How Ceramic Coating Is Applied, Step by Step
Updated October 9, 2026 5 min readBy Dominick, owner of Slums Mobile Detailing
The coating itself goes on in a couple of hours. Everything before it is what makes it last.
How is ceramic coating applied?
Ceramic coating is applied by first washing and chemically and mechanically decontaminating the paint, then machine-polishing out defects, wiping each panel with a prep solution to remove oils, and finally applying the coating panel by panel and leveling it before it flashes. It then cures for about a week.
- 1. Hand wash and wheel cleaning
- 2. Iron/fallout removal and clay
- 3. Paint correction (Level 2 & 3)
- 4. Panel wipe to remove polishing oils
- 5. Apply, level and inspect each panel under light
- 6. Cure
Where expertise shows
Flash times change with temperature and humidity, and every paint reacts differently. Knowing when to level, and seeing high spots before they cure, comes from experience — whatever coating brand is in the bottle. We do it all mobile, at your home.