Aftercare And Maintenance Guide
Thank you for choosing Golden State Auto Salon. Here is how to keep your coating, film, tint or wrap looking the way it did when you picked it up. Questions? Text us at (650) 541-5272.
The First Few Days.
Ceramic Coating
- Keep the car dry for the first 24 to 48 hours while the coating cures.
- Skip automatic brush washes and anything with wax in it.
- Hand wash or use a touchless wash, then top up with a ceramic boost spray sealant.
Paint Protection Film
- A little haze or a few small moisture pockets in the first days is normal. They clear on their own as the film settles.
- Hold off on washing for the first few days.
- Keep pressure washer nozzles well back from film edges.
Window Tint
- Wait 3 to 5 days before rolling the windows down. The film needs that time to cure to the glass.
- Haze or small water pockets in the first days are normal and disappear on their own.
- Clean the inside glass with a soft microfiber towel and an ammonia free glass cleaner.
Fashion Color PPF
- Treat it like paint protection film: let it settle for the first few days before washing.
- Wash by hand and skip wax. Matte and satin finishes should never be polished.
- Keep pressure washer nozzles well back from panel edges.
How To Wash Your Car The Safe Way.
The same routine we use in the shop, scaled down for your driveway. Most swirl marks come from washing, not driving, so this is where the finish is won or lost.
Clean The Wheels First
- Do the wheels and tires before you rinse the paint, so water does not sit on the car and leave spots.
- Use dedicated towels for the wheels so their dirt never touches your paint.
Rinse The Paint
- Pre-foam and rinse the whole car from top to bottom.
- A foam cannon or foam gun adds lubrication and lowers the risk of scratches.
- Avoid washing in direct sunlight.
Prepare The Wash Bucket
- One bucket with 2 to 4 clean, edgeless microfiber towels, depending on the size of the car.
- Add a small amount of soap and mix.
- Wash with one towel at a time.
Contact Wash
- Start at the roof and windows, then work front to back, finishing on the side skirts and rear.
- Use gentle pressure and straight lines. Circular motions are what create swirl marks.
- Flip to a clean side of the towel between panels, about half a towel per panel.
Dry
- Rinse the soap off from top to bottom.
- Blow water out of the crevices with a blower if you have one, then dry the rest with a dedicated drying towel.
- Use a separate towel for door jambs and wheels.
Final Touches
- Apply a ceramic boost spray sealant one panel at a time. A little goes a long way: wipe on with the damp side, buff with the dry side.
- Rain-X on the outside glass for extra water beading.
- Finish with tire dressing and any interior touch ups.
- Fold each towel in half, then in half again, to get 4 clean sides.
- Never reuse a dirty towel. Hang it on the side of the bucket and grab a fresh one.
- Keep wheel towels and paint towels separate, even in the laundry.
Rather Leave It To Us?
Our maintenance wash follows this exact routine, with spot free deionized water, a hand wash foam bath and a ceramic boost sealant to finish.
Book A Maintenance WashHow often should I wash a coated or filmed car?+
Every one to two weeks for a daily driver keeps dirt from bonding to the surface. Garage kept cars can go longer.
Can I take it through an automatic car wash?+
Touchless washes are fine. Skip brush and cloth washes, they put swirl marks back into the paint and wear down coatings and film.
What products should I use?+
A pH neutral soap, clean microfiber towels and a ceramic boost spray sealant. Avoid waxes, polishes and harsh degreasers on coated paint, film and wraps.
Would you rather wash it for us?+
Yes. Our maintenance wash follows this exact routine with deionized water, a foam bath and a ceramic boost sealant. Book one below.
Mon–Fri 8:30am – 6pm
Sat by appointment only
Sun closed