How to prep the paint for a ceramic coating

Preparing a car’s paintwork for a ceramic coating couldn’t be any easier than following these three steps: wash, polish, and lastly apply a paint prep spray. So let’s get down into the details.

1. WASH

To get any ceramic coating looking its absolute best to start with making sure that the surface is 100% clean and ready to work with. This means giving the exterior a deep clean.

 

Here is our 4-step process for cleaning the exterior effectively:

1. Fill one bucket with water and soap and the other will be plain water. Place a Microfiber mitt into the bucket with soap and water.

2. Start washing from top to bottom, beginning with the hood. 

Most of the particles and debris will be on the bottom of the car, this is one of the motivations for using the top to bottom technique. 

Begin with washing one side of the car, front to back, then later move on to the second half. Grab your microfiber mitt and do not scrub or apply too much pressure. Simply use the weight of the mitt and rub lightly on the surface. 

 

3. Flip the mitt over and begin to wash from the windshield to the roof of the car moving to the back

PRO TIP: After washing a section, rinse the mitt off to remove collected dirt and debris 

 

4. Dry the exterior 

We highly suggest that when drying the exterior with a microfiber towel you lubricate it with car wax, or Ceramic Coating spray to ensure that you do not leave any swirl marks, and also give an extra layer of protection to the surface. 

One way to ensure that the car is completely dry is using two towels for this process. One towel is used to soak up all the excess water and the other is used to double-check, making sure the surface is perfectly dry.

 

ONYX COATING expert TIPS for washing exterior: 

• Always start from the top and work down. Some believe that the best way to wash their car is, to begin with, in the toughest and dirtiest areas, however, as professionals the ONYX COATING team recommends that it’s essential to start at the top and work towards the bottom using gravity to help wash the car as well. This ensures that the contaminants are not reintroduced into surfaces that are already clean. 
• Also, avoid washing in direct sunlight to minimize streaking and water spotting. 
• When it comes to drying the exterior without leaving watermarks or droplets is to use a leaf blower to blow dry the car. 
• Some contaminants cannot be removed via soap. If there are contaminants on your car’s exterior that you couldn’t remove through handwashing make sure you take your car to a professional to help remove them as they will have the appropriate products to help remove these without damaging the exterior. 

2. POLISH 

Even if the vehicle is brand new or almost new, this is still a crucial step in preparing the exterior for a Ceramic Coating. This is because some paint correction may be required. It is crucial to polish the paint correctly, removing all imperfections so that once the ceramic coating is applied no scratches or swirls will be locked down under it. 

 

This step is often the most meticulous of them all as often this is where swirl marks and scratches are inflicted. Check out this blog article for all our expert tips and tricks on how to polish the exterior.

3. APPLY PAINT PREP

Once the vehicle has been properly washed, cleaned, and perfected, it’s time to apply the final product before applying a ceramic coating. 

 

By applying a paint prep product you ensure that all polish or wax residues, silicone, oil, and contamination have been fully removed. This guarantees that the surface is completely ready to work with. Our Paint prep has a special formula that prevents swirl marks, is safe for painted surfaces, and removes all contaminants producing an exterior as smooth as glass.

 

It contains ingredients that allow a particularly smooth finish with a microfiber cloth due to its high lubricity. This prevents scratches that can arise when using e.g. pure isopropanol (isopropyl alcohol).

 

In summary, a paint prep makes removing wax, silicone, fillers, and oil from car body paint, gel coat, metal, and wheels easy and effective. 

 

By following these three steps you are sure to obtain a clean and prepped exterior that is ready for a ceramic coating!