Koch-Chemie Ceramic Effect Shampoo "Ces" Conditioning Shampoo with Long-Lasting Sealing Effect 1000ml

Refresh your Koch-Chemie coating with every wash

What is Koch-Chemie Ces? A pH 6 care shampoo with SiO₂ component that cleans in one step and leaves a hydrophobic polymer film on paint, glass, and plastic. Not a substitute for a full ceramic coating, but a booster for already coated vehicles.

Koch-Chemie Ces is a care shampoo with a sealing effect from Koch-Chemie based in Unna, which works with a combination of a mild surfactant system and SiO₂-based care components. While the surfactants remove road film, insect residues, and loose brake dust from the paint, the silicon-containing polymers settle during rinsing and form a thin, highly water-repellent protective film. The result is wet paint from which water beads off in dense pearls, and a deep shine that a standard shampoo does not provide.

• Cleaning and protective film in one rinse. At 1:200 (50 ml to 10 l of water), a 1000 ml bottle is sufficient for approximately 20 complete washes - which means about €1.35 product cost per wash. You save the separate quick detailer or spray sealant after each wash, because the hydrophobic effect comes directly from the wash bucket.
• pH 6 approved for coatings, waxes, and polishes. The slightly acidic pH value does not attack ceramic sealants or classic carnauba waxes. Ces is explicitly developed for vehicles that are already protected with Ceramic Body, Spray Sealant, or a comparable coating - and can measurably extend their durability instead of degrading them like alkaline shampoos.
• SiO₂ care film on paint, glass, and plastic. The sealing effect works on all clear-coated and smooth exterior surfaces - including windows, piano black trim, and ABS plastics. One shampoo, one bucket, the entire car. No material change necessary, no risk of applying the wrong chemistry to the wrong surface.

Practical tip from Detailing1: You lose the sealing effect if you let the car air dry after washing. The SiO₂ component is still wet on the paint during rinsing - it needs the mechanical pressure of a soft drying towel to spread evenly and bond. Without a wiping step, water spots appear instead of shine. Therefore, plan an extra 5-10 minutes for a large microfiber drying towel and work section by section.

Pre-rinsed. Two buckets. One layer.

Ces delivers its best results using the two-bucket method: a wash bucket with 50 ml of Ces to 10 liters of warm water, a separate rinse bucket with clear water, and a high-pile microfiber wash mitt. The second bucket keeps dirt out of the wash bucket - this protects the paint from streaks and ensures that each section is worked with a clean foam concentration. If you skip the second bucket, you'll push the coarsest dirt particles over the paint multiple times, creating swirls that Ces can no longer compensate for.

ALWAYS pre-rinse before shampooing. A high-pressure cleaner or garden hose removes loose sand and road salt. If you forget this, you'll push coarse particles over the paint with the mitt and create micro-scratches.

For heavy soiling or insect contamination, a pre-cleaner as a snow foam is recommended beforehand, otherwise Ces will bypass the care component. Vehicles with dried pollen or Saharan dust absolutely require pre-cleaning.

Always work on shaded, cool paint - not in the sun, not on a warm hood. Otherwise, the foam will dry, leaving water spots, and the sealing effect will build up unevenly. Work from top to bottom, section by section, rinsing each section individually - the polymer film only forms during the rinsing process.

This is the central difference from pure cleaning shampoos: with those, it doesn't matter how long the foam stays on the paint; with Ces, the result stands or falls with timely rinsing of each section. If you completely foam the car and only rinse at the end, you'll miss out on most of the sealing effect and only get a standard cleaning result.

A final adjustment screw is the water temperature. Lukewarm water between 25 and 35 °C activates the SiO₂ component better than cold tap water, the foam forms faster, and the care film bonds more evenly. With ice-cold water in winter, the paint may feel clean after washing, but the full hydrophobic potential remains unused - in that case, it's better to mix in a bucket of hot water until the mixture is lukewarm.

Care booster with clear limitations

Ces is Detailing1's first choice as a maintenance shampoo for already coated vehicles - not as a sealant replacement. If you've never applied a coating, Ces will give you a real, visible hydrophobic effect. If you already have a ceramic coating, each wash will extend its durability by a few weeks because the SiO₂ care component nourishes the original sealant instead of degrading it.

Practical reports are strong: on freshly waxed or coated paints, after the first wash, there's a noticeably richer deep shine, and water beads off in drops 3-5 mm in size. Verified buyers on Trusted Shops regularly report a visible beading effect and a pleasant berry-almond scent - a rarity for a workshop manufacturer like Koch-Chemie.

Honestly regarding the limitation: on an unwaxed, uncoated paint, the sealing effect lasts about 2-4 weeks, depending on the weather. In continuous rain or salt use in winter, it's shorter. If you want a permanent coating with 12+ months of durability, you can't avoid a real ceramic coating. If you want to maintain and refresh in between, Ces is the right choice.

If you already have an older coating that is slowly getting tired, you should reach for the specialized Koch-Chemie Reactivation Shampoo - this reactivates the SiO₂ bond more specifically than Ces. And if you wash the car directly before applying a coating, you should not use Ces: the polymer film interferes with the adhesion of the new sealant. For this, a neutral preparation shampoo without a care component is the right choice, otherwise the preliminary work would be in vain.

For which target group Ces is worthwhile

Ces is the right choice for car owners who wash every 1-2 weeks, want a well-maintained finish, but don't want to regularly wax or coat. You invest 20-30 minutes per wash and get a result that visually comes astonishingly close to an elaborately polished show car - without the polishing step. Especially relevant for frequent drivers in the city, commuters with underground parking, and anyone who has a coated vehicle and wants to actively extend its lifespan.

Ces is less suitable for workshops and detailers where pure cleaning performance is a priority. For this, Koch-Chemie Aktivwäsche AW is the stronger choice, as Ces reaches its limits faster with heavily ingrained brake dust and insect contamination.

A complete washing workflow for the target group looks like this: Pre-rinse with a high-pressure cleaner, snow foam for pre-cleaning if necessary, then a two-bucket wash with Ces. Afterwards, dry section by section with the Soft99 Max Wash Drying Towel - no air drying.

For the 1L variants, Detailing1 also offers a bundle with a dosing cap - this saves time with weekly use and prevents overdosing. In practice, this is the most common mistake with Ces: more shampoo does not lead to a better effect, but only to double the consumption.

For frequent drivers and multi-car households, the 5L container pays off after about 80 washes, because the price per liter is about 30% lower than the 1L bottle. Those who wash weekly will get about two years out of it and will have saved the extra cost after half a year.

A final Detailing1 insight for the target group: Ces gets better over time. When first used on an unwaxed paint, the hydrophobic effect is visible, but moderate. From the third or fourth wash, a denser polymer film builds up layer by layer.

Suddenly, water beads off during a normal summer rain as if the car had just received a spray sealant. This is the point where most buyers switch to Ces and don't give it up - not a miracle cure the first time, but a reliable build-up effect over the season.

Application of Koch-Chemie Ceramic Effect Shampoo

From pre-rinsing to polymer film in 30 minutes

Start with a thorough pre-rinse. A high-pressure cleaner or garden hose removes loose sand, road salt, and coarse road film – these particles are the most common cause of wiping marks during washing. In case of heavy insect infestation or Saharan dust, pre-clean with a snow foam; otherwise, the CES will focus on the care component instead of cleaning.

Fill the wash bucket with 10 liters of warm water and add 50 ml of CES – this is the standard dilution of 1:200. With the dosing cap of the bundle variant, this takes 5 seconds; without a dosing cap, use a shot glass or estimate a good half bottle cap of Koch-Chemie. Briefly lather with a jet of water or a microfiber wash mitt. The second bucket contains clear water for rinsing the mitt after each section.

Always wash from top to bottom, section by section: roof, windows, hood, doors, bumpers – and finally, the dirtiest areas such as sills, lower bumper, and rims. Rinse each section individually before the foam dries. The sealing effect only occurs during the rinse cycle when the SiO₂ polymers come into contact with water and deposit on the paint.

After the last section, rinse the entire car again with clear water. Then immediately dry with a large microfiber drying towel – do not let it air dry. Without the mechanical pressure of the drying towel, the polymer film will not spread evenly, and you will lose some of the sealing effect due to water spots.

Notes: CES is a care booster, not a coating replacement – the hydrophobic effect lasts 2–4 weeks depending on the weather, after which the beading effect visibly diminishes. If you want permanent protection with 12+ months of durability, you should opt for a real ceramic coating. Do not apply to warm surfaces or in direct sunlight, otherwise water spots and drying residues will occur. CES is not suitable for preparing for a new coating, as its polymer film interferes with coating adhesion – use a neutral preparation shampoo for this purpose. Store frost-free and cool between 5 and 25 °C, durable for 24 months after opening.