Decontamination
Decontamination is the multi-step cleaning process that removes embedded contaminants from a car's paint surface, beyond what a normal wash can lift.
What it means
Even a freshly washed car carries contaminants stuck to or embedded in the clear coat that water and shampoo cannot remove. The big three are industrial fallout (iron particles from brake dust and rail traffic that bond to the paint), tar (from road surfaces, particularly fresh ones), and tree sap or bird droppings that have etched in. Decontamination handles each of these with a dedicated step: an iron remover (a chemical that turns iron particles purple and dissolves them), a tar remover (a solvent that softens tar so it wipes away), and clay barring or a clay alternative (a soft, mildly abrasive medium that lifts bonded contamination off the surface). The result is a paint surface that feels like glass to the touch and is ready to be polished or coated. Skipping decontamination before a ceramic coating locks contamination under the coating for the life of the protection.
Why it matters in Singapore
Singapore's mix of industrial activity, dense traffic, and tropical conditions means cars accumulate paint contamination quickly. Brake dust from constant stop-and-go driving is particularly aggressive on alloy wheels and lower body panels. Decontamination is the difference between paint that simply looks clean and paint that is actually clean.
How Revol Carz handles this
Revol Carz performs full decontamination as the first stage of any ceramic coating job and as a regular part of our deeper grooming sessions. We use professional iron and tar removers paired with clay barring before any polishing or coating begins.