Is Touchless Car Washing Safe for Your Ceramic Coating in Winter?
When it’s freezing outside, hand washing isn’t always an option. But is a touchless car wash safe for your ceramic coating during winter? In this post, I’ll break it down — the pros, the cons, and the best way to keep your ceramic coating protected all winter long.
If you’ve got Gloss Boss or Tough As Shell on your car, you’re ahead of the game — but even the best coatings need the right maintenance through the harsh winter months.
Let’s look at whether touchless washes are a safe option when hand washing isn’t possible.
Pros of Touchless Car Washing in Winter
👉 In winter, touchless washes offer some key benefits:
- Remove most salt and road grime quickly
- Minimize risk of scratching (no brushes or dirty mitts)
- Allow you to wash when it’s too cold for a driveway wash
- Fast and convenient — your coating stays cleaner than doing nothing
Cons of Touchless Car Washing
👉 But there are a few things to be aware of:
- Touchless washes use strong detergents — they can slightly degrade your ceramic’s hydrophobics over time
- They don’t remove bonded grime as well as a proper hand wash
- If no drying option is used, water spots can occur in freezing weather
👉 The key is understanding that a touchless wash is **better than letting salt sit on your paint** — but it should be part of a full winter maintenance plan.
How to Make Touchless Washing Safe for Your Coating
1 — Use a Quality Ceramic Spray Topper
👉 After every few touchless washes, apply Tough As Shell to:
- Restore slickness
- Reinforce hydrophobics
- Protect against detergent wear
2 — Dry the Car Properly
- Use a Massive Drying Towel after the wash if possible — prevents water spots and freezing in trim and gaps
3 — Don’t Rely on Touchless Alone All Winter
- Alternate touchless washes with a proper hand wash using The Super Soaper and a Orange Wash Microfiber Towel whenever weather allows
- This removes bonded grime and keeps your coating performing at its best
Recommended Touchless Wash Frequency
- In winter, aim to run through a touchless wash every 1–2 weeks if it’s too cold to hand wash
- Top off with Tough As Shell every 4–6 weeks
- Do a full hand wash at first good weather break (above freezing) to reset your protection and fully clean the coating
What to Avoid
- Brush car washes — these will damage your ceramic and paint
- Leaving salt on the car for weeks because you’re afraid to touch it — touchless is far better than nothing
- Neglecting to boost protection — touchless soaps will degrade even good coatings over time if you don’t maintain them
Recommended Products
- Tough As Shell — Winter maintenance topper to use after touchless washes
- The Super Soaper — Hand wash soap for ceramic coatings when temps allow
- Gloss Boss — Your base ceramic coating for long-term winter defense
- Massive Drying Towel — Safe drying method after touchless or hand washes
Conclusion
👉 So — is touchless car washing safe for your ceramic coating during winter?
Yes — and it’s far better than letting salt and grime sit on your paint.
👉 The key is to:
- Use touchless when needed, but alternate with hand washes when possible
- Top up with Tough As Shell to maintain protection
- Dry properly after every wash
- Monitor your coating and refresh as needed
👉 With this simple routine, your ceramic coating will stay protected, performing, and looking great — even through the harshest winter months.
