How do I wash my car after a ceramic coating?

We recommend washing your car yourself by hand. 

Start off by wetting the car and rinsing it off. A pressure washer, even a cheap one, would be a good investment, or use pressure washers at a self-service car wash. If you don't have access to either of these, a hose pipe with a jet nozzle will do at a pinch. Rinsing it off will remove the vast majority of the dirt and grit that can cause scratches.

Next, we recommend spraying the car down with a good quality car shampoo. Don't use a sponge or even a wash mitt to apply the soap, a trigger spray or pump-up sprayer allows you to get the shampoo on the car without causing wash marks.

You need to introduce agitation to loosen anything that has stuck to your car's paintwork, and for this we recommend a wash mitt or soft transport brush. Gently brushing the dirt loose with overlapping strokes, and wash out your mitt in clean water to remove any grit, as wiping a dirty mitt over your car can potentially cause scratches. With this done, give the car another good rinse off.

The best way to dry the car is with softened water. You can use an inline hose filter, otherwise you can use a drying agent.

If you are unable to do any of this, we recommend going to a good hand wash and asking them to follow this process. They shouldn't mind at all, as this is less work than they normally need to do to wash a car.

What products do you need?

As for special products, any pH neutral car shampoo will work, preferably one that isn't a wash-and-wax, but this isn't a dealbreaker.

You will need a shampoo, a wash mitt, microfibre towels (at least two). Additionally we would recommend a bug remover, as this doubles as a bird mess remover - it's a handy item to have. A wheel cleaner and wheel brush is also recommended in the long term.

Fireball GB has a online shop, and we would recommend them because they can supply everything you might need all in one place, they sell ceramic coatings, so many of their products are designed to be safe for coatings and are labelled so on the website.

What this question is really about

Most people asking this have just had a ceramic coating applied and don’t want to undo the benefit in the first wash and what to know if there is anything 'special' they have to do. The concern is usually about timing, technique, and what products are safe.

The first wash matters

Immediately after application, coatings go through a curing period. During that time, avoid harsh chemicals, aggressive traffic film removers, or mechanical abrasion. Follow the specific aftercare window given by your installer before carrying out a full wash.

When it’s safe to wash normally

Once the initial cure period has passed, you can wash the car in the same careful way you would any protected vehicle:

• Pre-rinse thoroughly to remove loose grit.
• Use a pH-neutral, coating-safe shampoo.
• Wash gently with a clean mitt or soft brush.
• Rinse thoroughly and dry with clean microfibre towels or air.

What to avoid after coating

• Automatic brush washes.
• Strong alkaline or acidic cleaners used routinely.
• Scrubbing bird mess or sap dry - soften and rinse first.
• Using dirty cloths or dropped towels.

If the car gets dirty during the cure window

If it rains or the car picks up light dirt shortly after coating, a gentle rinse with water is usually fine. Avoid contact washing until the installer’s recommended time has passed.

Long-term view

The way you wash the car after coating determines how often you’ll need correction in the future. A ceramic coating reduces wash marring, but it doesn’t make poor technique safe.

Written by Danny Argent. Last updated 13/02/2026 16:51