat on areas where there was damage, but you will get a smoothing effect instead. Should water sheet or bead from a Ceramic Coated surface? Since Ceramic Coating leaves a smooth hydrophobic surface when cured, liquids will not stay on the surface but sheet off it instead, or if there was damage on the car's paint ( we are talking on a microscopic level ), even though the surface is slick and smooth in those areas as well, it is not perfectly smooth, and they might hold water in the form of a bead. If the car is stationary, the bead will stay on the coating, but the slightest disruption, such as wind or vibrations, will most likely drive that bead out of that microscopic valley and push it off the car. Under ideal conditions, we are talking almost utopian if the surface of the car would be perfectly smooth without any damage, the paint job was perfect, and the Ceramic Coating was added to the car perfectly and had enough time to cure under perfect conditions, undisturbed, and the Ceramic Coating used was of very high quality, then all liquids would sheet off the surface of the cars paint without fail to leave no beads. So the perfect Ceramic Coating would have all the water sheets off the surface in seconds' time, leaving no beads on the surface. That way, you would avoid water spots and would have a dry clean surface during the coatings lifetime. You can read more about water sheeting and water beading in ceramic coatings. Can I reuse the applicator used to coat my car with Ceramic Coating? When working with it, the applicator ( usually microfiber or suede ) pad will remain soft as long as you regularly reapply some Ceramic Coating liquid to the pad. So even if it takes you 30 minutes or 1 hour to apply the coating, the applicator will be safe to use. But, when you stop using it and you stop adding more of the Ceramic Coating solution onto the applicator, the liquid will evaporate, and the ceramic coating solution will start to crystalize and harden. It can still be saved if the more liquid solution is reapplied within about 15 to 30 minutes. The best thing to do is to touch it with your fingers once some Ceramic Coating liquid has been reapplied to it to see if it is soft to the touch. If not, or more than 30 minutes have passed, we recommend getting rid of the applicator. Even washing it in a washing machine will not do much at this point. The best thing is to dispose of that one to avoid scratching the paint by mistake in the future and take another applicator at this point to be safe. You can use a clean and dry microfiber towel if you do not have a designated applicator. Make sure it is not damp. How long do I have to wait when I Ceramic Coat a car? You might also wonder when it is safe to drive or use your car when you finish coating it. Avoid using it and keep it covered and protected from rain or wind to avoid ruining the coating or the finish before it has hardened or cured. Ceramic Coating usually cures for around a week. Some products take more, some take less, and the times are also affected by the temperature outside and the humidity in the air. But it usually, unless instructed by the manufacturer otherwise, hardens on the outside in about 24 hours. It is safe to use your car now, but it is not recommended. We would perhaps avoid hard driving, highways, offroading, or washing the car during the curing process to ensure a perfect uninterrupted bond on the whole surface of the car's paint. How do I maintain the Ceramic Coating on my car? You finally have your car coated in Ceramic Coating, and now it is an impenetrable tank that cannot be damaged for the next 5 years all way up to forever. Well, no, not really. Ceramic Coating is the best way to protect the paint on your car, at least in our opinion, but it is not some SF wizardry that promises eternal youth and infinite fortune. It will, as most things, deteriorate over time, it will suffer damage, and eventually, it will fail. The good news for you is that it will take a good amount of time before that happens, especially if you maintain the coating correctly. Wash the car regularly, do not let bird droppings or tree pollen sit on your car for a long period of time, use pH-neutral car shampoo and avoid abrasive towels but use microfiber towels to clean your car instead. The key tip here is to use pH-balanced shampoos really. Automotive Waxes or Polymer Sealants will get washed off by strong car shampoos, even by rain eventually ( as it can be somewhat acidic as well ), and sometimes even in one go. Or at least you will notice the difference immediately. With Ceramic Coatings, especially if they are good, you won't notice any differences in their effectiveness even if you are careless about how you care for your car, but it will hurt the coating, trust us. So to get the most out of your Ceramic Coating, just use the tips stated above and take care of your car regularly. We have a full guide on how to maintain a ceramic coating so you get the most out of it. Should a Ceramic Coating be Hydrophobic or Hydrophilic? The question of whether a ceramic coating should be hydrophobic or hydrophilic is a bit complicated. To answer that question, we must first explore what both terms mean. For a surface to be hydrophobic would mean that that surface would repel water molecules. There would be no repulsive force involved in the process, but instead, there would be a lack of attraction. Because of that, you would see water escape the hydrophobic surface, and if it can't, it would instead form a bead of water that would stay in place until external forces give it enough momentum to escape the surface. For a surface to be hydrophilic would mean the exact opposite. So that surface would have a strong affinity towards water molecules and would cause the water to spread evenly along the area of the hydrophilic surface. With that out of the way, almost all Ceramic Coatings are hydrophobic, and water beading would be common. As the coating loses its strength, it starts to sheet water instead of more and more. But due to the hydrophobic properties, it would even remove all water off the surface, even though it would take a little bit longer than the instant effect when the coating is fresh. That would leave the surface completely dry without or with a very small amount of water beads. Because the water didn't escape so fast, the slower spreading of water would collect all that rogue water that would be too slow to escape otherwise and would be left alone for a bead with no way of escape without help. So sheeting is better as it leaves a dryer surface, meaning no possibility of water spots. While Ceramic Coatings wouldn't make a surface hydrophilic per se but instead would use nanotechnology to create a surface so slick that nothing would be able to retain a grip on it, no matter how low its weight is. So basically, Ceramic Coating would reduce the surface's sliding angle. Some coatings have those properties, and they sheet instead of a bead, which is much better for the overall health of your coating and the paintwork of the car since it will prevent water spots or, in the events of rain, which can sometimes be acidic, or unrinsed shampoos, clear coat damage. You can learn how to remove water spots from a ceramic-coated car here. Is Ceramic Coating permanent? No. Ceramic Coating lifetime varies from product to product, but they usually last from 2 years up to 5 years. Some coatings may deviate from those numbers. Also, the longevity of Ceramic Coating is massively influenced by the environment, usage of the coated vehicle, or the way the coating is being maintained. Temperature, exposure to the sun, washing techniques, and non-pH neutral automotive shampoos are all variables that help in the decaying process of Ceramic Coating. So, for instance, you may Ceramic Coat a vehicle and leave it in a garage under perfect conditions, and that Ceramic Coating may last forever. But that is not realistic unless we are talking about a museum or a showroom vehicle. Ceramic Coating VS Car Wax Why would you use Ceramic Coating when you have a Car Wax that is much simpler to put onto the car and is less expensive? Well, that is simply for 2 reasons. The first is that car wax is not resistant to chemicals at all and will wash off in one or two washes, while Ceramic Coatings are resistant to chemicals and will usually withstand a much-prolonged beating when compared to waxes or sealants. The second reason is resistance to damage. While car wax offers almost no resistance to damage, ceramic coatings usually do. When talking about damage resistance, we aren't talking about the car suddenly becoming bulletproof or that you can attack it with a sword medieval-style and expect it to suffer no damage whatsoever. When talking about car paint and damage, it is usually considered in the form of light to medium scratch resistance, swirl marks, and maybe surviving stone chip damage but only at lower speeds, really. That might not sound impressive, but when you give it a little more thought, it actually is amazing. Your car's paint is usually perfect when it comes out of the factory, or once you had it detailed to perfection which is a timely and expensive process. You can also consider respraying the car, which is, again, expensive and timely. No matter the reason and no matter how perfect the paint on your car looks now, it will very soon have swirl marks and scratches and will start to look duller and dirty. The kind of dirty that you cannot simply wash off. There are numerous culprits for the damage your paintwork suffers, but unless it is not driven and in a garage ( for example, a showroom car ), it will suffer damage over time. Even a simple rain can damage the paint of your car. All those things add up until your car's paint doesn't look new or fresh anymore but quite the opposite. To keep the paint on your car looking new or fresh, you need to protect it. And Ceramic Coating is the best way to give it that protection for the money you are paying. If you are ridiculously wealthy and do not care about money, there are even better ways of paint protection. But we are talking here about a method that is available to the average Joe, and it won't drain your wallet. Those were only two factors covered, but aside from how easy it is to apply the product, Car Wax loses pretty hard in all other categories compared to Ceramic Coatings. If you want, you can check out our deep dive into ceramic coatings vs car wax vs car sealants vs PPF! Can you put Ceramic Coating on top of Car Wax? No. The reason is that the chemical structure of Ceramic Coating requires it to bond directly onto the clearcoat of the paintwork. To ensure maximum adhesion, the surface needs to be decontaminated using a clay bar and an iron remover, and finally, a degreaser agent or isopropyl alcohol to remove all oils from the surface that is about the be Ceramic Coated. Those two reasons are why you should never use Car Wax or a Polymer Sealant under Ceramic Coating. Can you put Car Wax on top of a Ceramic Coating? Yes, you can, but it is not recommended. Some people say it is great or ok to do it this way because you will enhance the color of the car even further, and you will make the Ceramic Coat last longer because you have two protective layers now instead of just one. The thing is that both Ceramic Coatings and Automotive Waxes and Polymer Sealants do pretty much the same thing, except Ceramic Coating does a much better job, with some added features, and Ceramic Coating does it for much longer. Now putting on wax or a sealant on top of the Ceramic Coating would hinder the coating and prevent it from doing what it was supposed to do. While theoretically, you might get a better shine or better UV protection. The car would perform as if it had only wax on it. And all the downsides of wax would be present, while the strengths of the Ceramic Coating would be prevented with the wax. This way, you would be forced to wash the car more as it would attract more dirt than the CC would on its own, basically losing the Carnauba Wax soon anyway. So no real advantage would have been gained by doing that. You would only be removing the Ceramic Coating effectively until the wax is gone and the surface is properly cleaned and degreased so that the Ceramic Coat can finally do its job again. Should you use a clay bar on Ceramic Coating? No. A clay bar exists in the automotive detailing industry to remove contaminants that are stuck in the clearcoat, or in this case, in the coating. Now if you use a clay bar, which is abrasive, you might be damaging the Ceramic Coating to a point where it needs to be reapplied again. Also, since a clay bar is supposed to be used with proper lubrication, the hydrophobic properties of Ceramic Coating make this task even more difficult. Using a clay bar is definitely not recommended. What you can use is a Tar Remover or an Iron Remover, depending on the material that is stuck in the paintwork because Ceramic Coatings will be mostly unaffected by such chemicals. Can I keep using towels that I used when Ceramic Coating a car? No. The reason for this is that the microfiber towel that you have used to buff or level the ceramic coating in question will have some embedded in its fibers. And once the Ceramic Coating has cured, the now dry crystalline structure will become a very strong abrasive and would very likely scratch and damage the paint of your car if further used on it. Not even using a washing machine will not guarantee it will be fully cleaned. Honestly, in our experience, the microfiber towels will be ruined. So be careful if you're thinking of using them on the paint of the car. Now, if you decided to keep them and use them for cleaning the engine bay or something like that, you could technically, but we wouldn't use such towels for professional use anymore. It is not worth damaging a vehicle over a dollar or two. How thick is Ceramic Coating? Once it has been applied and the product has fully cured, one layer of Ceramic Coating is usually between 1 and 2 microns thick. Why are Ceramic Coatings in a glass bottle? Suppose you see a Ceramic Coating that is in a plastic bottle or a plastic container of any kind. In that case, you will know that product is not a classic Ceramic Coating but a mixture of a polymer sealant with perhaps some elements of car wax and some elements of a ceramic coating. The reason for that is that pure Ceramic Coating would react with the plastic to make the liquid solution unusable. Plastic is not safe to use as packaging for Ceramic Coatings, and glass is required instead to keep the liquid coating safe for use. You can read more about why ceramic coatings are stored in a glass container instead of plastic. Can you Ceramic Coat leather? Yes, yes, you can. More precisely, you can use a dedicated ceramic coating made specifically for a leather finish on any part of your car that is covered in leather. That usually means seats, steering wheel, sometimes the dashboard, door trim, etc. You can learn everything there is to know about ceramic coating for leather here. Can you use Ceramic Coating on your wheels? Yes. While you can use almost all traditional ceramic coating on your wheels, there are ceramic coatings made specifically for that purpose. They also help with heat that comes from breaking, and they also help with brake dust that is notoriously difficult to remove if you do not know what you're doing. Our article about ceramic coating for wheels will give you more insight into the topic. How do I start my own car detailing business? Well, for starters, you need two things that money can't buy - the willpower to do it, and we hardly suggest that you go open your own shop only if you really enjoy detailing cars. That includes cleaning cars, paint correction, and paint protection. After you have those two sorted, you will need a business plan, and after you figure out what you want, you'll need a financial plan to make it all happen. This is a very rough and quick answer to a very complicated question. We suggest you check out our Beginner's Guide to Starting a Car Detailing Business for a more detailed ( no pun intended ) explanation. Final Words for Ceramic Coating FAQs Well, there you have it! As we think of more questions we often get asked, we'll update this list. And if any of these need further explanation or a deep dive, we will work hard to ensure you get a dedicated article for those questions. If you would like to check out some misconceptions about Ceramic Coatings, you can read our article. Also, check out our article on how to Ceramic Coat your car from start to finish in full detail, if you want to learn more. Cheers!

  • Graphene Coating - Is it any good?!

    We can already hear people shouting at us as to how we forgot to list Graphene Coatings in our list of methods for 'How to protect the paint on your car?'. Well, we haven't forgotten. We simply didn't want to mention them, and let us explain why. First off, what is Graphene Coating? It seems like they hit the Car Detailing industry by storm, and everyone is mentioning Graphene Coatings as this new miracle coating that does it all. Hell, it can even turn a Toyota Corolla into a Dodge Demon - it is just THAT good! Contents: What is Graphene Coating? Graphene Coating VS Ceramic Coating Final Thoughts What is Graphene Coating? Graphene Coatings are really just ceramic coatings with graphene powder or graphene oxide added or infused into them. Before some of you start dialing 911 and calling the FBI, give us a few minutes of your time to clarify why we wrote what we did just now. You see, Carbon can be found in many shapes depending on its molecular structure. Some well-known forms of carbon can be found in our Graphite or Diamonds. In 2004 Graphene was discovered in the form of powder particles. It is an allotrope of carbon consisting of a single layer of atoms arranged in a two-dimensional honeycomb lattice or a chicken wire structure, if you will. This gives Graphene some amazing properties. While in this structure, graphene is about 300 times stronger than steel and only a fraction of its weight. It has some flexibility, but if it loses that hexagonal structure, it becomes extremely brittle and easily falls apart. Since 2004, a way to produce Graphene Powder in bulk has been developed, and you can now easily buy it, although at a steep price, even on Amazon. Now, what happened is that science is still researching and developing ways to use Graphene to advance technologies, and of course, some people thought to themselves, 'Well, we should make a coating for cars since it is so amazing. That sure sounds like an amazing idea!". And we admit, it does sound amazing! But unfortunately, it does not work... not yet, anyway. People tried mixing that Graphene with Waxes, Sealants, different solutions, resins, and so on. All sorts of testing have been performed, so we don't have to, and after some time, many agreed that Ceramic Coating is best used as a medium to cover your vehicle in graphene. Do you remember how we wrote that Graphene is stronger than steel at only an atom thickness, but only if it has that honeycomb structure? Well, it turns out it is very hard to get Graphene to form that structure just like that. Ways were invented to use fabric to force Graphene into a hexagonal structure giving it its strength. But currently, that is still in development, and you wouldn't want to cover your car in a blanket... literary. So once you cover your car with Graphene Coating, what happens is your car has Ceramic Coated with Graphene Powder scattered all over the place imbued inside the Ceramic Coating itself, and you've guessed it - not in a hexagonal shape. Meaning it does nothing to improve the Ceramic Coating. That means you have paid extra money for something that does nothing in this current situation, and not only does it do nothing, but it could, in some situations, make the Ceramic Coating worse than it is. It was shown to reduce some of the slicknesses of the Ceramic Coating or, if multiple coatings are applied, even darken the current color of the vehicle slightly. We have tested multiple products currently on the market, and as with Ceramic Coatings, some performed very well while others didn't. You can read a full review of some of these graphene coating products in the following articles on our website - Best Ceramic Coatings and Top 10 Ceramic Spray Coatings. Or simply use the search function on the top of the site and type in 'graphene'. We've applied all of them as per the manufacturers' instructions. Some required two coats, while others were straightforward in their application. We've put them against already tested Ceramic Coatings, had they cured side by side, and then tested them with water for their hydrophobic properties. We had them cleaned with various strong car shampoos that you might find at your local car wash and even by using stronger chemicals to remove some serious dirt stains. Again, they performed as a Ceramic Coating would. Some did better than others. But we have noticed on some of them that parts or even whole coated areas lacked the slippery surface a Ceramic Coating usually provides once it is applied, or sometimes once it hardens. So ending up paying more for the same thing just felt scammy, and we had to leave this review and advise our readers not to buy those products due to the rise in popularity of Graphene Coatings. If you want to buy Graphene Coating, our advice is to buy Ceramic Coating for the same amount of money, and we guarantee that you will get a better product. Graphene Coating VS Ceramic Coating There's not much to say here because, as we have previously said, both are pretty much the same thing. The graphene is just makeup that helps sell. Currently anyway. One day when science figures out a way to properly use it, it will definitely be something that we will likely want, but then again... likely won't be able to afford it. So you can't exactly pit those two against each other by name, but some Ceramic Coatings are better than others, so be sure that one will always come on top, even the Graphene Ceramic Coating - it just won't be the graphene that makes it better. You can check out our deep dive into ceramic coatings vs car wax vs car sealants vs PPF! We also mention graphene coatings in that article. Final Thoughts on Graphene Coating So, long story short, "Graphene coatings can be amazing, but if they are - it isn't the graphene that is making them amazing. It is the ceramic coating." Graphene is a wonder material and will, most likely, be used for many things in the future, but that future is still not here yet. We must be a little bit patient before we have our bulletproof cars. Also worth noting is that Graphene is extremely conductive, meaning that if you drive around during a storm, your car would be a lightning rod, so that you wouldn't be worried about bullets. So just keep that in mind for the day Graphene Coatings that work do come out. So stay cautious when watching those ads about Graphene Coatings that are jumping on you from both left and right, promising you how it is the new technology, better than anything developed to date, and that it can do all kinds of crazy stuff, trying to get you to buy it at any price. Currently, at this moment in time, it is just a scam... for now. But keep your eyes sharp and open, as the day they will work might be around the corner. If you would like to read about some graphene coatings we have reviewed on this site, you can check out 303 Graphene Nano Spray Coating and Adam’s UV Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating, or Adam's Advanced Graphene Coating. Cheers!

bottom of page