Hey guys, I just received all my cleaning supplies from DP. Everything arrived nicely packaged and I have no complaints with the service. I can't wait to wash my car this week. However, I noticed I have nothing to strip the wax on my car. My friends have told me that dish detergent can do the job, but I don't know if its safe for the car. If I do use dish detergent do I use the sheepskin mitt or do I use something else. Any tips is welcomed as I am still very new to the detailing world.

Thanks in advance

 

Dawn and sheepskin!

 

Griot's PaintPrep

www.griotsgarage.com

 

Agreed, Paint Prep if you aren't chomping at the bit to get it done.

But if you are, a wash with a good amount of Dawn will work too.

 

If your current wax is a natural Carnauba, then Dawn should knock it off. If it is a synthetic you will need to use either vinegar or an alcohol/water mix. P21S makes a great paint prep call Paintworks Cleanser that you can get from DP. I usually do a wash with Mystique to remove dirt, then do the Paintworks Cleanser to remove remaining waxes and any oils. Then I do clay using the Mystique wash water from step one followed by Prima polishes and wax.
Dawn is good for removing Carnauba waxes as well as surface oils and grease, but won't touch a cured synthetic wax like Epic or Z-2.

 

Driving through a sand storm will do it.

Oh wait ... you want the paint not scratched too?

 

I don't have any dawn, but I do have palmolive. It is tough on dirt and easy on the hands . Do you guys think it would be just as effective? I would get a paint prep, but I don't know if I could wait on cleaning my car.

 

It probably has oil in it so I wouldn't use Palmolive. You are trying to remove surface oil. Just use plain old blue Dawn. No fragrance, conditioners or antibacterial.

 

What kind of wax is on it now?

 

considering the amount of work and time you will invest in your
project, use the right products. otherwise you'll end up re-doing it.

either the paint prep, that paint cleaner minimaybee mentioned or
minimum dawn (although it does not appear to remove synthetic
all that well. it worked well on NXT, but rain dissolves pos NXT in
no time so who knows.)

 

I'm not really sure what kind of wax the dealership used on it.

 

Presumably something cheap. Dawn should do it.

 

www.griotsgarage.com They have a product called "paint prep"

 

I've been around various car forums for about 7 years now and I'm not knocking you persay ML, but the use of Dawn is not a good idea. I've heard WAY too many people that say it weakens the clearcoat of the cars paint and if its not cleared, imagine what that does to the paint "Dawn takes grease out of your way", that's what they say and think about it, what's in there to make that happen, something to think about!

 

Interesting. That's the first time I've heard that.

 

Me too. I'm aware that the reason Dawn works so well on oil and grease is it's high alkalinity. Clearcoat (unpigmented paint) can withstand this for no longer than a soap is on a car. Vinyl and rubbers on the other hand do not like repeated exposure to high alkalinity and will begin to breakdown (some will say dry out). So if one uses Dawn as a oil/grease stripping tool a couple of times a year - no big deal. Repeated use of Dawn or any high pH product can cause excessive degradation of your rubber and vinyl pieces. Over the long run it is probably not real great for your paint, pigmented or not. This is my current understanding.

 

I would agree that that's what I've been told as well.

That said, I use Paint Prep. But as an option for someone who wants to get cracking on their detail without access to good paint prep products, Dawn really shouldn't hurt them once.

Just be sure to dress your trim

 

Sorry for going against the grain, but if I want to remove old wax off a car, I just use my PC and a good paint cleaner/polish. Unless you're doing things by hand.

Dawn is fine, though it's overkill. From what I understand it's effective mostly on carnuba waxes and not synthetics.

A lambswool wash mitt has nothing to do with Dawn. Using one will provide more protection against your paint from inducing scratches and swirls. Much the same as whether you use a Dirt Guard at the bottom of your bucket, or whether you use a one or two bucket method for washing. They are just steps to help protect your paint.

Richard

 

There is an echo in here.

You can not go wrong with Griot's it is a little pricey but IMHO you get what you pay for.

If you do not want to wait then grab some Dawn.

 

Griot's! eeoz eeoz eeoz



ok, that was stupid.

 

I thought you could use Amigo from DP for this?

 

yah, that's what octaneguy is referring to.

but i prefer paintprep. it's a lot easier for me. spray, wet it down more
with some water, wipe/wash off. i can use it for painting too... to
prep whatever im working on.

 

Or Cut, Swirl, or Finish. Although Amigo is sold as a Paint Cleanser as well as polish/glaze, anytime you polish your paint, you are abrading the surface using a combination of the foam pad and chemical. Anything that's on the surface is going to be removed during this process.

So I would first clay the paint, then polish it---both necessary steps anyways when trying to make your finish look it's best.

Richard

 

or not.

 

Richard - in an ideal world would you not want to get your old wax out of the way before doing clay? It would seem that you would have better contact between the paint and the clay if it were wax-free before the job. I know clay can be used to remove some of the wax, but what about the wax that remains? What if the remaining wax is covering some surface contamination that you had hoped to get with the clay?