"Pure" paint cleaners

[ZoranC]

Sounds like a recipe for insanity to me.

And it is.

If the pollution is so bad in your area, how do you expect the car to stay clean at all? I mean, assuming you do get what you want, and clean the paint, then apply your LSP. How long will it last? What will you do then?

I am not expecting it to stay clean. What I want is to bring it into decent shape and then maintain that once a week. Maintenance should be less work. Just cleaning and retopping of protectant. I can do that once a week if there is nothing else on that plate, like "and now that you cleaned you are just starting on the real work".

What kind of LSP do you plan to use that will stand up to that for any measurable length of time? Especially if you can only devote a few hours a weekend to your car.

Zaino! Just kidding!



I am thinking of trying Collinite and OptiSeal.

If I were you, I would call in sick to work tomorrow and spend the day detailing the car.

Well, you are not me. If I were to call in sick when I am not sick it would have to be for something extremely important.

 

[ZoranC]

I'm dead serious when I say that you will save yourself a lot of aggrivation, time, and effort by just biting the bullet and getting the whole process done in one session.

When you have constraints to deal with you redesign the process to go around constraints.

 

[kster]

That would be a solvent.



Anything from water to acetone qualifies as a solvent. Solvents specifically formulated for paint would be products like Prep-Sol, PRE, DX 330, etc., not to mention any number of bug&tar removers.

PC.

In the US, where does one get Prep-Sol or DX 330 from? Thanks.

 

[imported_The Uncle]

I'm not trying to be sarcastic. I'm just saying that a person could drive himself completely bonkers trying to do one step at a time in these sort of conditions. I mean, by the time you're done, you'll need to start over.



I'm not being sarcastic. I'm dead serious when I say that you will save yourself a lot of aggrivation, time, and effort by just biting the bullet and getting the whole process done in one session.

I apologize for misreading your tone.



I would say that the "spirit" of your recommendation is consistent with what many of us are saying. If you take the time to clay, prep the surface, and put on a durable LSP, than the maintence will be much easier, even in a hostile environment like Southern California.

 

[Less]

I too apologize if something I said was not taken with the good natured helpful spirit with which it was intended.



I'm also speaking from experience. I have very little time to detail my wife's minivan since she is always running out on the weekends. She won't drive my car because it's a stick. I finally had to swap vehicles with my mother so my wife could leave her van here long enough to get it done.



Before that I was on the same "one step at a time" approach. I would polish, then I would top it with a very easy to use wax like NXT so it would be somewhat protected for a week until I could get my hands on the car again.



Believe me, you will drive yourself freakin' crazy.

 

[imported_The Uncle]

I too apologize if something I said was not taken with the good natured helpful spirit with which it was intended..

Classy response. Much appreciated.

I'm also speaking from experience. I have very little time to detail my wife's minivan since she is always running out on the weekends. She won't drive my car because it's a stick. I finally had to swap vehicles with my mother so my wife could leave her van here long enough to get it done.



Before that I was on the same "one step at a time" approach. I would polish, then I would top it with a very easy to use wax like NXT so it would be somewhat protected for a week until I could get my hands on the car again.



Believe me, you will drive yourself freakin' crazy.

:werd:



I couldn't agree more with what you are saying.

 

[the other pc]

In the US, where does one get Prep-Sol or DX 330 from? Thanks.

Automotive paint suppliers.



They’re used for removing oils, silicones, waxes and such from a surface before painting. Typically, a paint company will have multiple versions of solvent cleaners, each with a slightly different intended use.



Prep-Sol is from Dupont, DX 330 is from PPG and PRE is from Eastwood.





PC.

 

[Black Diamond]

I may very well be misunderstanding this thread. If someone wants to use a stripping type wash that will be easy to use, why not use Chemical Guys Citrus Wash & Gloss Synthetic Citrus Based Hyper-Wash+GLOSS



To quote their website: "Citrus Based High-Performance total auto wash & gloss formulated to simply be the best wash& gloss at any price. A citrus base, hyper-concentrated Wash+Gloss is the ultimate surface prep paintwork cleanser, shampoo and gloss enhancer in one. This 100% surface friendly biodegradable formula out performs hazardous solvent shampoos and surface cleaners. Fast penetrating citrus aided lubricating foam lifts and holds soil in suspension for easy scratch free rinsing. Ultra hyper concentrated citrus extracts break down dirt and grime while lubricating surfaces allowing debris to be gently rinsed off. Naturally derived Citrus extracts are formulated with the finest cleaning and glossing agents available today to deliver a 100% pure Citrus Cleaner free of artificial thickeners, colors or additives

delivering the cleanest, streak free high gloss finish".

 

[ZoranC]

If someone wants to use a stripping type wash that will be easy to use, why not use Chemical Guys Citrus Wash

Didn't cross my mind even though they are on my way home from work! Thank you, I will give it a shot!

 

[ZoranC]

Any thoughts on Hi-Temp Prep Wash ?

 

[Black Diamond]

Any thoughts on Hi-Temp Prep Wash ?

That's the second brand of wash that came to mind.

 

[ZoranC]

That's the second brand of wash that came to mind.

Alright, that should do it! I wonder about wording "use sparingly" on Hi-Temp just after they said "flows into crevices" so I will call them to clarify.

 

[Accumulator]

In the US, where does one get Prep-Sol or DX 330 from? Thanks.

Check the yellow pages for autobody/paint supply places.



ZoranC- Just remember that with anything more aggressive than a very gentle claying (and this will include any paint cleaners) you'll have to redo the LSP. BTW, Collinite 476S holds up great to gentle claying with Sonus green You can get some pretty nasty stuff off the paint with that clay and still have plenty of wax left. If you do a leaves-something-behind QD after each wash (to provide an additional sacrificial layer), and get the wash/rinse/clay/rewash/rinse thing down pat I think you'll be happy.



I find ways to keep my clay handy...like sticking a blob of it on the top of the Glyde lube bottle and hooking that over the rim of my wash bucket by its trigger. Or sticking a blob of clay on the spring-clip that I have on my rinse bucket (to distinguish it from the wash bucket when both are all sudsy-looking). So it really does only take a few moments to do a quick claying of a panel. Having the healthy layer of Collinite there helps a lot as the dirt shears off pretty readily when the clay is employed.



Sorry for the hard-sell about using clay for this, but having *just* finished cleaning up my wife's A8 after a long (and dirty) roadtrip I'm more convinced than ever that this will be your solution. I added only a few minutes to the wash, got the [stuff] off the vehicle, and still have plenty of wax (#16) left on there to keep protecting for a good long time yet.



Stuff like the Prep Wash will take you back too many steps, requiring too much work regaining ground for regular use. I'm hoping you can make this an "extra 15 minutes" sort of thing, not a "rewax the car every week" type of ordeal.

 

[ZoranC]

Just remember that with anything more aggressive than a very gentle claying (and this will include any paint cleaners) you'll have to redo the LSP. ... Stuff like the Prep Wash will take you back too many steps, requiring too much work regaining ground for regular use. I'm hoping you can make this an "extra 15 minutes" sort of thing, not a "rewax the car every week" type of ordeal.

Oh, Accumulator, I have a feeling you might have misunderstood me. I was not planning to do wash / prep once LSP is on and repeating process once a week. I was thinking of using it for quick removal of contamination during weeks I am working on panels removing scratches and swirls. Once I put LSP then I had in mind claying with Sonus Ultra-Fine and adding another coat per need basis.

 

[ZoranC]

why not use Chemical Guys Citrus Wash & Gloss Synthetic Citrus Based Hyper-Wash+GLOSS

Hmmmm, wouldn't "gloss" part of it indicate it's leaving something behind and therefore is not what I am looking for?