How to Wash a Coated Car

The good news is that a coated car needs less work, not more. Dirt is sitting on a sealed surface rather than keyed into it, so most of it comes off with water before a mitt ever touches the paint.

The routine

• Rinse thoroughly first — get the loose grit off before anything touches the paint
• Two buckets: one with pH-neutral soap, one with clean water and a grit guard to rinse the mitt
• Wash top-down, in straight lines, never in circles
• Use a soft microfibre mitt, and drop it if it hits the ground — do not rinse and continue
• Dry with a clean plush microfibre towel or a filtered blower, not an old bath towel

What wears a coating out fastest

• Automatic brush washes — the single worst thing for any coating
• Harsh, high-pH truck wash or dish detergent
• Washing in direct sun on hot panels, which causes water spotting
• Wiping dust off a dry car — that is dragging grit across the paint

A coated car will happily go longer between washes, but do not let bird droppings or sap sit for days in summer. The coating buys you time to remove them safely; it does not make them harmless forever.