GolfGTIforum.co.uk
General => Detailing => Topic started by: martin998877 on 31 July 2020, 22:27
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Hi
I've had my golf professionally detailed ending with a ceramic coating. I can really see the difference with the shine and water removal.
However I'm worried about washing it - I usually use a woollen mitt, two buckets, and (probably not good?) a basic wash and wax from tesco.
I occasionally used to get the car cleaned by the lads that do it for a fiver in an old petrol station - will that be ok to do sometimes?
When the car is serviced they usually wash it - is that still ok to have done, I have read some people prefer not to.
Many thanks
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i would avoid those £5 car wash places like the plague personally.. i've recently started to use a pre-wash snow foam with added wax :laugh: literally 2 applications & rinses also going over the million dead flies glued to my front bumper with a sponge and all is good.
I do have colour magic polish & a massive collection of autoglym products and HD wax i am yet to apply
even bought a fancy "pet dryer" device to blow dry the car afterwards so there is no streak marks :shocked:
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Did the detailer who applied the ceramic coating not give you any advice - or a leaflet from the manufacturer of the ceramic coating - on washing and aftercare? You’ll no doubt have invested quite a lot of money in getting your car ceramic coated, so IMO appropriate aftercare is important to maximise longevity and durability of the product.
As @ramrod has said, avoid the hand wash places. They tend to use quite harsh products so they can speed up the car washing process to maximise the number of cars they can ‘clean’ (time is money them, so more cars = more income). These harsh cleaning products can strip conventional wax and sealant protection off the car - not sure if they reduce the longevity or durability of a ceramic coating though, but I wouldn’t risk it anyway.
I’d definitely avoid letting the VW dealer do their free ‘scratch and swirl’ treatment (a.k.a. complimentary free service wash), unless you want their sponge monkey to rub a grit laden sponge over your car and use the same bucket of dirty water that’s also grit laden and has been used to ‘wash’ numerous dirty cars before yours. I always specifically instruct the dealer not to wash my car, and put my ‘do not wash’ hanger on the interior rear view mirror, tie a ‘do not wash’ tag on my keys and get the service advisor to write the same instruction on their job sheet.
I’d definitely recommend continuing with the two bucket wash with a lambs wool mitt (I actually use three buckets; the third one has a separate shampoo / water mix for the wheels). I’d also ditch the Tesco shampoo and use a ph neutral shampoo. Consider doing a pre-wash (snowfoam and rinse) stage to loosen and remove any dirt before making any contact with the paintwork. I minimise contact with the paintwork when drying - I have a warm air dryer (Metro Vac Sidekick Blaster) to blow the water off the car, and then mop up any residual water drops with plush micro fibre drying towels (pat dry, rather than rubbing or dragging the towel over the paintwork).
There’s a useful article at the link below on best type of shampoo for washing a car with a ceramic coating, and tips on washing the car;
https://avalonking.com/blog/what-are-the-best-automotive-shampoos-for-ceramic-coated-cars/