A ceramic coating is not a force field — it is a sacrificial layer that performs only as well as your wash routine allows. California summers stack UV exposure, road film, bug residue and hard water spotting against that layer every week.
Use the two-bucket method with a pH-neutral shampoo, and never wash in direct sun. Dry with a plush, clean towel and a drying aid rather than letting water evaporate on the panel — baked-on minerals are the single fastest way to dull a coating.
Skip automatic tunnel washes entirely. The brushes install swirl marks straight through the coating, and the aggressive detergents strip hydrophobics that took hours to build.
