Car Washing Guide

Ceramic Coating Maintenance

The best way to protect a coat of paint is by investing in a high-quality ceramic coating. While ceramic coatings offer a high level of paint protection, no coating is invincible. Ceramic coatings require regular maintenance to provide the estimated length of protection.

Although using our product line is not required, all Fireball products are formulated explicitly to work with ceramic coatings. No matter how highly rated a car wash shampoo is, it can ruin a high-quality ceramic coatings in just a few washes if using the wrong type. Never use a commercial car wash unless it is touch-less, with pH neutral products and follow the recommended drying methods to reduce the risk of water-spots.

What is a Ceramic Coating?

When views microscopically, car paint is not smooth or flat. It is as rough surface filled with pores and inconsistencies. Adding a ceramic coating provides an additional barrier of paint protection. Using microscopic SI02 nano sized particles to fill in the discrepancies and overlay it with a smooth, glass-like surface.

High-quality ceramic coatings require a minimum of one to two week cure time before withstanding the elements and the first wash (depends on climate). Washing a vehicle to soon could prematurely interrupt the curing process of the coating.

After the ceramic coating has cured, it should be washed around once per week (at least every other week.) it is good practice to was a vehicle any time it gets particularly dirty. A ceramic coating is the key to your car’s exterior looking like new.

Regular washing keeps it clean and prevents dirt, debris or other contaminants from building up on the surface which can cause permanent damage over time. Regular washing will also help to prevent water-spots that are also damaging to the coating.

Selecting the correct washing supplies is an essential part of maintaining a ceramic coating. If a shampoo contains the wrong chemicals or incorrect pH it can ruin a high-quality coating in just a few washes.

Fireball offers a complete line of applicators, ceramic sealants, ceramic waxes, cleaners, ceramic dressings, all pH-neutral shampoos, towels and washing accessories

One bucket will be used for rinsing and will only contain fresh water, the second bucket will contain pH-neutral shampoo (all Fireball shampoos) diluted to the recommended levels with water. The third will also contain a pH-neutral shampoo and water, for wheels. Use grit guards in the three buckets to filter and trap dirt, minerals, mid, and grime into the bottom of the bucket. Grit guards fit firmly into the bottom of each bucket to trap debris, help clean out wash mitts, and reduce scratching and swirl marks.

When washing, begin with the wheels first. Wheels and rims tend to contain more dirt and debris, so don’t want to cross-contaminate your cleaning tools with the ones you use on a ceramic coating. We recommend starting with the dirtiest areas of the vehicle first, so you’re not working against yourself.

If your rims and wheel arches are extremely dirty and caked with brake dust, do a pre-rinse. Start by spraying your wheel with a non-diluted Wheel Cleaner Let sit for 1-2 minutes, then rinse off thoroughly before continuing. During this time any ferrous particles will dissolve into the solution.

After thoroughly rinsing off your wheels, dunk your microfiber wash mitt into the suds, washing one wheel at a time. Always rinse the wash mitt in a separate clean water bucket to release any dirt, before dipping it back into the soapy bucket. Rinse wheels off thoroughly, before moving forward.

Wheel Cleaning Tip

When agitating the dirty areas it is important to use appropriate brushes, such as a soft detail brush for wheel & rims, and a long-handled wheel arch brush for your wheel arches.

Don’t forget to try Fireball’s tire-enhancing products like our Tire Booster paired with our Ceramic Tire Dressings to keep tires looking clean and new.

Prepping The Paint

Once all four wheels are rinsed off, move your focus onto the main dirty areas caused from highway driving: Making sure you’re hitting all the spots of impact (front bumper, grill, hood, mirrors and windshield). In a cool area, spray a coating safe cleaner onto affected areas, and let sit for 3-5min.

Rinse the cleaner off the vehicle at a relatively high pressure (using a soft brush if needed). Once the cleaner is rinsed off the vehicle, now is a good time to thoroughly rinse the rest of the vehicle, working your way from top to down.

Hand Washing

Before hand washing, use a foam cannon to help remove dirt and debris build up without having to vigorously scrub the vehicle. Once the vehicle is covered, let the snow foam sit for 1-2- minutes before continuing.

Avoid Water Damage

Streaks, mineral deposits, and water spots are detrimental to ceramic coatings and can cause lasting issues. In worst case scenarios, a water softening system may be necessary. Like PH3 Shampoo.

Before washing, the vehicle’s exterior should be cool to the touch, Do not wash the car in high temperatures or direct sunlight.

Once the vehicle has been properly hand washed, proceed to rinsing. Starting from top to bottom. If the lower sides are still dirty after being washed a more thorough cleaning maybe needed (spray the area with a 1:1 dilution of Fireball Wheel & Tire and Wheel++, then letting it sit for 3-5 minutes before rinsing.

Coatings should never be allowed to air dry or dried by fans. It’s easy to avoid dangerous water spots and stains by hand drying the vehicle after each wash with a dedicated high-quality Microfibre towel

Interior Protection

Fireball Coatings offer protection for all your vehicles surfaces. Leather, cloth, suede, vinyl, plastic & more. Our product line makes it easy to maintain your interior surfaces, coated or uncoated.

Using a dedicated interior cleaner, spray a moderate amount on the surface, and agitate the cleaner into the surface with a towel and wipe away remain residue. If grime build-up is present, simply use a soft brush to gently agitate the pores of the surface after spraying with the interior cleaner. For any electronic areas, do not spray glass cleaner directly on the surface, instead spray the glass cleaner onto a separate towel and wipe away the dirt/debris.

Interior Cleaning Tip

If you are wanting a sleek finish once the interior is cleaned, spray a moderate amount of Fireball Nappa Coat onto our Black Fox Applicator and evenly apply onto interior surfaces, excluding electronics. Let sit for up to 20 minutes and you will now have a clean, fresh scent and a sleek to the touch interior.