Washing a Ceramic Coated Car
The Best Way to Wash a Ceramic Coated Car
A ceramic coating makes washing easier, but it does not make any wash safe. The best car wash for a coated car is a gentle hand wash with a pH neutral shampoo, done before dirt has time to bake on. This is the routine we hand every Liquid R customer at pickup, and it is most of the difference between a coating that lasts three years and one that lasts seven.
Contact Us
Get in touch with us or stop on by to say hey
Give us a call or drop by anytime:
P: 1800 985 880
E: info@liquidr.com.au
A: 12/23A Cook Road Mitcham VIC 3132
Opening hours:
8:30am-5:00pm Monday to Friday
8:30am-12:30pm Saturday
Enquiry & Booking
Vehicles Protected
m² Workshop
Years of Combined Experience
Dedicated Bays
PPF on the panels that get hit, ceramic coating over the rest, window tint if you want it, bundled at a sharper price for a brand new car. See the packages.
Explore Our Services
Paint Protection Film: self-healing film for the panels stone chips hit first.
Colour Transformation: a full colour change in Spectra Colour PPF, no vinyl, no respray.
Window Tinting: 3M and Defcon Films Australia films fitted to Victorian legal limits.
Detailing: paint correction, interior deep cleans and PPF refresh.
pH Neutral Shampoo
Use a pH neutral car shampoo without wax or gloss additives. Dishwashing liquid and degreasers strip coating toppers and dry out film edges, so keep them away from the car entirely. More in our dos and don’ts of cleaning a coated car. Choosing a coating in the first place? See the best ceramic coating in Melbourne.
Rinse Before You Touch
A pre-rinse, or a snow foam if you have one, lifts loose grit before a mitt touches the paint. Most wash scratches come from dragging grit across the surface. If the paint is already swirled, a cut and polish fixes it before the next coat.
Two Buckets
One bucket of shampoo, one of clean water to rinse the mitt. Grit stays in the rinse bucket instead of going back onto the paint. More in our mistakes to avoid after a coating.
No Brush Car Washes
Brush washes carry grit from every car before yours and will mar a coating. Touchless washes are fine when you are short on time. Hand washing remains the standard. The same applies to cars with paint protection film.
Dry It, Do Not Air Dry
Melbourne tap and bore water leave mineral spots as they dry. Use a clean microfibre towel or a blower.
Wash Often, Gently
Every fortnight suits most daily drivers. Lift bird droppings and sap promptly, before the sun bakes them on. Our article on ceramic coating myths explains why a coating still needs washing.
Top Up With a Booster
A compatible ceramic booster every few months keeps the beading strong. Ask which booster suits your coating. Ask us which suits your Gtechniq or graphene coating.
When to Come Back
If the coating stops beading after a proper wash, it may need a decontamination wash rather than a new coating. Our aftercare page covers PPF and coatings together. Book it through our contact page or ask about a maintenance detail. PPF owners can use the PPF buyer’s guide too.
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Customer Reviews
Real reviews from Liquid R customers, verified and published by hand.
Rated 5 out of 5 from 89 verified customer reviews.
I Had my car cut and polished by Liquid R and can’t recommend these guys highly enough! Jacky thoroughly inspected the car and explained to me what needed to happen and the job was done really well. He also went through the proper washing and maintenance process for my car. Bobby was also very helpful when I picked up the car. Thanks guys!
Arash Koopal
Having just bought a brand new Tesla Model 3, I booked it in with Liquid R and after discussing with Jacky elected for a Ceramic Coating and window Tint. Jacky was very helpful and obliging. He also agreed to fit some new mud flaps i ordered for the car. I took delivery of my new car and drove it straight to Liquid R. 2 days later i picked up the car and am extremely happy with the result. Bobby was very helpful too…
Richard Guthrie
I've purchased and collected a new Mercedes EQE350 end-of-Jun'25. I've gone to Liquid R to apply Gtechniq ceramic paint protection and Xpel ceramic tint after seeing good reviews. Initially I was somehow reluctant to spend more than $2K on all these, but still took the bullet.
Life Without Limits
I had my car tinted and ceramic coating at Liquid R again, and I couldn't be happier with the results! From start to finish, their professionalism, attention to detail, and customer service were outstanding. I highly recommend them to anyone looking for high-quality tinting and ceramic coating.
Fiona Ma
From my previous Subaru to my current Toyota, I’ve always gone to Jacky. They offer customised solutions tailored to your needs and provide a suitable package. The results have been very satisfying. High quality you won’t regret…
colby kwong
I initially would like to bring my new car to a well known local auto TLC shop 800 meters away who also does ceramic coating & tinted windows (I live in Clayton where plenty of auto shops around); their prices are much higher for the same services compared to LiquidR and my friend convinced me to take my new car to LiquidR instead; albeit the distance. The decision is worth it.
Ivan Adrianto
I asked the guys to help with ceramic coating and tinting my vehicle and was super pleased with the results. The place looks super high-tech and very clean and the consultation seemed like they really care about paint and wrapping/tinting. Had to leave car overnight for the ceramic coating and tinting to take, so when you book keep this in mind. On pickup the car was ready and waiting and I was taken through the…
Alex Pott
Hey there! So, you've been eyeing up that ceramic-coated shine for your ride, right? Well, let me tell you about my experience at Liquid R. It took a bit of patience to snag a spot – a couple of months, to be exact – but boy, was it worth the wait! At first, I admit, I had my doubts. But as soon as I saw the finished job, any hesitation melted away like snow in the Aussie sun.
D G
Liquid R did an awesome job on my pride and joy. Keep up the great work! Not forgetting Jacky, who provides advice and available options which fit your budget.
Andrew Lai
Jacky and the guys did an great job color correcting and applying ceramic to my 2015 Calais. Awesome job and easy to deal with. When comparing the coating to our other car (which we were also impressed with at the time) its like chalk and cheese. The water just beads and sheets off with a blower and doesn't require any hand drying. It's amazing stuff!
Jason Krohn
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Common Questions
Frequently asked questions
Straight answers before you book. Anything else, call 1800 985 880.
A hand wash with a pH neutral shampoo, two buckets and a proper dry. Touchless washes are fine occasionally. Avoid brush car washes.
Use a pH neutral shampoo without wax or gloss additives. Avoid dishwashing liquid and degreasers.
About every fortnight for a daily driver, and promptly after bird droppings or sap.
Touchless washes are fine. Brush washes are not, because they drag grit across the coating.
Usually road film is sitting on top of it. A decontamination wash normally brings the beading back.