Dan@Adams

Yes, @Chris@Adams pushed the latest forum version update a few nights ago. A few things switched around their locations. I haven't had a chance to check it out on the mobile version (I'm usually on my laptop), so he might be able to help until I can take a look.

I would not recommend polishing it down - you will weaken the coating. Something like a few drops of Brilliant Glaze VERY sparingly will remove the streaking, bring back the gloss, and not hurt the coating. Ceramic Boost is definitely a tricky product. It needs to be used very sparingly, especially on darker colored finishes. Two very light mist sprays for me on a door panel for example, or spray directly into a plush microfiber like the Borderless Gray or Double Soft. Spread evenly and then use a second clean plush microfiber towel for removal - I always use two towels with Ceramic Boost, and sometimes my removal towel is very slightly damp with water to aid in removal. For anyone having trouble or issues with Ceramic Boost streaking, I would recommend to shake the bottle before use, spray it very sparingly, and use two towels for removal. Another option would be to use CS3 as an alternative to Ceramic Boost - it is easier to apply and remove in my opinion, but you may need to use it a little more often than the 1-2 months recommended for Ceramic Boost.

For most cases, yep, that's all correct! However, every vehicle can react a little differently to different compound, polish, and pad combinations, so that's why it's always important to start with a test spot first - a combo that creates slight haze or micro-scratching on one vehicle may work perfect on a different vehicle! The white Polish and White Foam Pad can sometimes remove light swirl marks on a soft clear coat, but if it's a harder clear coat on something like a Mercedes, Audi, older Corvette, etc, you would most likely need at least Compound and a Blue Foam Pad to remove the swirl marks and then step down to the Polish and White Foam Pad.

Correct. I spoke to our chemist about this again late last week. We had sourced bottles from two different suppliers in the past, and it looks like the plastic composition is a little weaker from one of the suppliers, so it can eventually eat through some but not all bottles. He is going to bring it up for discussion with the team. I found one leaking bottle of APC last week at the Import show, right on the bottom ring of the bottle like Jon experienced, which is why I mentioned it to our chemist. I will report back any updates I receive.

Hi Jon, I'll try to answer your questions as best as I can: - Spray coatings like Ceramic Spray Coating and Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating still need regular maintenance just as frequently as a full coating like the UV Ceramic Paint and Wheel Coatings or Graphene Ceramic Coating. The spray coatings do feel more slick to me after application, but upkeep with things like Ceramic Boost, CS3, or Graphene Detail Spray once a month will keep it looking and feeling great, and ensure the best longevity of the coating application. - I still use Ceramic Boost about once every two months, but I find myself grabbing CS3 more often now, especially on darker colored vehicles since it is easier to work with. I suspect that I will really enjoy Graphene Detail Spray as well...hoping to try it one night this week. - Ceramic Spray Coating and CS3 are essentially my two favorite products now. The gloss, ease of use, and hydrophobic behavior of Ceramic Spray Coating with very little effort involved are very hard to argue. Visually, the spray coating and our full Paint Coating are equal to me (on a polished and prepped surface). The Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating will be just as easy to use with more durability, so I think you will love it. Just make sure to level and wipe it off from all surfaces, including textured plastic!

Yep, Scratch & Swirl Remover was mainly intended to be used by hand applicator (Orange Hex Grip), and then followed up with Hand Polish with the Blue Hex Grip. It's for those hesitant to try machine polishing but are looking to improve their paint finish. Like Ray said, it can be used with a machine, but keep in mind that it is a little gritty and can leave some haziness, especially on the piano black plastic trim (used on a lot of manufacturers door pillars now). On my car, I had to follow up with the white Polish and a White Foam Pad with the Swirl Killer Mini to get the tiny micro-scratches out of the piano black door pillars to get them back to perfect, but the Scratch & Swirl Remover definitely did remove the larger imperfections! Also keep in mind that the updated (current) blue Hand Polish is a polish, glaze, and sealant all in one, so if you are looking to do something like a ceramic coating, I would recommend the white Polish instead, since it is strictly a finishing polish with no protection.

Agree with Chris, but I would also consider doing at least a light polish with One Step Polish or our White Polish in between claying and Surface Prep to get the paint looking as good as possible before applying the Graphene Ceramic Coating 👍

I will bring this to the attention to Phil and the product development team. Thank you! I would recommend to wash the brush out thoroughly with APC a few more times or even soak it in a disposable plastic container with some water and APC mixed to see if the color bleed eventually stops. It might be an issue of too much red dye in the bristles. I use the older gray version of this brush, so I've not run into this issue yet.

Thank you, his car is most likely totaled and I'm sure he will be bummed about that, but he is alive. The car can be replaced.

I just received word a little while ago that one of my best friends was in a car wreck. He's going to be ok, but someone pulled out onto the road directly in front of him. The airbag banged him up but did its job. Things could have been much worse. He hit his head and has a gash in it. They took him in the ambulance with a neck restraint to check him out but he should be ok. His girlfriend called me and was fairly calm but I could tell she was shooken up. She wasn't with him but they live only a few miles down the road from where the wreck occurred. So if you're the praying type, my bud Jake could use some warm fuzzies right about now. Thanks everyone!

Yes but when it sells out it sells out, so stop by early! We can offer free shipping if it sells out too

For water spots on glass I use our green Glass Cleaner with Ultra Fine #0000 Steel Wool. It must be 4 zero steel wool, other grades will scratch. Do not use the steel wool on any paint, chrome, trim, etc - glass only. Yep I've been using the Carpet Drill Brush that we offer with Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner. Then I'll use an Edgeless Utility Towel to soak up any excess moisture and then vacuum - makes even the worst floor mats and carpet look almost brand new!

Ceramic coatings can water spot just like a wax, sealant, quick detailer, etc, especially on completely flat surfaces where the hydrophobic properties may not be able to help push water droplets from the surface. Graphene does provide a higher contact angle though, which tries to shed water droplets even more. It rained earlier this morning at my house, and I purposely left my car out in the driveway to compare the trunk (UV Paint Coating) to the hood (Graphene Ceramic Coating). These are completely unaltered images, other than to crop them next to each other. Trunk, UV Paint Coating, very flat surface, significant water spotting after a quick rain and hot, humid day to dry the water quickly: Hood, Graphene Ceramic Coating, curved, still some water spotting, but drastically less:

Totally understand. There are no warranties on the coatings, but that issue should have been covered under the satisfaction guarantee, especially if it had only been a month, so I'm glad we were able to eventually resolve that. As an fyi, Emery is no longer with the company. I would say to give the Slick & Slide a shot. It's the same price as Detail Spray at $12.99 a bottle, and I do feel it leaves a more slick surface than any of our waxes, just at the sacrifice of longevity. If you aren't happy with it, let me know and I'll send you a gift card for the trouble

Once you have the graphene coating installed, another option for maintenance would be the new Slick & Slide. It leaves the surface feeling more slippery than just about anything I've tested, which may help with the stains sticking to your vehicle. As @falcaineer mentioned, with Ceramic Coatings (and the new Graphene Ceramic Coating), time frame of how long you let it sit on the surface is going to be very subjective, dependent on temperature and humidity. So the 15-30 second quote in the original instructions is not necessarily wrong in all cases - but was written that way with the original 7H Paint Coating, so as to have less frustration with application for people new to ceramic coatings, because it could be very difficult to remove and leave high spots if it sat too long...ceramic technology was new to us, and we were learning back then too Advancements in the formula and coating technology have allowed for longer flash times, i.e. 2-3 minutes typically for our coatings. With the graphene coating, if you apply it thick, you will actually see that it may not rainbow, and instead it will begin to have tiny 'sweat' beads on the surface. I've found that if it does 'sweat' like this, you can sometimes leave it on the surface up to 10 minutes and it will still wipe away fairly easy, but humidity plays a big factor in this too. In my very humid Pittsburgh area this time of year, 3-5 minutes is the sweet spot for flash time when the towel begins to have some drag when wiping the residue off of the surface. If you apply the graphene coating thin, it will rainbow quickly and will not 'sweat.' In this instance, I would wipe it off a little more quickly, 2-3 minutes. If there is difficulty in removing the residue, you can apply a few more drops to the applicator, go back over the area, and then wipe it right back off. Alternatively, the Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating can also be used as a removal aid of the full Graphene Ceramic Coating. If you're working on a darker colored vehicle, I would also strongly suggest to move it out into both sunlight and a cloudy sky after doing a test area if you can, just to make sure that you aren't seeing any streaking or high spots. Graphene tends to show streaks a little more on darker colors on a cloudy day if you do not fully remove the residue - it will look incredible in the sunlight though!

Ah, I wouldn't say you're falling behind at all - detailing is a lot of physical labor. I used to be in the 6 hour range but keeping things organized and ready, and working around the car in an efficient manner can easily save 15-30 minutes of time - having things close by so you aren't back-tracking as much or walking to grab a towel, or to get the Sidekick and extension cord out of a cabinet and plugging it in, etc - the less I have to move around back and forth, the more time I save. In my 4 hour time frame, I'm not doing any shampooing of carpet or seats either, just a vacuum of the floor and then cleaning and conditioning leather seats. - 30 minutes Wheels/Tires/Fender Wells cleaned - 15 minutes Engine Bay cleaned, dried, and dressed - 60 minutes Wash and Dry body - 30 minutes Spray Wax, H2O Guard, Slick & Slide, or CS3 on Paint; VRT on Trim and Tires - 15 minutes Glass, Mirrors (Side, Rear View, and Vanity), and Door Jambs cleaned - 30 minutes Vacuum Floor and Trunk - 15 minutes Interior Detailer on Dash, Door Panels, and Center Console, Air Vents and Window Switches cleaned - 30 minutes Leather & Interior Cleaner and then Leather Conditioner on Seats and Arm Rests That leaves me with 15 minutes of wiggle room for any task that might take a little longer, i.e. if there are a lot of bugs or tar that need to be removed when washing. I can cut another hour out of that 4 hour estimate down to 3 hours if I'm REALLY hustling, but that came from 4 years of doing Express Details at Barrett-Jackson where time is very critical, and learning some very efficient techniques from our other show team members!

If we're talking an Express Detail where you would do wheels, tires, fender wells, wash the exterior, clean the interior, and a quick application of something like Spray Wax or CS3, I can get that down to about 4 hours start to finish if there are no distractions during that process. However, I will have everything that I will need prepped on a detail cart or next to the cart - two buckets prepped and ready, hose, extension cord, all of my brushes, chemicals, applicators, vacuum, drying towels, etc before the vehicle arrives.

Hi Ulysses, great question! There are a lot of variables here, especially when you consider what a full detail consists of for you. For me, this would usually be my tasks and time estimates for a full detail: 1. Clean Wheels, Tires, Fender Wells, and Exhaust Tips = 30-60 minutes (depending on how bad they are) 2. Clean Engine Bay = 15 minutes 3. Wash and Dry Vehicle = 1 hour 4. Tape off exterior trim pieces = 15 minutes 5. Clay exterior paint and glass = 30 minutes 6. Compound painted areas = 2-3 hours 7. Polish painted areas = 1-2 hours 8. Surface Prep painted areas = 15 minutes 9. Ceramic Coating Application (Paint) = 2-3 hours 10. Ceramic Coating Application (Wheels) = 2-3 hours (factoring in time to remove and re-install each wheel) 11. Protect Exterior Plastics = 15-60 minutes (depending on VRT or Ceramic Coating) 12. Vacuum Floor and Trunk = 30 minutes 13. Clean and Protect Glass Inside and Outside = 30 minutes 14. Interior Clean and Condition = 1-3 hours (depending on current condition of the interior) 15. Clean any compounding and polishing dust out of engine bay, door, and trunk seams = 15 minutes That adds up to just over 12 hours on the low end and almost 20 hours on the high end. You can also add an extra hour each for Compounding, Polishing, and Ceramic Coating a large truck or SUV. You might be able to do things more quickly than this, but this is typically the time I take, not counting 15 minute breaks here and there to rest my shoulders, forearms, neck, and back, and give the machine polishers a minute or two of cool-down time in between each panel. So it's usually a 2-3 day process for me at minimum 👍

Yep, I love the Mini Plush Drying Towel (Accessory Drying Towel) especially for rocker panels, door jambs, and lower portions of bumpers. I use a dedicated Mini Plush for drying wheels too if I don't have the Sidekick Blaster with me!

Hi @Dale Gribble welcome to the forum! Our CS3 offers excellent water beading and repelling behavior, so I personally wouldn't spend the time to immediately apply another product on top of it. It would be redundant but you can apply it if you want to. We don't really discuss competitor products here, but I would maybe suggest to use it as a drying aid on your next follow-up wash (CS3 can be used as a drying aid too though) 👍

Hi MBK! Rich has some great input there. Our Strip Wash is meant to be used as your soap, 1-2oz in your Soap Bucket. If you mix it in with a ph neutral car shampoo as you mentioned, it would lose some of its strength. I would not recommend using our Strip Wash as a clay lube; unlike all of our other pH neutral soap offerings, Strip Wash can and will leave streaking on surfaces (especially glass) if it is left to dry on the surface, so I do wash in the shade and then rinse and dry fairly quick when using it. Mixing APC into our blue Car Shampoo is another great option for stripping a surface of wax. Keep in mind that sealants are going to be more durable against any type of strip wash, so you may have to re-wash some areas a few times. Claying and machine polishing afterward will remove any remaining protection that the strip wash solution may not have fully removed. @rrmccabe I'm not sure if you've tried our recent Bug Remover yet, but it certainly cuts through things quite awesome! It is a very strong chemical, so you do need to be careful not to let it dry on any surfaces either. I just cleaned a pearl white Ford Focus this weekend that the front end was splattered with about a hundred bugs. I rinsed with a strong stream first, sprayed the Bug Remover and allowed it to work for 30 seconds, and then washed the area with my Microfiber Wash Mitt and Mega Foam. I was very impressed with how little pressure I had to use to remove the bugs - less scrubbing and elbow grease

CS3 is quickly becoming my new favorite product over Brilliant Glaze and Ceramic Spray Coating. It's just so effortless to use, and this is one more great use for it. Thanks for sharing @Captain Slow!

Dirty wheel

Yes, the UV tracer will pretty much show every pass and movement you make with the applicator when you first apply it - some installers like to put a few blots of the ceramic on a panel, then wipe it evenly in up/down and left/right movements. You will notice that if you blot it first, you will see much heavier UV glow in those spots when using the UV LED Light. After a day or two, the UV glow does seem to level itself out a bit, then the UV glow will slowly fade away over the next few weeks. I've also noticed that if I do two layers of the UV Paint Coating, i.e. one layer and then a second layer 2 hours later, the UV glow is then very uniform and even across the panel, which to me indicates that I have much more even coverage on the panel too; however, I'm not always doing two layers on every car that I work on.

I haven't had this issue, but we do use Borderless Gray Towels on most of the darker color vehicles at the Barrett-Jackson auctions to avoid any linting issues (we receive new towels at the shows, so we don't have time to wash them before use until a few days into the show when we start to wash loads of towels every night). Make sure to shake out your Single Soft and Double Soft Towels thoroughly before use. It's also possible that these few towels you tried have some contamination in them. You could try washing only the problematic towels again using warm water and Towel & Pad Revitalizer as the detergent to see if another wash cycle would help to remove any extra lint in the towels. Are you drying them in your dryer? If so, maybe try to clean the inside drum out before you dry them next time to make sure no lint is present. Or you could try hanging them to air dry as a test.