What are you using to wash after Ceramic coating

[RobCMass]

Just like the title asks, what is everyone using to wash your 4Runner after having a ceramic coating done. There’s a lot of marketing out there on what is best. I’ve been looking at Hydro Suds from chemical guys but it’s $18 for a 16 ounce bottle so looking for something a bit cheaper that will do the job. I have read it’s needs to be a neutral PH.

I currently have a bottle of Meguiars Gold Glass but have been told by a friend not to use that on a vehicle with a ceramic coating. Looking for advice, thanks

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[get.outside.75]

Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Pure Wash. 2oz in the foam canon.

 

[Joestac]

McKee's N914 waterless wash, distilled water, and a lambskin mit.

 

[RandomSquirrel]

Pay my buddy $50 (who owns a detailing business and ceramic coats all my rides). He hand washes, applies CS3 to all painted and glass surfaces, and will "restore" the ceramic coating when/as needed. It's cheap insurance and helps support a small business. #everyonewins

 

[Crose1695]

Look up a company called Shine Supply. Family owned out of southern california. The exact specific soap they say to use for ceramic coated cars is called Shift. I literally just bought another gallon a couple hours ago haha. They ship really fast and always have discount code emails and sales going on. Plus You get I think 15% off first order. Their products are extremely good. Almost all the professional detailers here I know in SoCal use their stuff strictly.

 

[TrdProGirl84]

I use Chemical Guys Honeydew Ph neutral foaming soap.

 

[spyder40]

Gtechniq washes out of a foam cannon

 

[Undefeatable]

So much misinformation about ceramic coatings. I love how on one hand, companies/installers will tout how its tough it is, and then immediately say "but only wash it with ph neutral shampoo". Which is it? Durable or fragile enough to be harmed by a slightly acidic or alkaline soap?

Heres my suggestions as someone who went down the detailing rabbit hole 5+ years now:

Brands:

• Chemical Guys - Stay away, overpriced marketing junk.
• Meguiars Gold Class - Its a fine soap, especially for the price. Its pH neutral, so your friend doesn't know what they are talking about.
• Good brands if you just want to purchase without digging deep include:
  • Amour Detail Supply
  • GTechniq
  • Gyeon
  • Optimum
  • P&S
  • Koch Chemie
  • DIY Detail
  • CarPro
    • There are 1000 more, just choose a good one and have fun
• Avoid Chemical Guys

General Advice

• Wash process is 100X more important than chemical brand at the end of the day
• Good quality Micro Fiber towels are worth their weight in gold (check out The Rag Company or The House of Rags as a couple sources).
• As someone who does marketing professionally, the detailing space is full of snake oil and marketing hype. Its unfortunate but not unique to this industry.
• Watch a few A-Z videos on how to detail your vehicle (again, I really recommend The Rag Company's YouTube channel, or DIY Details YouTube channel).
• Avoid Chemical Guys

 

[RobCMass]

So much misinformation about ceramic coatings. I love how on one hand, companies/installers will tout how its tough it is, and then immediately say "but only wash it with ph neutral shampoo". Which is it? Durable or fragile enough to be harmed by a slightly acidic or alkaline soap?

Heres my suggestions as someone who went down the detailing rabbit hole 5+ years now:

Brands:

• Chemical Guys - Stay away, overpriced marketing junk.
• Meguiars Gold Class - Its a fine soap, especially for the price. Its pH neutral, so your friend doesn't know what they are talking about.
• Good brands if you just want to purchase without digging deep include:
  • Amour Detail Supply
  • GTechniq
  • Gyeon
  • Optimum
  • P&S
  • Koch Chemie
  • DIY Detail
  • CarPro
    • There are 1000 more, just choose a good one and have fun
• Avoid Chemical Guys

General Advice

• Wash process is 100X more important than chemical brand at the end of the day
• Good quality Micro Fiber towels are worth their weight in gold (check out The Rag Company or The House of Rags as a couple sources).
• As someone who does marketing professionally, the detailing space is full of snake oil and marketing hype. Its unfortunate but not unique to this industry.
• Watch a few A-Z videos on how to detail your vehicle (again, I really recommend The Rag Company's YouTube channel, or DIY Details YouTube channel).
• Avoid Chemical Guys

This is exactly the kind of information I was looking for. The #1 takeaway is avoid chemical guys which I already had a feeling about lol so thanks for this

 

[Joe Dirt]

Me personally I go down to the local spritzer car wash for a few bucks, give it a good spritzing and then squirt on my McGuire's ceramic coating and then immediately spray it all off right down the drain. I then use my leaf blower to blow off all the water and give it a quick 2-minute wipe down and drive home and park it inside my garage. Then I'll wipe down the windows and call it a day.

Oh! But I did once used my girlfriend's shampoo not knowing it was designer stuff! Car had a nice shine and smelled pretty good. She was pretty upset about that one.

 

[bakutheleo]

Why not just use a fairly dilute solution of hand dishwashing soap (Dawn, whatever)? I cannot imagine it would harm anything, and it is cheap and you probably already have some.

 

[horbit]

Soap and wooder.

Also this was interesting.

 

[LLL1990]

Why not just use a fairly dilute solution of hand dishwashing soap (Dawn, whatever)? I cannot imagine it would harm anything, and it is cheap and you probably already have some.

It would literally eat the clear coat off the car.

 

[LLL1990]

Not bashing anyone and no disrespect but why pay all this money for one of the most capable off road vehicles you can buy and keep it cleaner than a Ferrari. I understand taking care of your vehicles but a 4Runner is supposed to get dirty. I had a F-150 and IMO it looked better when it was dirty, had stuff in the bed or a trailer behind it than when it was freshly washed. I guess, to me, that's when it really looked like a truck. Similar to how sports cars are designed to look like they're going fast even when they're standing still.

 

[bakutheleo]

@LLL1990 Dilute hand dishwashing liquid would eat through the clear coat? I suppose I have no definitive data on that, but honestly I cannot imagine that being the case. It is just designed to remove oils (and dirt of course), and diluted it should not "eat" through much of anything except that. Don't need a strong solution in the least to clean a vehicle.

Generally agree with your comment about keeping it ultra clean. I put on an inexpensive protective coat (sheds water and probably minor dust) but have put off washing it again. It is on my list mostly because this is the first new car I have had in a long time and seems that I should take care of it a little bit (my previous cars nearly never had a bath at least after a while). I do not rush to get dirt off. That said, keeping gritty stuff (the stuff is like, well pretty much actually, sandpaper grit here in the southwest) off will keep the protective finish in better shape for longer.

I see a lot of "off road" vehicles (Jeeps, big trucks, et cetera) that are so sparkly clean and have lots of chrome that I have a hard time believing the ever go off road (probably don't) or even in a puddle if they can avoid it. Also lots of said vehicles built up to the point of being ridiculous (I am sure you have all seen the big pickup trucks with rows of shocks and what seems like, maybe really is, about a 1 foot lift). I figure most of those are for show as well. I have a friend that has an old Jeep he goes off road in a lot--it looks like it does. It has basically no add-ons. It is old, beat up,, a little rust (never much of that here in the southwest), dull paint...and well-loved doing what it is designed to do.

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