Aftercare guide
Look after it. It’ll look after your car.
Your film or coating is engineered to last for years – but how you wash and look after the car decides how good it looks along the way. Follow this guide and your protection will keep performing like the day you collected it.
The first 7 days
While it cures.
- 01
Don’t wash for 7 days
Coatings and film adhesive continue to cure. Avoid washing, rain is fine.
- 02
Leave small bubbles alone
Tiny moisture pockets under new PPF evaporate within 1–3 weeks. Don’t press them.
- 03
Remove bird lime quickly
Use a soft damp microfibre – don’t let contamination bake on in sunlight.
- 04
No pressure washer on edges
For the first month, keep the lance at least 30cm from film edges.
How to wash a ceramic coated or PPF car
- Rinse from the top down to remove loose grit.
- Apply a pH-neutral snow foam and let it dwell 3–5 minutes, then rinse.
- Use the two-bucket method (wash + rinse, both with grit guards) and a clean microfibre or lambswool mitt.
- Wash top to bottom in straight lines; do the lower sills and wheels last with a separate mitt.
- Final rinse with an open hose (sheeting) – coated paint will shed most of the water itself.
- Dry with a plush drying towel or a filtered air blower. Never use a chamois or squeegee.
What to avoid
- Automatic car washes and brush-wash jet washes.
- Strong alkaline or acidic traffic film removers (TFR) unless specified as coating safe.
- Polishes, compounds and cutting waxes – they can abrade coatings and dull film.
- Wax or sealants containing solvents on matte/satin film.
- Pressure washing directly at film edges or at close range.
Keeping protection at its best
- Wash every 1–2 weeks – regular light washes are safer than infrequent heavy ones.
- Use the coating top-up or detail spray from your aftercare kit every 4–6 washes.
- Decontaminate (iron fallout remover) every 3–4 months to keep water behaviour strong.
- Book your annual inspection to keep your warranty valid and the protection topped up.
Satin & matte finishes
- Use matte-specific shampoo and detail spray – no gloss enhancers.
- Never polish or wax a satin/matte surface.
- Blot bird lime and bug splatter rather than scrubbing.
Free, no-obligation quote
Prefer us to look after it?
Our maintenance plans keep your protection performing at its peak – collection and delivery available across Greater Manchester.