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You have to properly follow some procedures to get the best result of ceramic coating. Just like the fact you wouldn’t go to mud racing immediately after a car wash, you shouldn’t also do Ceramic Coating before you have prepared your car for it.
You need to make sure that the finish of your car is perfect before you do sealant, ceramic coating or spray coating. Right after the long and complicated process of finding the best ceramic coating for your car, you need to ensure that the coating is being put on your vehicle perfectly. For that, you need to wax before ceramic coating.
Why is it important to prep a car before coating?
Ceramic coatings are put to prevent a vehicle from contaminants, debris and many other problems. That is why it is important to prep your car so that any kind of error doesn’t damage the coating. Here are some reasons why it is so important to prep your car before coating:
- Ceramic coating provides protection on a very small surface level that is thinner than our hair. This protection is very effective but when small particles (like a small piece of dirt) are present, the coating is not applied 100%.
- You need to prep your car to ensure that it has a straight surface. When they are defaults after ceramic coating, you have to put your attention to it again to get it fixed.
- When you prep a car before coating, you can ensure a shinier finish with no small defaults that can catch anyone’s eyes.
Instruction to prep your car before coating
1. Wash the car
You have already guessed this part. Yes. You need to wash your car before coating it. To have the best effect, follow our instruction of properly washing the car below.
Firstly, pre-wash the car. Rinse it perfectly. This removes all the small dirt and many unwanted particles. Just wash it with plain water and nothing else.
Prepare car shampoo for washing. After you have pre-washed the car with plain water, you need to soak a wash mitt on the shampoo and carefully wash every section of your car. It will remove the second layer of dirt that didn’t go away from the first time.
Rinse the entire car after applying shampoo. Be sure to rinse all the places where the shampoo has been applied.
2. Use clay bar
Washing doesn’t always remove all the unwanted particles from your car. That is why using a clay bar treatment after washing is recommended.
Clay bar is a material that can clear the particles that cannot be seen or felt by us. As a result, it easily clears out the remaining particles after washing.
To get the proper result, you need the right lubrication. Use 60 ml of shampoo per 1 gallon of water to make the proper solution for using with a clay bar.
Then soak the clay mitt in the solution. It is important to soak the clay bar fully before using it. You don’t have to worry about it being too wet.
Properly glide the clay bar in each section of your vehicle. Move it forward and back and stay in motion. Whenever it gets a little dry, soak it again with water.
After that process, you need to rinse your car again. Then make sure that you dry your vehicle. Buff it in each section. There is a chance of marks appearing on the car if you don’t buff it properly. Go side-by-side to prevent those swirly marks.
3. Polish
“There is a chance of marks appearing on the car if you don’t buff it properly”- as we have described in the previous section. But if the marks still appear, polishing your car will get rid of it.
Non-wax polishers are great for using in this process. Apply a thin layer of the non-wax polisher when using it.
The best result can be brought by using an electric polisher. It makes your vehicle super shiny while removing all the imperfectness. It makes your car look like a new vehicle. But without coating the vehicle, it’ll easily get ruined again. So, make sure you don’t keep your vehicle waiting for too long after finishing the pre-coating tasks.
4. Applying IPA
Isopropyl Alcohol or IPA solution can remove all the remaining contaminants present on the paint. That’s why it is the final step.
You can also use other prep solution products that can be found in spray form. They help to remove iron particles that can get stuck on your vehicle for magnetic attraction.
Spray a small amount of prep solution in each section of the car then wipe it off. Use microfiber towels to make sure that you don’t leave any marks while drying your vehicle.
Q&A regarding wax before ceramic coating
Many people find themselves confused when they prep their car for ceramic coating. They often don’t know what solution to use or how to do it perfectly. Here are answers to some of the questions you might face while you wax before ceramic coating:
1. Where should I do the process?
It is recommended that you do this process indoors. Keep your vehicle out of sunlight and make sure there is not too much dirt. You can use water if you are doing the process outdoor. Put water on the ground within the few meters radius so that there are no possibilities of dirt coming.
2. How do I make the perfect solution with car shampoo?
You can use 1 ounce of shampoo on every 3 gallons of water. Make sure that the solution is not too thick.
3. Is using an electronic polisher necessary?
There will be a noticeable amount of difference between using an electronic polisher and not using it. So it is recommended to use it.
4. What would happen if I don’t wax the car before coating?
It won’t be very much effective and long-lasting. As we have discussed this before in this article.
The process is long, and one needs to put effort into it. But in the end, the result is outstanding. It is recommended that you do it by yourself if you can follow all the instructions. Proper waxing will have the best result and will also make your car ready for the next big step.
