After Coating, how to keep it lasting?

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burkempers

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I will be applying some kind of coating soon. Still not positive which one(cquartz, blackfire crystal coat, or maybe Kamikaze Miyabi---any suggestions). anyway, after it's applied, what can or can't i do to it? for general cleaning, etc, should i avoid washes with wax in them? can you use instant detailers, and which one? what i want is to keep maximum hydrophobic properties and make cleaning easier too. can something like Shine Supply EcoWash be diluted and work ok as a quick mist upkeep?
Thanks for any tips. I'm a newbie.
 
That would depend on which coating you choose. Follow the manufacturer's recommendations.
 
The safest bet is to stick with products that the manufacturer of the coating offers which may complement the performance of the coating. For example, CQuartz and their Reload spray sealant complement each other. Kamikaze Over Coat will complement their coatings. CarPro Reset is the soap designed to complement their CQuartz coatings.

But as far as it being an absolute necessary that you do so, it might not matter too much. Could be coating specific. With other products, I haven't found that using a soap that claims to have wax in it has any noticeable impact on the surface tension of the product compared to using a soap that doesn't have any wax in it.
 
Unlike wax or sealants, coating maintenance is manufacturer specific...follow their recommend routine to the letter. Never freelance with coatings, or you're likely going to regret it.
 
The biggest thing is to keep the surface clean. Wash with the manufacturers recommended soap regularly or a rinsless wash without wax. You shouldn't need a QD or topper since the coatings are so durable. CarPro offers Iron-X for periodic decontamination of the coating.

But if you are like many of us, you might just feel the need to apply something every so often to your car. If this is you most of the manufacturers make something compatible with the coating. For examole CarPro offers Reload which works on CQUK and CQuartz original.
 
Thanks. Mainly just wondering if doing just some quick spot cleanups/dust, etc if a lightly misted and diluted no rinse type of wash would be fine?
 
Use Meguiars D114 at waterless wash concentration (1:128) for a QD.

I also use it as a drying aide at normal dilution (1:256) and I think it's helped keep the car cleaner, longer.

I have no direct proof (just a hunch) but I believe maybe the gloss intensifiers in some soaps seem to cling to the surface and attract dirt, or rather alter the superior surface tension that the coating provides. The D114 seems to remove that residue when used as a drying aide. I'm going to recoat my car in a week or so with optimum gloss coat, and I'm trying a shampoo for matte finishes with it.
 
Ebg18t said:
. CarPro offers Iron-X for periodic decontamination of the coating.
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Be careful with this recommendation, however. GTechniq recommends not using it as it may disrupt their coating.

17. Will Iron-X or other degreasers remove or damage Gtechniq coatings?

Yes, it could damage the coating, as will all high alkaline chemicals. It is recommended to use Gwash as a simple soap, which will remove all dirt.
Click to expand...

http://gtechniqna.com/blog/

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wash/dry using good techniques

don't abrade

keep strong inorganic acids away

i don't really believe in the whole topper thing, but i've dabbled just for fun and i know that is hard for people around here to resist. i'm using OCP with Gloss-Coat on top (only because i was dying to try GC) and i can't imagine anything being better for me in terms of protection than that combo or better for me in terms of appearance (despite what a CQF installer recently said in a review) than a no frills cleaning of a Gloss-Coat installation. it's pretty ridiculously glossy and slick lol

i have had good success cleaning coated cars with CarPro Reset, Optimum Car Wash, Opti-Clean and No Rinse.
 
It's a coating and most coatings tout being able to stand up to anything. I left my coated car caked with salt for months all winter and my coating still acts no differently. I also use harsher chemicals when washing it so that I can remove dirt more easily with less mechanical agitation. I never top it either. Why should I? Nothing should really be degrading the coating that much in the first place. Sure most claim to last only 2 years and that's fine with me. I will likely want to polish my car within 2 years of a coating application as it is nearly impossible to keep a car swirl free for that long.
 
Coatings and Meguiars D114 works very well... So does SPNS
 
I have a different approach.

I coated and still use a QD and spray wax.

I use DG FC&S and often hit it with DG Aqua Wax.

It's a coating. It's for protection. I didn't do it for looks. I did it for protection on my DD.

The QD removes the light dust and freshens it up.
The AW makes it shine.
Neither is going to hurt my protection layer of a coating. They are non abrasive.

And hey, it looks great and I have OCD!

:xyxthumbs:
 
kevincwelch said:
Be careful with this recommendation, however. GTechniq recommends not using it as it may disrupt their coating.



Gtechniq North America

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burkempers said:
I will be applying some kind of coating soon. Still not positive which one(cquartz, blackfire crystal coat, or maybe Kamikaze Miyabi---any suggestions).
Click to expand...


Good thing he didn't mention GTechniq coatings. In my post I was referencing the CarPro option (CQuartz that he referenced). In my opinion folks should use the products the coating manufacturer recommends. Sticking with the companies products helps eliminate potentional issues or coating failure.

It is safe for CarPro coatings for periodic decontamination. If CarPro Iron-X is used (maybe annually or semi annually) with CarPro Reset the coating will stay clean which allows it to work as it should.

Quote from CarPro site:
"Will Iron X remove wax from car paint?

Yes, if it’s a highly organic oil type it will affect the wax properties. If it’s a synthetic polymer sealant it won’t affect it much. On Cquartz or other inorganic coatings it won’t affect them at all. In fact it is even recommended for use on them."
 
If it's a daily driver, wash weekly with a pure soap, like Meg's D114. If you want to use a drying aid, use something like Meg's Final Inspection, or any other non gloss enhancing spray. For me, I don't like using coatings. Why? For the most part, you can't chemically remove them. Even with polishing, you still can't tell if they're 100% removed. I stick to traditional wax and sealants.
 
I have black label surface coating and I got the maintenance kit to go with it.
 
Zach wrote a very good article over at DI on how to maintain coatings; good info there. PM me and I'll send you the link.
 
Ebg18t said:
Good thing he didn't mention GTechniq coatings. In my post I was referencing the CarPro option (CQuartz that he referenced).
Click to expand...


Since he stated that he was going to use "some kind of coating" for his project, I thought the warning was apropos.

Regardless, I think the warning is a good one since people may use products in multiple situations when there may not be enough data on the use.

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With a quality coating, your ONLY job is to wash it and wash it regularly. To me that means weekly on a daily driver.
 
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