Car wax removers?

[Quattro Pete]

I suppose the correct way to remove old wax/sealant is to clay the car. But if one is not going to use clay, what are other ways to remove old wax?

In the past I just used Dawn dish detergent, but I've read it may not be ideal.

Autogeek has their recommendations: https://www.autogeek.net/wax-remover.html

Have any of you tried some of these products (Pinnacle Paintwork Cleansing Lotion, P21S Gloss Enhancing Paintwork Cleanser) and can recommend them or maybe suggest something else entirely?

When you use one of these non-abrasive polishes, do you need to wash the car afterwards before applying new wax/sealant?


Thanks!

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

I only use Dawn for my annual/semi-annual detail. I wouldn't think washing the car 1x or 2x a year with Dawn would do a lot of damage if any to the paint.

 

[charbaby]

Other than chemical solvents, I have use dishwashing(not dishwasher) detergent as well.

 

[drtyler]

While the P21S wax is good, I can't say that I was ever impressed with the polishing effect of Paintwork Cleanser. It is very, very mild and doesn't remove water spots and swirl marks as they advertise. It works fine if your paint is in good condition. At least, that has been my experience applying by hand. If this is for your Charger, the paint is probably clean enough such that it may be an effective product.


Originally Posted by Quattro Pete
I suppose the correct way to remove old wax/sealant is to clay the car. But if one is not going to use clay, what are other ways to remove old wax?

In the past I just used Dawn dish detergent, but I've read it may not be ideal.

Autogeek has their recommendations: https://www.autogeek.net/wax-remover.html

Have any of you tried some of these products (Pinnacle Paintwork Cleansing Lotion, P21S Gloss Enhancing Paintwork Cleanser) and can recommend them or maybe suggest something else entirely?

When you use one of these non-abrasive polishes, do you need to wash the car afterwards before applying new wax/sealant?


Thanks!

 

[Ed_Flecko]

Originally Posted by Quattro Pete
I suppose the correct way to remove old wax/sealant is to clay the car. But if one is not going to use clay, what are other ways to remove old wax?

In the past I just used Dawn dish detergent, but I've read it may not be ideal.

Autogeek has their recommendations: https://www.autogeek.net/wax-remover.html

Have any of you tried some of these products (Pinnacle Paintwork Cleansing Lotion, P21S Gloss Enhancing Paintwork Cleanser) and can recommend them or maybe suggest something else entirely?

When you use one of these non-abrasive polishes, do you need to wash the car afterwards before applying new wax/sealant?


Thanks!


Washing with Dawn is a safe choice and then wipe down with 50% isopropyl alcohol and 50% distilled water mixture sprayed ON your favorite soft towel should safely clean any wax remnants.

I really good sealant is HT-62 "Terminator" Polymer sealant - https://bit.ly/2VxgQYD . If you want to wax after applying the sealant, be sure to read the instructions. In this case the instructions say, "Allow Terminator to cure for at least 36 hours before shampooing. Only use shampoos formulate not to remove wax." The sealant needs to "cure" to properly bond to the clearcoat (or paint). Remember, the purpose of the wax is to protect the sealant. Cared for properly, you'll likely only need to reapply the sealant annually, depending on your unique conditions, of course.

Arguably, some of the best waxes on the market are those made by Collinite. The Collinite 476 (https://bit.ly/2WUqAN2) is considered the most durable, but the most challenging to apply and buff off. Alternatively, try the Collinite 845 "Insulator Wax" which says, "A user-friendlier version of the No. 476s paste, No. 845 stands as Collinite's most legendary product to date. Famous for its versatility, durability and DIY ease of use,"

Ed

 

[SevenBizzos]

Yeah, Dawn regular is the way to go. You're not washing the car weekly with it, so it's not going to do anything. I mean how frequently do you want to remove (nearly) all of the wax on the car. It's not going to be that often.

 

[Lolvoguy]

I know everyone raves about how great Dawn is, but personally I'd avoid it.
My reason has to do with waxes/oils being stripped from places I DON'T want removed, such as weather seals around doors, windows etc.
Waxing/lubing these areas can be a real pain/impossible.

Instead I'd recommend simply using a rub on/off paint cleaner.
You'll be able to address ONLY the areas you want cleaned off, and not everything else.

 

[RayCJ]

Originally Posted by Ed_Flecko


I really good sealant is HT-62 "Terminator" Polymer sealant - https://bit.ly/2VxgQYD . If you want to wax after applying the sealant, be sure to read the instructions. In this case the instructions say, "Allow Terminator to cure for at least 36 hours before shampooing. Only use shampoos formulate not to remove wax." The sealant needs to "cure" to properly bond to the clearcoat (or paint). Remember, the purpose of the wax is to protect the sealant. Cared for properly, you'll likely only need to reapply the sealant annually, depending on your unique conditions, of course.

Arguably, some of the best waxes on the market are those made by Collinite. The Collinite 476 (https://bit.ly/2WUqAN2) is considered the most durable, but the most challenging to apply and buff off. Alternatively, try the Collinite 845 "Insulator Wax" which says, "A user-friendlier version of the No. 476s paste, No. 845 stands as Collinite's most legendary product to date. Famous for its versatility, durability and DIY ease of use,"

Ed


I've been using the Collinite waxes for quite a few years. The "trick" to these older, traditional waxes is to apply a thin, even coat when the weather conditions are right. I use dedicated applicator pads and if you can see excessive overlapping when it hazes, that is where you'll have problems. The ideal day is overcast, about 70 to 80 F (21 to 27C) and low humidity. The sun can be out if the weather is cooler. The real key is low humidity. If the humidity is high, forget it. Traditional waxes are harder to get even and you'll see the places where you applied too heavy or overlapped too much. For buffing, I prefer a very thick pile micro-fiber towel and I use at least 2 to do a whole car.

Soap: For in-between washes, I use dedicated car soap which is almost always just palm oil. It's just slippery and is not really a detergent. To strip wax, I've been using Dawn soap for decades. I mix about 4oz of Dawn and 4oz of car soap in the foam cannon, spray the car and let it sit for 5 minutes followed by a rinse. Next comes a 2-bucket wash using a strong Dawn soap solution with microfiber towel.

If I'm going to do a paint correction, I do a final wash with isopropyl alcohol and microfiber towels followed by a rinse.

Ray