Nano Paint Coatings have revolutionized the way we protect and maintain our vehicles. There are MANY options out there in terms of what brand/system is best for you and your vehicle. The best way to find the one that fits you is to do your research, although they do all seem to offer similar performance each has their own unique twist. Some of my client’s favorite are Gtechniq and CQuartz.
Now, your car has been coated because you followed my step by step process here. What is next? How do I maintain the coating I spent hours and hours, hundreds or even thousands of dollars to have installed on my vehicle? What if I mess it up?
The most common question I receive from my clients and DIYer’s alike is how to maintain their coated cars. Surprisingly there isn’t a ton of straight forward information on the best way to do this. The point of this post is to go over the recommend ways to best maintain a coated vehicle’s finish.
Wash, maintain, rejuvenate. Coating maintenance can be broken down into these three simple categories. Although coatings do offer tremendous performance, they aren’t bulletproof or a “set it and forget it” solution. They require maintenance and DO NOT reward neglect.
Routine washing is recommended every week if possible. Since once a coating is applied, it is not recommended to polish or refinish the surface, it is imperative to keep the coated surface as contaminate and defect free as possible. This means not allowing the car to sit dirty for extended periods of time, and to clean or remove any potentially damaging substances like bird droppings or water spots.
Don’t wait until your car looks like the photo below to maintain your coated vehicle.
Washing: Whether using a standard two bucket method, or waterless wash system, the objective is simple. Remove debris as safely and efficiently as possible without instilling damage or adding any polymers or fillers that could affect performance of the coating.
I recommend sticking with the line of maintenance products that the brand of coating recommends. Coating manufacturers do tend to formulate their maintenance line to work synergistically with their coating.
Maintenance: This is the every couple washes process where the goal is to get the vehicle clean and apply a slight bit of spray on protection. Once again I do recommend sticking with the coating manufacturers line but a couple of my favorites are (Gtechniq C2 V3 or CarPro Reload). These detail sprays have special polymers and protectants in them that will increase the protection to the coating itself. Using this after a wash process every 2-3 months is a great way to ensure you see the optimal performance out of your coating of choice!
Rejuvenation: I recommend this type of service every 4-6 months. As with any surface overtime debris and fallout can adhere itself, on a coating this may result in decreased hydrophobic properties or slight roughness to the touch. The goal with this service is to remove any fallout or contaminants and “rejuvenate” the coating surface. After this is done adding protection in the form of a detail spray designed to work with a coating will provide you with a “like new” coating surface.
Because using a clay bar or polishing your coating can damage the coating itself, the best way to go about this is using a chemical fallout remover. I like using Sonax Fallout Remover to gently exfoliate the vehicles surface.
If you have any questions on how to maintain your coated vehicle, please leave them below!