How to Coat or Wax Your Car
The coating you put on your car is the single biggest factor when it comes to shine, protection and ease of future cleaning. Our secret prep tricks help get the most shine and protection possible out of ANY wax or coating.
Principles of Coatings
To get the best results out of a coating (ceramic coating, wax, sealant), we need it to adhere to the base surface. Your average car is going to have contaminants on top and prior coatings. We need to strip ALL of that off and be left with a bare surface.
2-Bucket Wash Technique
Now keep in mind when washing, cleaning, and drying the car, we want to use the proper technique. In our previous video we covered all those steps as well as our LESS method to get the best results for your car.
If you haven’t seen that video yet, it's linked above or you can read our blog post here.
Decon Wash
This is the most important step for applying a coating. Even if you want to shortcut yourself (which will hurt results) don’t skip this step.
A Decon Wash is short for Decontamination Wash. This is much stronger than your typical car wash soap. It will get off nasty “thicker” contaminants on the vehicle like road grime, bird droppings, and organic materials. It will also strip the car of any previous waxes, sealants, or coatings.
When we are doing a Decon Wash it's the same as our Proper Wash Technique. We want to use at least 2 buckets and 2 mitts. We’re going to rinse down the car. Then we will use a Decon Soap like our Zero Wash, washing from top to bottom. Afterwards, we’ll rinse off the car again.
Claying Your Car (Mechanical Decon)
I’ll be honest, this is probably the least sexy step of car care. Luckily, new tools have come out that make the process MUCH easier than it was back in the day. Claying is using a material such as detailing clay or a clay block to mechanically remove deeply embedded contaminants on a car’s surface.
Quick Test: If you grab a plastic bag and run it over the car’s paint you might feel little bumps. Those are embedded contaminants that not even a decon wash will get it out. We need a more aggressive method to remove them.
On a white or black car especially you can notice these contaminants. Sometimes they look like little specks. Removing them is crucial to a clean looking car, and it’s crucial to the coating getting the best bond to the surface possible.
Claying itself is relatively easy with the right products. We’ve found new Clay Sponges to fit nicely in the hand and work well. Clay Mitts are also good, though a little more expensive and I find the sponge to be easier to use.
We want to make sure we’re constantly lubricating the car as we are claying. Weather conditions play a huge factor in this. Claying out of the sun or at least later in the afternoon when the sun is setting, helps. Otherwise you might spray on a clay lube and find that it’s drying up on the car before we get a chance to clay.
Also, we want to be GENTLE with the clay. If we scrub too hard we can rub the clay off onto the paint (which we will then have to remove) or we can also mar the paint. Yes you can clay your glass. Do not clay textured plastic trim or rubber.
Coating Application
Ideal Conditions
Now when it comes to down to proper application conditions, they are as follows:
- A garage is always going to be best here. That way you won’t have any particles getting onto the car while applying.
- Otherwise, outdoors with some type of shade cover helps.
- If you’ve got neither then you want to make sure it isn’t a windy day, and do it out of intense sunlight, like late afternoon.
- The hotter it is, the quicker the product is going to flash on the surface.
Ceramic Coating Spray Application
The basic process is simple: spray it on and buff it out.
When it comes to applying the spray you have two main options. Spraying it on directly or spraying it into a sponge or towel then applying.
I’ve found that I’m able to use less product and get better results when applying it with a sponge which is why we included one. It’s also easier for me to make sure I get good coverage on the car and not miss any spots. In some areas, like the wheels, I might spray it on directly then buff it out with the microfiber towel.
So first I’ll load up the sponge with material, spraying into it liberally. Then I’ll work a section of the car going panel by panel before buffing it out with a microfiber towel. As a general rule of thumb you want to give it 60-90 seconds before buffing it out. I fold my towel into quarters and will flip it over using different sections as I work through the car.
For example, if I’m doing the side of a car, I would apply it to the windows, then buff it out before moving onto the panels.
This coating is very forgiving so don’t stress it. Apply it to the windows, the paint, plastic trim, and vinyl areas. You can use it on chrome as well. When applying to the wheels you can spray it on directly or use the sponge. Don't apply it to tires, it won’t adhere to tire rubber in that way.
You can apply it to plastic trim, it’s just tricky. If it wasn’t washed properly or if you used a heavy duty plastic trim product in the past, it’ll rub off while applying and gunk up your applicator. I would test a small area first and apply at the end.
Cure Time
The Nitro V7 Spray cures pretty rapidly and it’s very forgiving.
You’ll want the car to stay dry for at least an hour and up to 24 hours for the best results. That is to say, you shouldn’t hose it off or wash it for at least 24 hours. If it rains or something else happens within that time frame though it’s okay.
Want Deep Shine in Half The Time?
You’re ready to apply a coating and you know the proper steps to prep for it.
We wanted to make it easy for you to get the best results possible. That’s why we built out a few kits to make it super simple for you to get great results.
Easy Ceramic Coating Kit
This kit allows you to quickly apply a 7H ceramic coating with our Nitro V7 Spray, no matter your experience level. It includes our Zero Wash decon soap & wash mitt for prep plus 2 microfiber towels for application.
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Full Ceramic Coating Kit
Take your coating prep a step further with our full decontamination & clay kit, featuring a clay scrubber for a deep clean. Maximize the performance of our NITRO V7 Spray with this kit. Complete the detail with our quick-drying towel and drying aid.
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