To wash a ceramic coated car, pre-wash it with a pH-neutral snow foam, then contact wash with a ceramic or pH-neutral shampoo such as AutoBead Ceramic Shampoo and two buckets, rinse well and dry with a soft towel. Top up with a ceramic quick detailer every few washes, and use a coating shampoo such as CarPro Reset when the beading fades.
What is the best way to wash a car with a ceramic coating?
Gently and often. A coating makes the car easier to clean, but it is not scratch-proof, and dirt left on it builds up a film that dulls the gloss and stops the water beading. The safe routine is the same as for any well-kept car: a touch-free pre-wash, a lubricated two-bucket contact wash, a careful dry, and the right shampoo. What changes with a coating is the chemistry: pH-neutral products that clean without stripping, and no gloss enhancers that sit on top and mask the coating's own finish. For the basic method, see how to wash your car safely.
What should you use to clean a ceramic coated car?
Every product below is in stock with us, and the details come from each maker's own website or the product listing.
Shampoo
AutoBead formulates it to work hand in hand with its waxes and coatings, helping to maintain and prolong the protection. Its ceramic molecules bond to the surface, so regular use builds up extra layers of ceramic protection. Use 3 to 4 capfuls in a 15 litre bucket of warm water.
CarPro developed it as the partner to nanotechnology sealants and coatings. Its intelligent pH surfactants have the strength of an alkaline cleaner while staying pH-neutral in solution, to break down dirt and traffic film and keep the coating's water repellency. It has no gloss enhancers and dilutes 1:500, which is 40ml in 20 litres of water.
Pre-wash
Stjarnagloss SNÖ pH Neutral Snow Foam
Its listing describes a double-strength, pH-neutral snow foam that loosens dirt and traffic film before the contact wash and is safe for ceramic coatings, waxes, sealants, PPF and vinyl wraps.
Mitt, towel and top-up
FibreKing Gold Label Korean Microfibre Wash Mitt
Ultra-soft fibres that, its listing says, lift and trap dirt to prevent scratches and swirls.
FibreKing Silver Label Drying Towel
An 1100 GSM double layer twisted loop towel, 50 x 80cm, that its listing says absorbs up to seven times its own weight and has a hidden edge seam.
AutoBead Ceramic Quick Detailer
A blend of nano ceramic particles and reactive polysiloxanes that AutoBead says adds a layer of ceramic protection lasting approximately 6 months, works with its coatings and hard waxes, and can be used on a dry surface or as a drying aid.
Ceramic car wash products compared
| Product | Job | Maker's mix or use | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| AutoBead Ceramic Shampoo | Regular maintenance wash | 3 to 4 capfuls per 15 litres | Adds ceramic layers with each wash |
| CarPro Reset | Deep-cleaning coating wash | 1:500, 40ml per 20 litres | No gloss enhancers, pH-neutral in solution |
| Stjarnagloss SNÖ | Touch-free pre-wash | Snow foam lance | pH neutral, coating safe (listing) |
| AutoBead Ceramic Quick Detailer | Top-up after the wash | Mist onto a microfibre, or as a drying aid | About 6 months per layer |
How do you wash a ceramic coated car step by step?
Pre-wash without touching the paint, contact wash with two buckets and a ceramic or pH-neutral shampoo, then dry and top up. The steps follow AutoBead's and CarPro's own instructions.
- Find shade: work on a cool car, so nothing dries on the paint.
- Rinse, then pre-wash: rinse off loose dirt, then cover the car in a pH-neutral snow foam, let it dwell without drying and rinse it off. AutoBead's method is to rinse thoroughly and complete the pre-wash before the contact wash.
- Two buckets: one with shampoo, one with clean rinse water. Add AutoBead Ceramic Shampoo at 3 to 4 capfuls in a 15 litre bucket, or CarPro Reset at 40ml in 20 litres.
- Wash from the top down: with a dedicated wash mitt, start at the highest point of the car and work downwards, as AutoBead advises, rinsing the mitt in the clean bucket before reloading it.
- Rinse thoroughly: remove any remaining shampoo.
- Dry carefully: lay a soft drying towel on the panel and draw it across rather than rubbing. A mist of AutoBead Ceramic Quick Detailer on the wet panel works as a drying aid.
- Top up: after the wash, AutoBead's tip is a layer of its Ceramic QD: mist onto a short pile microfibre, work in straight lines and buff off with a clean, dry microfibre.
Common questions
How often should you use a deep-clean shampoo like Reset?
When the coating stops beading the way it used to. Water behaviour usually fades because a film of traffic dirt sits on top of the coating, not because the coating has gone. CarPro made Reset to break down that dirt and traffic film and maintain the coating's water repellency, with no gloss enhancers to hide the result. A good rhythm is a maintenance wash with a ceramic shampoo most of the time, and a Reset wash when the beading drops off.
What destroys a ceramic coating?
Abrasion and harsh chemistry. Machine polishing or compounding removes a coating along with the top of the clear coat. Brush-type automatic car washes, dirty mitts and dry wiping put fine scratches into it. Strong alkaline or acid cleaners used regularly wear it faster than pH-neutral products. Leaving bird droppings, bug splatter and tree sap to bake on is the other common cause of marks. Wash regularly, deal with contamination quickly and stick to products made for coatings.
Can you wash the car straight after a ceramic coating?
Not straight away. Every coating needs time to cure before it gets wet or washed, and the time varies from product to product, so follow the cure time on the coating you used. Once it has cured, wash it as above. For choosing a type of protection in the first place, see wax vs sealant vs ceramic coating, and for more shampoos, the best car shampoo.
Need help?
Tell the TDHQ team which coating is on your car and how it is behaving, and we will suggest the right shampoo and top-up. You can also browse every car shampoo, snow foam, quick detailer and the full AutoBead range.
Last updated 15 October 2026.
