Dawn vs LSPs video

cf2121

cf2121

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Not sure if this is the correct place for this, feel free to move if not.

https://youtu.be/6jIkXi7JK3g

Hey guys, in this video I tested the "Dawn will strip your wax" theory and wanted to show the results.

To prepare for this test I compounded the hood to remove the Hydro2 that had been applied (hint hint), then applied three waxes and three sealants.

As I said in the video, this was the sixth take, so I had hit the hood six times with a dawn wash.` There was no change to the beading or sheeting.

I should mention these LSPs were all freshly applied, they were left to cure for only 10 minutes or so before I started shooting the video.

I don`t think you can remove LSPs with a simple wash.` You need to put an abrasive to completely remove the product.` If you think otherwise, please show us how a simple $2 bottle of dish soap will remove a product that`s designed to hold up for months against extreme weather, debris, etc.

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I know the sound is a little low on this video, I have purchased a mic I`ll be implementing in future videos.

Hope you enjoy, thanks for watching!

Is there a dead horse emoji?? :P
 
Decon Products made for Ferrous Contamination aren`t as well-suited to LSP stripping as Decon Products made for removing other, more general types of contamination. The "first step" Decon Products (e.g., ValuGard`s "A" and FK1119) would be a better choice IMO.
 
Wax, by definition (around these parts) being carnauba, is EASY to remove, especially if it`s a few weeks on.
 
Rustoleum makes a wax and grease remover you can use on a clean car to remove wax. Prep All is another product - it`s an aerosol, but again - you have to use it on a clean surface. CarPro Trix will remove wax on a clean surface as well, as will mineral spirits. All these products will remove "wax", but are not really soaps, detergents, or cleaners per se.

But, there seems to be no one step (soap & wax remover) LSP remover you can use to wash and remove wax.

I think the main reason for this (being an armchair hack chemist) is that whatever "soap" you use to wash must be soluble in water, since water is the vehicle we use as a carrier for car wash cleaning chemicals (waterless, rinseless, & regular soap products). The properties of "dirt" and the properties of "wax" are not close enough to safely and effectively be removed by a single product.

However, LSPs mostly repel water and are not really water soluble. My guess if most "dirt" is somewhat water soluble and somewhat fat soluble - so soaps dissolved in water work to clean it off. Most things that are effective at dissolving "wax", do not dissolve well in water (except maybe strong acids), making a "wax stripping soap" virtually a pipe dream.




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In order to effectively remove a wax there would have to be a harsh solvent mixed into the "soap" that would dissolve/remove the wax. This is definitely the "dead horse" that will never die as long as new people continue to keep entering the detailing field. Right now two manufacturers have claimed to make a soap that removes wax and, in my eyes, have tried to fool people into believing the crap works. It only hurts their reputations when manufacturers put out a product that doesn`t work and it casts a bad light on all of their other products and their claims.
 
Accumulator said:
The "first step" Decon Products (e.g., ValuGard`s "A" and FK1119) would be a better choice IMO.
Click to expand...

So why not just use "A" if you want to do a LSP-stripping wash? It removes far more tenacious stuff than wax/sealant. The few times I`ve used "A" or FK1119 on a LSPed vehicle it certainly gave every sign of having stripped off the LSP (along with stuff that was under said LSP).
 
Having NEVER used either of the 3-step De-con washes (ValuGard`s or finish Kare`s) I am unable to make a good evaluation on the merits of doing so. That said, I DO use a plethora of "other" products in the vehicle wash process to thoroughly "clean" a painted or chromed or plastic trim surface, including:
1) Tarminator
2) Goo-Gone Automotive
3) Clay bars (have not "progressed" to time-saving nanoskins)
4) APCs (Meg`s D101 and Optimum`s Power Clean)
5) PPG DX330 Wax and Grease Remover
6) Goof Off Pro (for tree pitch. thanks Stokdgs)
7) Gasoline (Excessive road tar and tire rubber, works great and is cheap)
8) Compounds (spot buffing/polishing of stubborn stains)
9) 3M Adhesive Remover (removing assembly factory trim and panel adhesives or road striping paint; "nasty" stuff when baked on)
10) Iso-propyl Alcohol (IPA)
11) Vinegar (WHAT??) poor man`s hard water spots remover
12) I NEED to add a bug-removal product to my arsenal, like Poor Boy`s Bug Squash (in the old days I used Regular Coke followed by baking soda, WORKS great)

Point is that ALL detailers will use a variety of car-care chemical products to ensure (insure?) a "clean canvas" before polishing or, if desired by owner or client, the application of an LSP of choice or a spray-on wax or gloss-enhancing quick-detailer.
Is a 3-step de-con wash going to eliminate some of cleaning "processes" mentioned above? YES, but not all. If your a professional detailer where time is money, then yes, it may make sense (no pun intended) to use the decon system. If your a hobbyist who does your own car or a car now-and-then for family or friends, then maybe you`ll stick with what you have and what works for you.
 
Lonnie- I suppose most non-Pros don`t have the Decon Products I keep referring to. I`m a little surprised that more Pros don`t use them, but I`ll be the *LAST* guy to tell any Professional Detailer how they oughta do their jobs (well, unless some "Pro" who deserves those scare-quotes posts about doing something *really* irresponsible ;) ).

That 3M Adhesive Remover is such GREAT stuff! Guess that`s another product that`s uncommon in Amateur Shops, but I can`t imagine why. [Heck], when I was a kid growing up my father (as white-collar as they come) had a wide assortment of Industrial Solvents and other such products, as did all my relatives, even the single women. Never seemed unusual at all as both sides of my family simply saw it as having the right stuff on-hand for all of Life`s Little Jobs.

Oh, and you had it right the first time- "ensure a clean canvas" :D Props for caring!
 
Seems to me it is a mute point.

If a polish restores the finish you are after, what is the point of trying to remove product which poishing did not?

Remove the polishing oils and apply the product.

Done.

Body shops use chemical strippers to remove contaminents before sanding so if you really want to strip try that.
 
dschribs- Just a caveat (not slamming Touchless Carwashes), if they somehow get the chemical mix wrong it *WILL*, or at least can, strip the LSP and maybe even do genuine damage. ONE TIME, out of many, when my wife ran the A8 through a Touchless that`s always been OK it not only did a number on the LSP but also *really* clouded some slightly compromised aluminum trim. She still goes through that Carwash, and no more problems, but !oh man! was it an issue that one time. Ya pays your money and ya takes your chances :D


CrispyGP2001 said:
Seems to me it is a mute point.

If a polish restores the finish you are after, what is the point of trying to remove product which poishing did not?
Click to expand...

For me, it`s a topic of interest as I don`t do much (abrasive) polishing, virtually none actually.
 
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