Should I wash my car after polishing and before waxing?

**byrdpt** · 08-03-2002, 11:05 PM

Just curious. Do I need to wash after polishing or can I ski the wash and go straight to waxing?

**laynlow** · 08-04-2002, 12:25 AM

Wax locks in polish. If you wash after polishing all your hard work will be washed away.

**paco** · 08-04-2002, 12:33 AM

If you intention is to following with Zaino/Klasse/No.20 etc., definitely a wash is required to assure proper bonding.

If you applied a Swirl Mark Remover polish then a wash and follow-up with 50/50 alcohol solution would be good to see how well the marks were removed.

If you used a glaze to hide swirls or increase depth of shine and follow-up with a carnuba.. then I wouldn`t.

It really depends on what you a hoping to achieve and what products you are using.

Paco

**vroddad** · 08-04-2002, 03:01 AM

Wash. Polish. Wax.

**paulisher** · 08-04-2002, 03:01 AM

Originally posted by laynlow

Wax locks in polish. If you wash after polishing all your hard work will be washed away.

Now I`m confused. If I am using 3M SMR to polish with, don`t I need to do a Dawn wash before applying Zaino to remove any fillers and stuff off the car? If all my work is being washed away, why use the SMR at all?

**vroddad** · 08-04-2002, 03:05 AM

Oh, Zanzio.

Wash. Polish. Wash. Zanzio.

SMR is some abrasives, some filler. You`ll have to do without the filler part because Zanzio won`t stick to the fillers.

**paulisher** · 08-04-2002, 03:08 AM

Originally posted by Frederf

Oh, Zanzio.

Wash. Polish. Wash. Zanzio.

SMR is some abrasives, some filler. You`ll have to do without the filler part because Zanzio won`t stick to the fillers.

Has anybody ever tried the 3M Perfect-It III Machine Glaze? They `say` that it has no fillers. The NAPA over here stocks it and I was debating about using it instead of SMR, but wasn`t sure if i could live without the extra wash at that point or not.

**JasonC8301** · 08-04-2002, 04:10 AM

If you Zaino, then dawn wash after a good polishing.

If you use Klasse AIO no need to wash after polishing with a abrasive (a glaze will have no use when using Klasse/Zaino, such as Meguiar`s #5/#7, and 3M IHG.) The AIO has cleaners that will remove msot of the fillers and provide a good surface for Sg to bond too. Meguiar`s #20 also contains cleaners much like AIO.

If you love to wax often, then Polish, Glaze, and wax with carnauba. Great shine, just too hard to upkeep on a daily driver.

3M Perfect It III Machine Glaze is a step up from 3M SMR, and a step below 3M FI II.

Use the 3M PI III MG if you need soemthing stronger than 3M SMR, but even after a polish without fillers, I still would dawn wash if you were to use Zaino, just insures a good bond. Even if they say no fillers, some oils might be left behind that carries the abrasive.

Jason