“How much for your ceramic coating?”  The bottle!  Well, this cost me $200, $300, and $150.  Oh, you want (rhetorical question) me to put it on your car?  That is called a detailing service, with ceramic coating protection.  To consumers of DETAILING services, speaking on behalf of professionals, many of us consistently deal with the challenges of communicating to the consumer.  This is not going to be one of those articles that screams that ceramic coating is for everyone, because I do not believe detailing is for everyone based upon assumptions about what you believe you will automatically get when someone says, ‘ceramic coating.’  Just like someone with a blindfold calling a random restaurant, asking how much for food.  I hope this encourages you to reevaluate how you judge professionals who are quick to answer or need more dialogue before answering, “how much for a ceramic coating.”

Ceramic coating is not (by itself) making your car look great.  Though it is also misleading to say it does not play a part in the foundation of detailing that improves the condition.  It does not remove swirls, nor does the existence of swirls mean it is necessarily on or not on your paint.  It is in many ways no different than wax or sealant.   Polishing is more important to its appearance, not just because you will live with the paint in that condition longer.  People do not realize wax will often for a very brief period mimic a minimal level of polishing/ paint correction.  Some people have said the ceramic coating made my car look worse than wax.  It had nothing to do with the ceramic coating.  It was the fact that you took the prep (i.e. detailing) for granted.

Resistance to scratches, swirls, water-spots, is not what most average consumers think.  Neither is self-cleaning! That may mean a ceramic coating may not be worth it for you.  But many people love their cars ceramic coated.  They also have realistic expectations for what a ceramic coating provides.  It enhances the experience for people who TRY and especially for people who are enthusiastic about car care.

A coating won’t protect your car from negligence.  That includes not washing your car.  That also includes washing your car the same or close enough to the same way that led to swirls.   I tell DIYers to start out minimally polishing and add a sealant.  Then learn how to wash your car.  Seriously!  Once that process is SIGNIFICANTLY improved, move up to more long-term protection.

Long-term and self-healing coatings have some added benefits, but both are misunderstood.  The self-healing attribute may only be moderate or minimal. Something most people won’t say, it loses its self-healing abilities well before the end of the coating life cycle.

The self-cleaning attribute plays a major part in swirl prevention.  Though, you still have to wash your car.  It often protects you against yourself, washing your car.  Stuff doesn’t stick as easily.  Keeping you from doing things detailers often tell you not to do.  Also, what is often not talked about is the benefit of chemical resistance.  That also means instead of putting swirls and scratches back into your paint by scrubbing, you can use the seemingly endless list specialty maintenance cleaners to address bugs and water-spots.  Some of the products that would remove wax, used in moderation will have minimal effect on coatings.