A ceramic coating still needs regular cleaning to remove road film and buildup. In this video, Bradley demonstrates a maintenance wash on a BMW protected with Armour PRO and PHOBIC, explaining how to adjust the routine to the vehicle's condition.
Watch the full maintenance wash walkthrough.
Build the Wash Around the Car's Condition
The BMW in this video has Armour PRO topped with PHOBIC. It has spent several weeks outside and covered highway miles, yet it still looks relatively clean. That illustrates both the benefit of protection and the need for maintenance: a car can look good while road film, bugs, and contamination are collecting on its surface.
A ceramic coating helps cleaning, but it does not eliminate washing or make paint resistant to careless contact. Inspect the wheels, front bumper, lower doors, and horizontal panels before choosing your products. A lightly dusty car needs a different routine from one with heavy road film or mineral buildup.
Gather separate wheel and paint tools, a hose or pressure washer, clean wash media, wash and rinse buckets, Shampoo+, drying towels, and an optional blower. Work on cool surfaces and manage section sizes so cleaners and wash water do not dry.
Step 1: Clean the Wheels and Tires
For a conventional maintenance wash, Bradley starts with the dirtiest work and keeps it separate. Use a dedicated wheel bucket, a barrel brush where appropriate, a soft face brush or mitt, and a tire brush. Rinse loose contamination away and select cleaner strength to match the wheel finish, brake system, and dirt.
- Light maintenance: appropriately diluted CLEAN APC can handle ordinary grime on compatible surfaces.
- Dirty tires: Tire Cleaner helps remove browning and old dressing. The current 16-ounce bottle is ready to use at 2:1; the gallon is concentrate. Avoid treating a ready-to-use bottle as undiluted concentrate.
- Heavier brake dust: Wheel Cleaner targets iron contamination on compatible wheels. For carbon ceramic brakes, follow the vehicle maker's restrictions and our dedicated brake-safe cleaning guide.
Agitate with suitable tools, rinse thoroughly, and avoid letting cleaner dry. Bradley finishes the clean, wet wheels with BEADS, then rinses it away as directed. Clean the surface first; a touchless sealant does not replace wheel cleaning.
Step 2: Choose the Necessary Pre-Wash
A rinse may be enough before contact washing a lightly dirty vehicle. When bugs and traffic film need more help, Bradley demonstrates Decon Soap as a stronger foam pre-wash. Allow the cleaner to work according to its directions and rinse it off before moving to your contact wash.
Use stronger cleaning because the contamination calls for it, not as an automatic requirement at every wash. Follow the coating manufacturer's care instructions, especially on a recently applied coating. Fresh coatings must complete their specified cure and wash restriction period before maintenance cleaning.
On a hot or windy day, work smaller sections and rinse sooner. Foam is useful for chemical coverage, but the amount of foam on the panel does not prove all the dirt has been removed. Stubborn film often still needs a careful contact wash.
Step 3: Contact Wash with Shampoo+
- Prepare clean wash solution. Use pH-neutral Shampoo+ at the current label dilution. Bradley prefers separate wash and rinse buckets so he can clean the mitt before reloading it.
- Start high. Wash the roof, glass, and cleaner upper panels before the lower doors and rockers. Keep the bumper and other heavily soiled areas for the end.
- Use light pressure. Make controlled straight passes and let the solution and clean microfiber do the work. Flip to a fresh mitt side as needed.
- Rinse the media often. Inspect it for trapped debris. If it remains contaminated, replace it rather than returning it to the paint.
- Rinse the vehicle thoroughly. Work from the top down and clear soap from trim, handles, mirrors, and panel gaps.
Do not continue wiping if the wash media drags over obvious grit. Stop, re-rinse the area, and inspect the mitt. Protection makes maintenance easier; clean tools and technique still determine the quality of the wash.
Step 4: Dry Without Leaving Water in the Crevices
A blower is especially useful on a hydrophobic surface and around mirrors, badges, handles, grilles, and wheel details. Work methodically so water from an upper gap does not run back over an area you already finished. Keep the blower nozzle clear of the paint.
A soft drying towel is also effective. Bradley uses AMPLIFY as a drying aid and finishing spray for additional slickness and protection. If you blow the car mostly dry, a light AMPLIFY wipe can finish residual water marks and improve the final feel. Avoid using so much product that the towel becomes saturated or leaves smears.
For a closer comparison of the two approaches, see our blower versus microfiber drying guide. Use a towel reserved for paint rather than one just used on wheels or jambs.
Step 5: Finish Jambs and Tire Sidewalls
Bradley uses ADAPT Waterless Wash with dedicated towels to clean and finish the door jambs. Remove loose dirt carefully and dry the edges where water tends to collect. Do not transfer that towel back to exterior paint.
Apply Tire+ evenly to clean, dry tire sidewalls using a suitable applicator. Work it into the sidewall detail and allow the finish to dry. Keep dressing off the tread and braking surfaces. If it looks patchy, check whether old dressing, moisture, or remaining contamination is preventing an even application.
What Reduced Water Beading Really Tells You
In the video, the water behavior improves after the contact wash removes surface contamination. Weak beading before cleaning does not automatically mean the coating has failed. First wash, rinse thoroughly, and reassess the clean surface.
If ordinary washing does not restore performance and mineral buildup is suspected, our DETOX and REGEN reset guide explains a more targeted approach. Do not clay or polish a coating as a routine maintenance step: mechanical abrasion can affect the protection and should have a specific purpose.
How often should I wash a ceramic coated car?
Use the car's exposure as your guide. Regular maintenance before grime accumulates is easier than waiting for heavy buildup. Remove bird droppings, bug residue, and other harmful deposits promptly with an appropriate cleaning method.
Do I need a topper after every wash?
A maintenance spray can add slickness and protection, but it does not replace cleaning or repair a failed coating. Follow your coating's care guidance and apply only the amount needed for an even finish.