Ceramic Coating changed my car washing life

[edwjmcgrath]

I was about to respond to the car wash post but thought that this deserves its own post.
Ceramic coating has really changed my life when it comes to car washing. I have tried a couple of different kinds of ceramic but my new favorite is GYEON Mohs. This is SO easy to apply compared to some of the others. And if you top it with their WetCoat product, it will drastically reduce your need to car wash and make it infinitely easier. I'm a snowbird and my truck is garaged but I usually have a couple of snow events every year and of course it rains a lot. I almost never really wash my car In the traditional way. If it's been raining for a week, everything but the front of my truck still look perfect, but there will be a little dust or dirt on the rear. I might pull out a bucket and do a rinseless wash just on the rear. Maybe once every 3 months, I'll do a foam wash but I don't need to use a sponge. I can just spray, wait, rinse, and blow it off with a leaf blower. I'll top up the spray and rinse WetCoat while I'm at it. The wheels aren't ceramic coated, but the Wetcoat makes them crazy easy to clean.

If you're driving in snow or slush all winter, you'll need to do more of course, but ceramic really will reduce your need to wash.

This hood has not been touched since a foam wash in October and was in MA until mid December.

Sponsored

 

[rogersmj]

Agreed -- I love ceramic, it really makes washing easier. It's the only reason that most of my washes can be "waterless" with Optimum No Rinse.

I have tried a couple of different kinds of ceramic but my new favorite is GYEON Mohs.

For years I used CQuartz UK 3.0 which I had mostly good results with, but it was a bit tricky to get on correctly without high spots. I keep hearing people rave about Mohs. Have you used CQuartz and can you compare the two?

 

[edwjmcgrath]

Agreed -- I love ceramic, it really makes washing easier. It's the only reason that most of my washes can be "waterless" with Optimum No Rinse.



For years I used CQuartz UK 3.0 which I had mostly good results with, but it was a bit tricky to get on correctly without high spots. I keep hearing people rave about Mohs. Have you used CQuartz and can you compare the two?

Yes, I have done 3 cars with the CQuartz. It's a nice product but REALLY difficult to apply well. I brought my wife's car in for detailing a year after I applied it and the guy pointed out all of the flash spots where i didn't wipe if off completely or quicklly enough. Ha. It really is better for a pro or someone who will take hours with very bright lights, etc. Gyeon Mohs is way easier to apply.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Agree. In decades past I spent countless hours polishing and waxing the OG way. And more $ than I care to admit on detailing products. As I got older it became less and less enjoyable. Ceramic offers far greater performance and longevity. And less you touch/rub the paint, less chance of adding fine scratches to it. Throw everything else out. Ceramic is the new standard.

 

[mkg3]

This past September, I took the delivery on a new vehicle (not Rivian) and decided for the first time to have it professionally PPF'd (full front, side mirrors and lower panels all the way back). As we haggled the job price, we came to an agreement with the ceramic coat included. None of my other vehicles have PPF, including R1S.

Up until this point, I had always done DIY ceramic coating on all of my vehicle and have been very happy with the results. This was the first time being done professionally.

There is a difference.

My sense is that the professional compound (Xpel Fusion+) must be different than the DIY compound. The shine, smoothness and the hydrophobic characteristics are all much better.

It's now January so I've owned the vehicle for 4 months and (hand) washed it only once. It's garaged but its keeping the vehicle much cleaner than my other vehicles garaged.

 

[portdirect]

This past September, I took a delivery on a new vehicle (not Rivian) and decided for the first time to have it professionally PPF'd (full front, side mirrors and lower panels all the way back). As we haggled the job price, we came to an agreement with the ceramic coat included. None of my other vehicles have PPF, including R1S.

Up until this point, I had always done DIY ceramic coating on all of my vehicle and have been very happy with the results. This was the first time being done professionally.

There is a difference.

My sense is that the professional compound (Xpel Fusion+) must be different than the DIY compound. The shine, smoothness and the hydrophobic characteristics are all much better.

It's now January so I've owned the vehicle for 4 months and (hand) washed it only once. It's garaged but its keeping the vehicle much cleaner than my other vehicles garaged.

I’m just over a year into a fully xpel ppf‘d (10mil) and professional xpel ceramic on our T - it’s amazing how after a quick rinse it looks (almost) showroom ready. Getting ceramic on the wheels and brake calipers makes such a difference as well - I was concerned I’d regret getting it done - 12 months later I regret not getting it done to our other cars.

 

[jeeden]

Probably too late to have my R1S done. I have always been interested in it because I am growing tired of the jetseal and wax I have always used. It has great results, but no time these days to even hand wash more than a couple of times in the summer and need to do autowash in the winter.

I would be interested in what is a good price to have someone do an R1 and will probably try to use that number to get my R2 done when we get it. I'm not looking for exotic car quality here, much like the tinted windows I am willing to pay a little more for an above average job, don't want the budget job that dissappoints, but also don't want to spend a ton of money to get "the best job ever"

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Probably too late to have my R1S done. I have always been interested in it because I am growing tired of the jetseal and wax I have always used. It has great results, but no time these days to even hand wash more than a couple of times in the summer and need to do autowash in the winter.

I would be interested in what is a good price to have someone do an R1 and will probably try to use that number to get my R2 done when we get it. I'm not looking for exotic car quality here, much like the tinted windows I am willing to pay a little more for an above average job, don't want the budget job that dissappoints, but also don't want to spend a ton of money to get "the best job ever"

DIY products are available. And some specifically designed for easy application (Cerakote has one). Too many options to list. Professional application, you're looking at around $900 for a full car; but a single application could last up to 3 years. Price vary pending what is normal for your region as labor rates and business overhead isn't universal. Look on yelp for local PPF shops, as almost all also offer ceramic coating.

 

[edwjmcgrath]

Probably too late to have my R1S done. I have always been interested in it because I am growing tired of the jetseal and wax I have always used. It has great results, but no time these days to even hand wash more than a couple of times in the summer and need to do autowash in the winter.

I would be interested in what is a good price to have someone do an R1 and will probably try to use that number to get my R2 done when we get it. I'm not looking for exotic car quality here, much like the tinted windows I am willing to pay a little more for an above average job, don't want the budget job that dissappoints, but also don't want to spend a ton of money to get "the best job ever"

It's definitely not too late. I did my 96 BMW Z3 recently and it looks great and water beads off. I agree on not paying for exotic car quality. Gyeon Mohs is definitely DIY friendly And well under $100.

 

[lefkonj]

Love the ceramic on both of my new cars. If it would just stop raining or snowing I could wash it today.

 

[shrink]

Just a quick comment. Ceramic coatings need to be maintained. If a ceramic coated car is not washed regularly, it won’t last as long as you’re hoping - and definitely not as long as advertised. I think the claims of anything longer than 3 years are a bit of a stretch.

Pretty sure ceramic coated cars still need to be washed roughly twice a week if driven regularly. I will say the ceramic coating makes washing so much easier. Allows me to dry effectively with a leaf blower, too, which does not work on the one non-ceramic coated car I have.

 

[mkg3]

Just a quick comment. Ceramic coatings need to be maintained. If a ceramic coated car is not washed regularly, it won’t last as long as you’re hoping - and definitely not as long as advertised. I think the claims of anything longer than 3 years are a bit of a stretch.

Pretty sure ceramic coated cars still need to be washed roughly twice a week if driven regularly. I will say the ceramic coating makes washing so much easier. Allows me to dry effectively with a leaf blower, too, which does not work on the one non-ceramic coated car I have.

Thanks for this. I did not know that the coated vehicle needs to be washed more frequently.

A quick AI checks (Perplexity and Gemini) say wash every 1~2 weeks based on the use and the environmental conditions, if it's a daily driver. If occasional use and is garaged, it said every 2~3 months depending on the usage.

The issue appears to be the contaminates building up and getting absorbed into the ceramic layer; hence, compromising the protection. Washing it removes the contaminates - makes sense. Use of ceramic boosters (my vehicle has Xpel Fusion+ so I will use the Xpel booster) every 2~3 months is sufficient, according to question.

In practical terms, and based on past experience on my DIY ceramic job, I have never washed the vehicle more than a once a month and more likely every 6 weeks or so, unless its after a road trip or got bombed by bird $hits or something like it. Those vehicles still have shine and hydrophobic properties after couple of years. I did coat it twice initially so that probably has helped.

I guess I'll start using the booster every other wash or two and go with that...

 

[Semibruce]

Up until this point, I had always done DIY ceramic coating on all of my vehicle and have been very happy with the results. This was the first time being done professionally.

There is a difference.

The shop that did my ceramic coating first did a full paint correction, even though the vehicle was new. I was amazed to what a big difference it made.

+1 on Gyeon Wet.

 

[Bullwinkle]

I was about to respond to the car wash post but thought that this deserves its own post.
Ceramic coating has really changed my life when it comes to car washing. I have tried a couple of different kinds of ceramic but my new favorite is GYEON Mohs. This is SO easy to apply compared to some of the others. And if you top it with their WetCoat product, it will drastically reduce your need to car wash and make it infinitely easier. I'm a snowbird and my truck is garaged but I usually have a couple of snow events every year and of course it rains a lot. I almost never really wash my car In the traditional way. If it's been raining for a week, everything but the front of my truck still look perfect, but there will be a little dust or dirt on the rear. I might pull out a bucket and do a rinseless wash just on the rear. Maybe once every 3 months, I'll do a foam wash but I don't need to use a sponge. I can just spray, wait, rinse, and blow it off with a leaf blower. I'll top up the spray and rinse WetCoat while I'm at it. The wheels aren't ceramic coated, but the Wetcoat makes them crazy easy to clean.

If you're driving in snow or slush all winter, you'll need to do more of course, but ceramic really will reduce your need to wash.

This hood has not been touched since a foam wash in October and was in MA until mid December.

I use Gyeon CanCoat. It should be reapplied each year. Mohs last longe

Agreed -- I love ceramic, it really makes washing easier. It's the only reason that most of my washes can be "waterless" with Optimum No Rinse.



For years I used CQuartz UK 3.0 which I had mostly good results with, but it was a bit tricky to get on correctly without high spots. I keep hearing people rave about Mohs. Have you used CQuartz and can you compare the two?

i use Gyeon Can Coat once a year. It goes on very easy. I usually do a light synthetic clay wash with a Gyeon iron remover as a lube.

 

[SwampNut]

Probably too late to have my R1S done.

Never too late. You just need paint correction first, which really, most cars need to some extent even from new. When I got my Rivian I had a local detail shop do a polish only, which is the hard part, then did a clay bar and applied ceramic myself.

Then I had to remove it to put on PPF, which was a nightmare since it really WAS still there and solid after 18 months.

Sponsored