Ceramic coatings are the pinnacle of automotive protection. They are extremely durable, hydrophobic, and give a nice shine to the car. Nevertheless, carnauba waxes give an even slicker look, so many people wonder if they should apply some carnauba wax onto the ceramic coating to get the best of both worlds.
Applying car wax on top of a ceramic coating is not recommended, as it will, in the worst case, inhibit the surface properties of the ceramic coating. In the best case, the car wax will not bond to the ceramic coating and will not harm it. Regular car washes are the best way to keep a ceramic coating intact.
If you are worried about your car’s paint job and thinking to apply car wax on a ceramic coating then this article is aimed to guide you on whether you should do it or not.
Can You Wax Over a Ceramic Coating?
According to Avalongking.com, the spendings for car detailing products are in the billions. This includes car paint, car waxing, ceramic coating, car wash, etc. Car wax, ceramic coating, and other protective measures are a key part of that huge expenditure.
Some products are fine to combine, while other product combinations should be avoided. For example you can easily make your own clay lubricant from water and car shampoo. This will neither hurt the clay bar not the paint of your car.
Waxing over a ceramic coating is a different shoe, though. This is absolutely not a good idea, as the car wax might inhibit the hydrophobic and self-cleaning properties of the ceramic coating. This is the worst case scenario. In the best case scenario, the car wax will not bond to the ceramic coating properly.
This means that you have wasted car wax, which is still bad, but not nearly as bad as inhibiting the ceramic coating from doing its job properly.
Do You Wax Before Applying a Ceramic Coating?
Ceramic coatings need to bond to the surface of the paint chemically, which is why the paint needs to be decontaminated and in the best possible state.
Never wax your car before applying a ceramic coating. The wax will contaminate the paint, making a chemical bond between the paint and the ceramic coating impossible. Make sure to apply a ceramic coating to a clayed, decontaminated, and polished paint so the ceramic coating can bond properly.
The ceramic coating makes a chemical bonding with the paint of the car. This bond ensures the longevity and proper finish of the coating. This is why proper decontamination is required before applying the coating. Also, the coating needs to be applied in a controlled environment to make sure that no dust or pollen particle is trapped between the paint and the coating during the procedure.
Any contaminant between the paint and the coating will weaken the chemical bond, decreasing the durability of the ceramic coating drastically.
Wax acts as a contaminant, even though it is a great paint protectant, and prevents the ceramic coating from bonding to the paint successfully.
In the end, if you wax your car before applying a ceramic coating, you will waste a lot of time and money.
It is either a ceramic coating or car wax. You cannot combine both products.
Can you polish a ceramic coating?
Applying car wax on top of a ceramic coating is not a viable option in order to increase shine and improve the overall look of your car.
So many car owners ask themselves if they should polish their ceramic coating in order to make it look shiny and brand new again.
Polishing a ceramic coating will not make it shiny again, but instead it will remove the ceramic coating from the car. The sole purpose of polishing a surface is to remove parts of that surface in order to level it. Make sure to apply a fresh layer of coating if you used an abrasive substance on it.
A ceramic coating can have a thickness of up to 2 microns. Compared to other paint sealants this is quite thick, but nevertheless, 2 microns is incredibly thin. Polishing this thin protective layer is almost guaranteed to remove it fully or to a large degree.
It is best to perform regular hand washes and apply a new layer of ceramic coating after some months in order to maintain the protective layer. Polishing the ceramic coating does more harm than good.
