I just go through the no touch car wash.

 

If you want to see how well ceramic protects instead of wax (there are blended products as well), you can watch the video linked in this thread. I wouldn’t pay anyone to apply what is essentially just a spray on treatment (although there are products with complicated application techniques).

https://www.solterraforum.com/threads/ceramic-coated-have-questions%E2%80%A6.885/post-14806

And you could browse the threads here:

https://www.solterraforum.com/forums/car-care-and-detailing.44/

 

I had my Premium PPF'd on the front end mainly because it's so blunt! I also had the entire car ceramic coated which I've had done on my last couple of Outback's. I find that it makes the car that much easier to clean and it comes out looking like it's just been waxed. My Detailer reapplies the coating to the car every year on it's Anniversary. My Detailer also recommends just going through the "Touchless" car washes and pay for the cheapest offering. I've found overall that it's money well spent - especially with a black car!

 

Hand washed it myself in the dark in a panic after my wife (or me bird to you Brits on here) let bird poop sit on it all day. This bird had explosive diarrhea on the bonnet. The result? Some swirling and minor scratches from my cleaning all over car, and the bird poop ate through clear coat. Wtf like. Anyhow, I am now getting cermaic coating (double to last 5 years) and they will be able to remove the bird poop marks (no lasting damage done beyond clear coat) and the little scratches I appear to have caused (no idea how, was gentle, used the right stuff - they said it's possible some of scratches were from when dealership may have cleaned it). I'm missing my white prius that showed nothing! His advice to me was to in future use a touchless car wash, then don't let them dry it. Instead, drive for a few mins, then wipe down gently with a special spray he is giving me (related to the ceramic coating, will help maintain that) and some approved micro fibre cloths.

 

Run it through a regular carwash, problem solved.

 

Umm literally manual suggests don't do this as well as other posts on this forum due to risk of scratching.

 

I’ll second that:

https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/brown-bear-car-wash-issaquah?userid=Nr3IyBDHmpExriilwG08Lg

 

It is so sad.

When I bought my new 2015 Toyota Camry, I told myself it would be a beater car, hence I took it through a couple of car washes with brushes...I just could not do it anymore. Oh the humanity. All those micro scratches and the poor headlights.