Done with Gyeon products and probably ceramic coatings

[Desertnate]

Seems the people having best results use maintenance soaps or sprays.

I've done nothing special and I've having great results. I wash with either Hyperwash or 3D Pink. Most of the time, I don't top the Mohs EVO, and only occasionally topped Pure EVO as it began to age. I can easily skip the step and not feel like I've neglected the vehicles.

[Optimus Grime]

I've done nothing special and I've having great results. I wash with either Hyperwash or 3D Pink. Most of the time, I don't top the Mohs EVO, and only occasionally topped Pure EVO as it began to age. I can easily skip the step and not feel like I've neglected the vehicles.

I do use Reset and alternate between soap and ONR but I don't think the soap has anything to do with it, as long as you're not using one of those Walmart wash and wax soaps. I've been experimenting with P&S Frostbite and results are the same. I use Ceramic Detailer as a drying aid but it's a few sprays per wash and that in no way should be considered a topper.

I think the performance of the coating is going to come down to how well the vehicle was prepped before coating and the frequency of maintenance afterwards. It doesn't require anything obsessive. A good wash every few weeks and you should be good to go.

[DFB]

I think the performance of the coating is going to come down to how well the vehicle was prepped before coating and the frequency of maintenance afterwards. It doesn't require anything obsessive. A good wash every few weeks and you should be good to go.

I think this is where people go wrong with coatings.

For those who are not invested in detailing, be that non-car-people or those who love cars but are not into detailing, they get sold on a coating from a dealer/detailer/the internet as the ultimate solution, like an impervious layer that means you don't have to wash the car. Of course, we know that is not the case, but for those paying four-digit figures to have a coating applied, they think that means all they had to do was pay for the service and that's the end of the story.

The reality is, a coating is just as much if not more work to maintain as a wax or sealant, the only difference being how often you reapply the product. The notion of having to "unclog" a coating on a regular basis, having supplemental products applied to bring back the beading/gloss/slickness, this never seemed to be an issue with older forms of LSP's.

For people like us, we do this out of instinct and therefore get the full benefit of the coating. But for the average consumer that doesn't bother with regular maintenance, hell, even a regular wash, they end up wondering why the coating failed after 12 months, or that it doesn't bead anymore, or that it's riddled with water spots.

All of the above has me thinking I'll just go back to wax for my new car, coatings are great, but they are not as forgiving.

[Optimus Grime]

I think this is where people go wrong with coatings.

For those who are not invested in detailing, be that non-car-people or those who love cars but are not into detailing, they get sold on a coating from a dealer/detailer/the internet as the ultimate solution, like an impervious layer that means you don't have to wash the car. Of course, we know that is not the case, but for those paying four-digit figures to have a coating applied, they think that means all they had to do was pay for the service and that's the end of the story.

The reality is, a coating is just as much if not more work to maintain as a wax or sealant, the only difference being how often you reapply the product. The notion of having to "unclog" a coating on a regular basis, having supplemental products applied to bring back the beading/gloss/slickness, this never seemed to be an issue with older forms of LSP's.

For people like us, we do this out of instinct and therefore get the full benefit of the coating. But for the average consumer that doesn't bother with regular maintenance, hell, even a regular wash, they end up wondering why the coating failed after 12 months, or that it doesn't bead anymore, or that it's riddled with water spots.

All of the above has me thinking I'll just go back to wax for my new car, coatings are great, but they are not as forgiving.

It's odd. I'm very upfront with customers about the longevity of a coating, what it does and doesn't do, and how to maintain it which is not difficult. I've said it on here many times before. As part of my customer service package I ask all of my customers to come back and we'll wash the car together so that I know they will leave with the ability to care for their car. If they have no clue how to wash I'll start them on a rinse less routine and if they have a pressure washer I invite them back to learn how to use a foam cannon for a better clean. I send them off with some supplies to get started and if they need anything else they can buy from me at wholesale cost. Even with all of this, when I touch base months later at least 80% have never washed their car since I coated it and at the point I wash my hands of the situation.

I've been wondering why it's been so hard for me lately to get coating customers and I think I've figured it out. I refuse to lie and I detail with integrity and won't sacrifice that for money. I give people the honest facts but I keep seeing people prefer to be sold a dream. They flock to installers that overpromise and under deliver. 7 year coatings with a 5 year warranty, 8 year coatings for the price of a 5, 5 year coatings for $600 (the installer failed to mention that this was the price of the coating application and the paint correction wasn't included). This is what people want to hear because they think they can drive off and all of their exterior maintenance is taken care of. You can lead a horse to water......

[Desertnate]

It's odd. I'm very upfront with customers about the longevity of a coating, what it does and doesn't do, and how to maintain it which is not difficult.

This has been my experience too. I don't do anything different maintenance-wise with a coating than I did sealants. I wash them every couple weeks as able with a quality soap, keep the bird droppings off, and apply a light detail spray when I feel like it.

[CleanIT]

I ordered some Kealstrip Prepall. I've seen some reviews where the IPA based panel preps just can't remove the remaining oils/leftovers on the surface of the paint as well as Prepall. Bilt Hamber Cleanser Fluid is good too.

[Optimus Grime]

This has been my experience too. I don't do anything different maintenance-wise with a coating than I did sealants. I wash them every couple weeks as able with a quality soap, keep the bird droppings off, and apply a light detail spray when I feel like it.

This is exactly my routine. I used to top with a sealant because that's what I believed you're supposed to do but now I occasionally use Gyeon Ceramic Detailer as a drying aid. I've got two bottles of Cure that I'm about to dilute and turn into quick detailers. As my old algebra teacher used to say, keep it simple stupid.

[DFB]

It's odd. I'm very upfront with customers about the longevity of a coating, what it does and doesn't do, and how to maintain it which is not difficult. I've said it on here many times before. As part of my customer service package I ask all of my customers to come back and we'll wash the car together so that I know they will leave with the ability to care for their car. If they have no clue how to wash I'll start them on a rinse less routine and if they have a pressure washer I invite them back to learn how to use a foam cannon for a better clean. I send them off with some supplies to get started and if they need anything else they can buy from me at wholesale cost. Even with all of this, when I touch base months later at least 80% have never washed their car since I coated it and at the point I wash my hands of the situation.

I've been wondering why it's been so hard for me lately to get coating customers and I think I've figured it out. I refuse to lie and I detail with integrity and won't sacrifice that for money. I give people the honest facts but I keep seeing people prefer to be sold a dream. They flock to installers that overpromise and under deliver. 7 year coatings with a 5 year warranty, 8 year coatings for the price of a 5, 5 year coatings for $600 (the installer failed to mention that this was the price of the coating application and the paint correction wasn't included). This is what people want to hear because they think they can drive off and all of their exterior maintenance is taken care of. You can lead a horse to water......

Excellent post and exactly what I was attempting to explain.

Delivering customers "the dream" is all well and good, but how many of those customers will return in the future if the coating didn't live up to "the dream"? Being honest about what you are selling can be cost you a sale sometimes, but it can also win you future sales because the customer trusts your advice. It a razor thin line to tread.

[DFB]

This has been my experience too. I don't do anything different maintenance-wise with a coating than I did sealants. I wash them every couple weeks as able with a quality soap, keep the bird droppings off, and apply a light detail spray when I feel like it.

My routine as well, I treat a ceramic no different to a wax or sealant long term.

The problem is, many end up with a ceramic coating because they are led to believe it will "make cleaning easier". And it does, but it won't tolerate neglect either.

[Big Dave]

My routine as well, I treat a ceramic no different to a wax or sealant long term.

The problem is, many end up with a ceramic coating because they are led to believe it will "make cleaning easier". And it does, but it won't tolerate neglect either.

Sounds just like my Nephew's Father in Law, he bought a brand new BT-50 when he retired a few years ago, got it ceramic coated of course. He was sold on the coating because he isn't physically capable of washing it properly, just drive it through the car wash they told him. Now the paint looks flat, with water spotting all over it. He wants me to "fix it" for him. Sorry Bob, I don't touch ceramic coatings. I'm guessing a mate did it as a cash job for him, so it's more than likely gone anyway.

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