- Hey everyone, Nick Griot from Griot's Garage
and today we're going to talk about
our ceramic trim wipe kit,
which features an actual ceramic coating,
which will last up to two years and more than 200 washes.
This is not a temporary solution.
Unlike others that are powered
by cheap silicones and fillers,
which will wash off in your next car wash.
The goal of this particular solution
is to effectively restore faded and oxidized trim.
And it can be used to prevent that oxidation on newer trim,
such as the trim that is on this Sprinter van behind me.
These wipes are very easy to use.
They require minimal preparatory steps
and provide you that lasting protection
and a semi-gloss shine to restore
that faded and oxidized trim.
You simply have to prepare the car properly
and then apply the ceramic coating properly.
We'll guide you through those steps as they are very simple.
The first step, prepping the vehicle properly.
We usually recommend just a simple car wash
to strip any remaining silicone products off
of your exterior trim and just be sure
that the car is completely dry as part of the process.
We do not want any drips of water throughout the entire car.
If you have to introduce compressed air
to get rid of all the water, great.
If not, allow the car to just simply dry
so that there's no chance of any water running
down the trim after the ceramic coating is applied.
We recommend you use a wax-free car wash soap,
such as our Brilliant Finish Car Wash,
or our original Super Concentrated Car Wash formula.
In fact, you can ensure that the surface
is free of any residues or old silicones
by utilizing a 50-50 mix of isopropyl alcohol and water
or a comparable panel wipe product.
Once the surface is completely dry,
we also recommend that you tape off any adjacent surfaces.
This is not a necessary step, but as you can see,
I have taped off the coated and or painted areas
around the Sprinter's trim areas
so that I don't have any excessive cleanup work.
It's just like painting a house.
The prep step usually takes a little bit longer.
However, it ensures even application
and an easy coating process.
If you do happen to over apply the coating
onto adjacent panels, simply wipe it up
with a clean dry towel before it's allowed to dry.
Once you've fully prepared the surface
and ensured that it's completely dry
with no potential for water drips anywhere,
it's time to coat the surface.
Inside the ceramic trim wipe kit,
you're going to find a single protective glove,
Michael Jackson style, and four of the ceramic trim wipes.
Now they're individually packaged,
they don't necessarily have an expiration date
so simply try and get as much out of each wipe as possible.
There's also a handy-dandy instruction sheet.
It's only two steps so it's very brief.
Now, once you've completely prepared the vehicle,
put on your glove and open one of the wipes.
These wipes are, as I stated,
impregnated with the ceramic coating
so they will be extremely moist as you pull them out.
And it's incredibly important
to wear this glove at all times.
If you do touch some of your skin
it's not going to create too much harm.
You simply need to wash your hands
but it's best to wear the gloves.
Now, what I like to do
is this wipe is folded into quadrants.
So I tend to flip it as I work my way
around the area I'm trying to apply.
And if you didn't do a good enough job cleaning your trim,
you will see some lift and or dirt
as the wipe becomes more soiled
but you really want to maximize the amount
of liquid in each one of these wipes.
The wipes should be able to cover
about 20 square feet of trim.
So I should be able to do the entire front end
of this Sprinter van with one wipe.
Part of it is technique.
Part of it is also the environment you're working in.
If it's extremely hot, it may help evaporate
some of the solvent that is within this coating
and you may not get as good a coverage.
So be sure to work in a cool area,
potentially inside a garage,
just not in direct sunlight or high heat.
So, as I stated, I like to do the large areas first
and I like to do broad swipes
and then come back and do infill afterwards.
And because I've done my taping
I can be pretty carefree as it relates to applying this
but I am trying to do even applications and top to bottom
just for simple process
and overlap and ensuring equal coverage.
So, as you can see, the coating goes on very easily.
I'm making really big strokes initially
and I'm gonna come back in
and be sure some of that overlap is covered really well.
This ensures that one, I check my surface of the wipe
and I get as much of the coating out of the wipe as possible
before I flip to another side and repeat.
As you can see,
I've got some pretty deliberate lines here now.
So I just simply go back and clean it up.
Now you will not have to worry about highs and lows
as part of this process.
It tends to dry pretty evenly.
But what you're really trying to identify
is areas that you have not applied the coating.
I'm simply doing detailed work
with really quick deliberate strokes
to ensure even coverage.
Now, as opposed to a sponge and a greasy silicone product,
this is a really clean process.
You've got plenty of time to work it.
And in fact, once the application is done,
it really only needs a full hour to cure.
And once again, the only thing you really want to avoid,
is that moisture.
Now, once again, I'm running out of a little bit of moisture
on the actual wipe itself.
So I'm going to flip to another side,
find a little bit more coating and continue on.
(upbeat jazzy music)
So as you can see, it's pretty ambitious
to do a panel this size on video, in one go.
If you've got smaller pieces of trim
really focus on those.
Again, that tape and preparatory step
is integral to ensuring proper bond.
Have it looking great with a nice satin sheen
and protected for up to two years and 200 plus car washes.
Thank you for watching.
For more information on our ceramic trim kit
or any of our other ceramic products
powered by Cerakote Ceramics,
be sure to visit griotsgarage.com
and as always, have fun in your garage.
(snazzy music)