Dishwashing liquid is can actually be quite harsh when it comes to a chemical perspective, which doesn’t make it ideal to use when trying to maintain your favourite wax, sealant or coating.

But perhaps what is most important, is that these formulations haven’t been enriched with lubricants that help ensure that your washing mitt or sponge glide effortlessly over the surface - reducing the chance of you marring the paintwork.

These products were made for dishes, where maintaining your desired finish isn’t a top priority, but if it’s high on your list then we definitely recommend using a dedicated car wash shampoo for your vehicle.

Due to the fact that ceramic coatings are engineered to be tough, pretty much any wash can be used on them. However, because coated cars usually don’t get as dirty as non-coated vehicles, and when they are dirty, dirt & grime doesn’t stick to the paint as well - we recommend using a basic pH neutral, or slightly alkaline wash such as Nv SNOW or Carpro Reset.

You don’t want to use a wash & wax style product, as it may mask the performance of your ceramic coating, and is best if you simply maintain the coating with a pure car wash soap.

When looking at the car wash process, it is widely regarding in the detailing world that The Two Bucket Car Wash Method is the way to go. There are variations to this technique, some people add a third bucket for washing wheels, but ultimately the Two Bucket Car Wash Method works as follows.

You begin by dunking the wash mitt into the first bucket filled with your car wash liquid and then proceed to wash the first panel of the car. time. After you wash a panel of the car, you then rinse your wash mitt in the second bucket filled with plain water, running the mitt along the surface of any grit guards to release the dirt you’ve accumulated on the wash mitt. Then after squeezing out the remaining water from the mitt, once again dunk it back into your first bucket filled with your car wash detergent, and proceed to wash the next panel of the car.

To learn more about the two bucket wash method, browse our detailing guide here and you can also check out our range of wash buckets & grit guards here.