[AJ56]

Originally Posted by sahil1033

Guys, I've purchased Skoda Slavia Sportline 1.5 TSI (Tornado Red) in December 2024. Clocked in around 2.9k kms already.

For ceramic coating, what's occupying my mind is, it's a coating and what will happen if I keep a person for cleaning my car in the society where I'm residing?
What are the odds that the guy would use microfiber cloth only even if I give it to him?
I have a Jopasu Juggernaut car duster, will it be okay to use?

So, the above things are constantly revolving in my head and it's even getting tougher to decide.

Please help me out!

Welcome to the forum!

Get a pro coating from an authorised detailer from any of the good ceramic coating mfg’s. Carpro, SystemX, Feynlab, Modesta, Gyeon, etc. being approved isn’t a guarantee of high quality work but it’s a step in the right direction when selecting which shop to go with.

No, don’t use a Jopasu duster as it will swirl your paint over time. Forget about ceramic coatings for a second, just consider the clearcoat, which is a thick, transparent coating from the factory to protect your base coat.

Irrespective of ceramic coating, continuing with your daily cleaner will heavily damage your clearcoat, you’ll get heavy swirls with interlaced deeper scuffs as well as mineral deposits as they don’t dry properly in the morning and water in most Indian cities is hard.

For reference, this what a 2 month old black C-Class looks like after being attacked around 60 times by the daily cleaner-

To undo this damage, even the most skilled detailer will take off at least 4-5 microns from your clearcoat. You can do it once or twice but repeating this process frequently will result in premature clearcoat failure.

Point I’m trying to get across is, new cars have extremely soft water based paint that swirls like no tomorrow, this takes away the gloss and clarity and makes your car look old. So whether you get a coating or not, please wash it safely and I’d suggest putting a coating on for ease of maintenance as it makes washing a breeze.

You don’t need microfibres for the paint, just use water and air to rinse and dry in a touchless manner on most days and every couple of weeks do a full contact wash with shampoo and wash mitts. Keep 1-2 towels for cleaning your glasses but never wipe paint without lubrication (water is not a good lubricant, it’s a solvent.)

[sahil1033]

Originally Posted by AJ56

Welcome to the forum!

Get a pro coating from an authorised detailer from any of the good ceramic coating mfg’s. Carpro, SystemX, Feynlab, Modesta, Gyeon, etc. being approved isn’t a guarantee of high quality work but it’s a step in the right direction when selecting which shop to go with.

Hey, thanks a lot for the detailed reply.

I'm from Pune and in my mind 3M Car Care was on my mind but I see you didn't even mention 3M's product for coating, any reason? Internet is full of 3M ceramic coating upon searching.

Also, another option I see from popularity point of view is Brotomotiv. Is it good or not? No idea which company's product they use for ceramic coating but they charge a premium though for the brand name they've created (via YouTube).

One last doubt I have, I want to paint my front disc brake calipers to yellow, like Ferraris have. Someone told me, I can also get it wrapped and save the cost. For paint, Skoda workshop quoted Rs. 6,000 for both the front tyres and Brotomotiv quote approx. Rs. 4,000 something. What's your take on this?

[AJ56]

Originally Posted by sahil1033

Hey, thanks a lot for the detailed reply.

I'm from Pune and in my mind 3M Car Care was on my mind but I see you didn't even mention 3M's product for coating, any reason? Internet is full of 3M ceramic coating upon searching.

Strangely google shows anything but 3M to me, might be different based on the profile they’ve built for each person. They make great tapes/masks and adhesives but for pro coatings they’re nowhere when it comes to the top tier brands. In fact 3M didn’t even have a ceramic coating for many years.

Bromotiv I don’t have any views on as I’ve never taken their service. Do ask what brand of kit will be used and if they’re authorised to install the same.

Wrap your brake calipers? Please don’t as the heat will make short work of any wrap on your brake system. Paint wraps generally won’t tolerate temperatures in excess of 90-100 degrees Celsius.

As for aftermarket painting, I’ve not seen good results long term as it’s very prone to chipping (aftermarket paint lacks the integrity and chip resistance factory paint has.)

If you still go ahead, ensure they remove the calipers and paint them separately as you don’t want overspray all over your rotors and brake pads.

[BhayanaV]

Do we have a dedicated post explaining post Ceramic Coating care? How to decon and maintain, top up the coat periodically. And most important, what not to do after ceramic.

[izzikio_rage]

I got the coating done almost a year back. Can see a lot of swirl marks on the paint now. The car wash guy keeps telling me that its due to the dirty cloth used by the society car cleaners. So a new coat of ceramic and then only washing using a microfiber will ensure this does not happen.

Not sure if he's just trying to drum up his business or if there is actually some truth to this. Please advise.

[Old Dude]

Originally Posted by izzikio_rage

I got the coating done almost a year back. Can see a lot of swirl marks on the paint now. The car wash guy keeps telling me that its due to the dirty cloth used by the society car cleaners. So a new coat of ceramic and then only washing using a microfiber will ensure this does not happen.

Not sure if he's just trying to drum up his business or if there is actually some truth to this. Please advise.

Using a microfiber cloth is only a first baby step towards preserving your car from swirl marks - Best practices to prolong your paint finish have to be followed, including but not limited to
1) Never dry wipe your car
2) Use a blower ( if available) or gentle wipes with a Jopasu duster to remove dust.
3) Use contactless pressure wash where possible l, if not, two bucket wash technique with a ph neutral car shampoo having good lubricant property, and a soft and good quality wash mit.
4) Alternative to washing is using a rinse less wash using a good product such as ONR or P&S Absolute .
5) Use a good quality quick detailer for those in-between wash cleanings.
6) Always use clean microfiber clothes with quick detailers, following good practice of wiping from
End to end in the same direction, simultaneously rolling up the microfiber to avoid dragging the abrasive dirt across the paint surface. Do not use circular motion for wiping cars, as this is a sure shot way of inflicting swirl marks.
7) Use air lower if available, or a good quality soft and absorbent drying towel and do not apply pressure on the paint surface.

In short, if your car cleaning guy is not as passionate as you and aware of and diligent in following all the above good practices, you will not be delaying the onset of swirl marks by much just by getting him a microfiber cloth.

[izzikio_rage]

Originally Posted by Old Dude

Using a microfiber cloth is only a first baby step towards preserving your car from swirl marks - Best practices to prolong your paint finish have to be followed, including but not limited to.

Wow, thanks for that. Also is it possible to get existing marks buffed out? Or can they get removed if another coating of ceramic is applied?

[Old Dude]

Originally Posted by izzikio_rage

Wow, thanks for that. Also is it possible to get existing marks buffed out? Or can they get removed if another coating of ceramic is applied?

You always buff out any existing swirl marks and scratches before applying a coating - the coatings don’t fill any scratches.

One recommendation is to get a package with your ceramic coating vendor to include annual maintenance- this typically includes buffing off any swirl marks and applying a maintenance coat.

[AJ56]

Originally Posted by BhayanaV

Do we have a dedicated post explaining post Ceramic Coating care? How to decon and maintain, top up the coat periodically. And most important, what not to do after ceramic.

That post will run dozens of pages, although many have written books on detailing if you’re so inclined. YouTube is also a great resource.

The single most important thing to ensure long term performance with any coating is to eliminate the daily cleaner, he will inflict deep damage and will not only scratch the coating but over time will do irreversible damage to the paint.

Good coatings from any of the top tier brands don’t really require much maintenance. Unless you do something to the paint outside normal conditions, like sand it, take rubbing compound to it, repaint a panel, scratch it by improper washing or let very corrosive elements buildup on it (like bird poo).

Special mention of bird poo, most people don’t know how corrosive it actually is, if you see any, remove it asap. Anything over 8 hours even on coated paint will stain, with 48hrs and above doing permanent damage, a week and it’ll probably eat through your entire paint system and no car mfg./coating mfg. will warranty it, as it’s user negligence.

As for decontamination, it may or may not be needed depending on driving and parking conditions. Worst case, you’ll need mineral remover for hard water spots, tar remover for tar spots and ferrous remover for rust spots, that’s it. You likely won’t need all three, just mentioned for your knowledge.

In case you do need any of the above for decontamination, your coating won’t need reapplication as they are safe over coated paint. Do not clay or use abrasives for decon as that will swirl the paint and require polishing and reapplication.

For maintenance, you can use just air or water + air in between foam
washes. I’ve sent links to short clips I made earlier in this thread showing the above. If you can’t find them I’ll link again.

Originally Posted by izzikio_rage

Can see a lot of swirl marks on the paint now. The car wash guy keeps telling me that its due to the dirty cloth used by the society car cleaners. So a new coat of ceramic and then only washing using a microfiber will ensure this does not happen.

Not sure if he's just trying to drum up his business or if there is actually some truth to this. Please advise.

A microfibre should not be a part of your washing and drying routine after a high quality coating has been applied. You need to rinse with a pressure washer and dry with a leaf blower most days, with a rinse-foam-mitts-rinse-dry every few days/weeks (contact wash). Max you’ll need is glass towels and a plush 550gsm or higher towel to catch drips (dab, don’t wipe.)

During a contact wash use multiple mitts and after both sides are done, go to a fresh mitt. You’ll need 7-8 mitts and will eliminate the second bucket, also much safer than the 2 bucket method where a single mitt is reused. Cross contamination between panels is effectively eliminated as well. Work top to bottom, do not use your paint and glass mitts on wheels or silencer tips.

Have a dedicated wheel mitt/towel instead. Ideally one mitt for the wheel face and an older towel for the wheel well along with a long handle brush to get the brake dust.

Paint is butter soft (even after coating), the golden rule is to never touch it without adequate lubrication. Water is not a good lubricant, it’s a solvent, that’s why we use foam shampoos (it’s not for cleaning, it’s for lubrication). It ensures your mitts glide over the surface instead of digging into it and scuffing it.

Never do waterless washing as it’s a sure shot way to destroy your paint over time. Rinseless washing is safer, provided you do it correctly (most folks don’t). As the name suggests, you don’t need a final rinse with a good rinseless wash like opti no rinse (ONR) but you still need a pressure washer to get all the dust off before spraying and wiping.

At this point, there is little difference in effort between a foam cannon and rinseless, either will work provided you use multiple mitts/towels and keep switching to a fresh one after all sides are done.

Jopasu duster is another way to damage your paint and coating, dry abrasion never works out well and after a few attempts you’ll see the swirls on a sunny day. Instead use a powerful leaf blower to remove loose dust in a touchless manner, like an air duster. If you have a covered garage, compressed air also works great.

Did the installer tell you what brand of kit was used? Good brands don’t require much maintenance, near zero in fact provided you don’t abuse it by washing incorrectly. Mineral remover, tar remover and ferrous remover are need based and may not be needed in certain cases.

Now that it is swirled, you need to have the paint corrected again and re apply the coating. Note that paint on new cars is wafer thin and constant polishing will lead to premature clearcoat failure, do check with the shop on how much they’re removing exactly. You should get a clear range like 3-4 microns. If they appear confused or are not clear or don’t have even a basic DFT gauge, find a better shop.

Will also suggest sticking to authorised installers of any of the major brands in the pro coating space. It’s not a guarantee of quality but a big step in the right direction.

Originally Posted by Old Dude

6) Do not use circular motion for wiping cars, as this is a sure shot way of inflicting swirl marks.

This isn’t true, swirls aren’t actually circular scratches, they are straight lines when viewed under a microscope.

Wiping in circles is no better or worse than straight lines. If you’re going to scratch, wiping in straight lines will scratch just as easily.

[izzikio_rage]

Originally Posted by AJ56

Did the installer tell you what brand of kit was used?

Now that it is swirled, you need to have the paint corrected again and re apply the coating. Note that paint on new cars is wafer thin and constant polishing will lead to premature clearcoat failure, do check with the shop on how much they’re removing exactly. You should get a clear range like 3-4 microns. If they appear confused or are not clear or don’t have even a basic DFT gauge, find a better shop.

Had a 3M ceramic coating done from a reputed but not a brand name shop. Will visit him and figure out the buffing and maintenence coat charges.

Will also quiz them on the DFT gauge and how much paint they plan to remove.

Truthfully though I'm a bit worried about the crazy amount of maintenance and care paint needs even after a coating. Not sure how to ensure this in our already crazy busy lives.

[BhayanaV]

Originally Posted by AJ56

That post will run dozens of pages, although many have written books on detailing if you’re so inclined. YouTube is also a great resource.

The single most important thing to ensure long term performance with any coating is to eliminate the daily cleaner, he will inflict deep damage and will not only scratch the coating but over time will do irreversible damage to the paint.

Thanks AJ. I have a dedicated person for cleaning my car and have a garage. Was more interested in dont's after ceramic, thanks for the hints there.

[KnightX]

I am expecting delivery of my newly booked Creta Starry Night (a shade of blue) colour in next 10 days and looking to get it ceramic coated. However, I will be dependent on the society's cleaning guy for daily or alternate days cleaning/wiping. From what I have gathered from reading along the thread is that despite getting the ceramic coating done, the car is bound to get swirl marks if it is wiped by the regular cleaning person and that is something that is really difficult to avoid in my humble opinion for a regular guy who cannot dedicate that much time and effort themselves towards cleaning their car. Any suggestions on what best can be done in this situation from people who can relate to my situation are welcome. So is there any extra protection or benefits whatsoever of getting the ceramic coating done in this case? Also please suggest a good detailer with reasonable pricing for the coating (prefarably around HSR Layout or nearby areas would be great).

[speedmiester]

Originally Posted by KnightX

I am expecting delivery of my newly booked Creta Starry Night (a shade of blue) colour in next 10 days and looking to get it ceramic coated.

I was in the same dilemma for my new car after getting it ceramic coated. Even the detailer mentioned not to get it cleaned by such cleaners.
I have since stopped using their services and clean my car myself usually once in two weeks.
I stay in an apartment so got a battery operated pressure washer which works well using a bucket of water. Happy to say that after 6 months, there are no swirl marks.

[Bane214]

Originally Posted by speedmiester

I clean my car myself usually once in two weeks.
I stay in an apartment so got a battery operated pressure washer which works well using a bucket of water.

I am in the exact same boat, got a Kushaq 1 year back, ceramic coated, stopped society car cleaner, wash it myself once in 2-3 weeks, no swirl marks till now. However i have been using a manual hand operated foam and water sprayer. Could you please share the link of the battery pressure washer, i have been looking for a good reliable one but coming across only unreliable chinese products.

[speedmiester]

Originally Posted by Bane214

I am in the exact same boat, got a Kushaq 1 year back, ceramic coated, stopped society car cleaner, wash it myself once in 2-3 weeks, no swirl marks till now. However i have been using a manual hand operated foam and water sprayer. Could you please share the link of the battery pressure washer, i have been looking for a good reliable one but coming across only unreliable chinese products.

This is the one that I have bought. Bit expensive compared to the other products, but the build quality and form factor is very good. It's compact, folaldable and fits in my pocket.
One charge is sufficient for two washes. Pressure is very good. I can clean my car in one bucket of water.

https://amzn.in/d/0lGPfh9