A ceramic coating, sealant or PPF film is only as good as the way it is washed. Use the wrong chemical every week and you wear down the protection you paid for. Here is how to wash a coated car or truck without undoing the work.
The short version
- Wash with a pH neutral snow foam or shampoo.
- Keep stronger alkaline cleaners for wheels and heavily soiled areas.
- Foam first, so less grit gets dragged across the paint.
- Wash in the shade and rinse before anything dries.
Why pH neutral matters
Strong alkaline cleaners are good at breaking down grease and road film, which is exactly why repeated use can wear down wax and sealants faster. A pH neutral wash lifts everyday dirt without being harsh on the surface underneath.
Orange Crunch is our pH neutral snow foam for cars, and suits ceramic coatings, wax, sealants and PPF when used as directed. For trucks and fleet vehicles, Green Machine is also pH neutral.
Here is Orange Crunch going onto a dark ute, where wash marks show up worst of all.
Orange Crunch at 100 to 200mL per 1L cannon bottle. Let it dwell out of direct sunlight, then rinse before it dries.
A coated-car wash, step by step
- Rinse loose dirt off with the pressure washer.
- Foam with Orange Crunch at 100 to 200mL per 1L cannon bottle, and let it dwell.
- Rinse the foam off thoroughly before it dries.
- Contact wash if needed, using a clean mitt and a bucket of Orange Crunch at 50 to 100mL per 10L of water.
- Wheels with Red Bite, keeping it on the wheels and rinsing any overspray off other surfaces straight away.
- Final rinse, then dry with a clean microfibre towel.
The wheels
Wheels are the one place on a coated car where you do want something stronger. Red Bite is alkaline with no acid in it, and it lifts bedded-in brake dust that a neutral wash leaves behind.
Red Bite first, then Orange Crunch foam over the top for a deeper clean.
What to be careful with
- Degreasers. Blue Punch is high-alkaline. Keep it to chassis, engines and heavily soiled areas, not regular washing of coated paint.
- Glass cleaner on coated glass. Do not use Visionary on unknown coatings unless compatibility has been confirmed.
- Heat. Do not wash hot panels or in direct sunlight.
Always test on a small hidden area first, and follow the product label and Safety Data Sheet.
Common questions
Can I use snow foam on PPF?
Orange Crunch suits PPF, ceramic coatings, wax and sealants when used as directed.
How often should I wash a coated vehicle?
Often enough that dirt does not bake on. Regular gentle washes are easier on a coating than occasional heavy scrubs.
Is Green Machine coating safe?
Green Machine is pH neutral, which is the right chemistry for regular washing of coated panels. As with any product, test first and follow the label.
Keep reading
Snow foam dilution ratios and pH neutral vs alkaline truck wash.