wax removal

[DWC]

I know there is another area on the action center for this kind of question but didn't know if anyone would be browsing that area today. I would like to remove the layers and layers of wax on my 1996. I have read about using the 3M wax and road tar remover but am a little squimish about just spraying it on and hoping it does the job. Any advice?

 

[vetteguy]

The people at Zaino suggest using Dawn Dish detergent.

 

[vader86]

A regular dish detergent should get almost all of it off.

Dawn works best.

 

[Evolution1980]

In a similiar fashion....

What is the best way to remove built up wax in the creases & seams of the car? I've tried soft-bristled toothbrushes, but that doesn't seem to break it up so I can blow it out.

I didn't want to use anything too abrasive for the obvious reason of scratching the paint.

It's gotta be a common problem with a common answer...

 

[Vettelt193]

toothpics work well for stuff like that, so do Q-Tips

 

[JJU]

Regardless of what one other person may say on this forum, one "Dawn bath" will not hurt your car. Rinse throughly and the wax is gone.

 

[AnytownUSA]

Evo: Look for hair brushes, horse hair or boar's hair. I have several of these and the absolutely will not scratch paint, but are still stiff enough to break up stuck wax. I have some that are pastry type brushes - I love these, and some that are toothbrush style.

DWC: The grease and wax remover will not hurt your paint as it dries so quickly. You have to have a reducer of the same type as your paint for it damage the finish. Laquer thinner will work wonders on everything except laquer paint, urethane cuts only urethane, etc.

After detailing for 7+ years I have my own opinions about the "Dawn bath." I have had to recondition too many cars that have virtually no life left in the paint to believe that dish detergent does no harm. Ask any detailer you know which they would rather clean-up, a car that has improperly cared for or a car that has never been cared for. With regards to paint only, I will garuantee they all will say the "no care" car.

Think about it this way, a painter will tell that paint has oils in it. Now remember what they show Dawn (and others) do in a sink of greasy water. It reacts instantaneously, displacing every bit of grease and oil to the furtherest point it can. I would wager that the furtherest point during a car wash is the ground. Dish detergents are designed to remove oils. I made this statement in a previous post:
"I keep reading about folks washing their cars with Dawn or other "degreaser" type soaps. These degreasers remove solvents and nutrients from your paint - they dry it out and promote oxidation like gasoline on your hands. Granted, if you wax everytime you wash with these, you can greatly reduce the potential damage they can do but they still have some impact. I have yet to figure out why everyone wants an easy way to take wax off of their car. It should require almost as much work to remove a good wax job as it does to apply it. Anything related to cleaning a car I would happy be to help with but, please do not use dish soap on your car. Would you wash your child with gasoline?"

Everyone has their own opinions and this topic seems to come up quite often. You can use whatever you want on your car. If I buy yours in the future I can fix whatever damage you may do to it, but you certainly aren't touching any of my vehicles with a degreasing detergent just to remove wax.

 

[KOPBET]

That 3M Adhesive Remover is naptha. It has nasty fumes that stink, need to qear gloves save your skin from it, and costs $11-$12 bucks a quart!

Once around the horn with Dawn (and whatever little friend she want to bring with her) for me.

 

[JJU]

Hey AnyTownUSA,

I agree with you in principle. Dawn is bad on a car on a regular basis. WITH CONTINUED USE it will penetrate componets on your car and remove oils. Even though non-professionally, I've been detailing for 25+ years and not just on my cars. For those that want or need to start over with their paint protection, if you "do it right" the first time, you won't need to Dawn your car a second, third, fourth, etc. time. ".I HAVE PROOF!!! My car had its ONE AND ONLY "Dawn bath" on the day I picked it up from the dealer almost 3 years ago. I doubt I could have won any more awards or received any more complements had I NOT given her the initial "Dawn bath". Granted I've never been to Bloomington Gold but that could be in my future.

If you plan on starting over and over and over on your car because you use a carnuba-based product then I DO NOT recommend using Dawn. You are 100% correct.

As a detailer myself, the idea of "no car care" vs. "bad car care" is relative. I've seen good and bad in both categories. So that's a toss up for me.

I wouldn't use gasoline to wash a baby because of other reasons NOT because it dries out human skin. It's a bad choice, PERIOD, and a bad analogy.

I've said it also, "It's your money and your car, do what you want to it." I think people use Dawn because it's fast. Where is it written that removing an old protectant has to take an hour or more?

I'm also saying your have to be smart and THINK AHEAD. If you go along in life and ONLY make the decisions that apply now, you're going to pay for it in the long run.

Oh and I can't forget... Remember not to buy my 2001 Red Coupe with all the show awards when I finally "kick the bucket". It had its one and only "Dawn bath" applied to it back on August 25, 2000.

 

[corvettecrazy]

Well said AnytownUSA .

I dont see why you need dawn in the first place, if you clay the car along with innumerous other steps the wax will be gone right away anyways.

OR

go to your local Kmart ard get some cheap car wash that will take it right off too, despite it saying it wont.

 

[AnytownUSA]

JJU: Most people don't just use the dish soap once in a while, unless they use the polymers like Zaino. Most people have a bottle of soap they use everytime and ufortunately that is normally dish soap. Your point is exactly what I was implying with the gasoline remark. I have cleaned my hands with gas a few times in my life but I wouldn't do it very often. However, I will not use dish soap on my cars because paint cannot replenish the oils like my skin can. Judicious use of these types of things can greatly reduce their damage, moderation is the key. Also, I was only referencing the oil removing aspect of gas irrespective of fumes and toxins, maybe I should have been more clear but I thought within the context that was evident.

I am glad your car looks like you want it to. My 94 daily driver stops traffic and I would put it up against anything on the road - all of my cars surpass their peers. I believe that has great deal to do with my soap. I have a friend with an old Celica that washes his car every day, had never waxed it and it looks fairly new. It's red and you know how quickly red oxidizes. I owned a detail shop for several years and my biggest clients were the BMW and Jaguar dealers in town. They had their own crews, but I got everything high end from their lots simply because I took these extra precautions.

As far as Dawn being fast, why folks (I'm speaking of the multi-coat polymer people) spend hours putting layer upon layer of sealer and then regurgitate at the idea of spending a little time to take it off carefully seems a little silly. Most of the Zaino (I'm using this generally to represent the polymers) cars do not seem to be daily drivers anyway, so what is a little time invested in removing old protectant or prepping for new? Incidentally, if it takes you an hour to wax/one-coat-polymer your car you're moving too slow - excluding cure time of course. By the time you get all the way around your vehicle the first wax is dry and you can start taking it off. A fullsize Suburban takes about 15 minutes to wax and wipe down. The vette I do lazily in less than 10. I have little experience with the polymers as I have not seen any that impress me. The shine looks artificial to me and I have not seen any appreciable depth to polymers.

As far as your car, if it is as impressive as you say - what I don't know won't hurt me! Have your family contact me, I'd love to have a car with some trophies!

Corvettecrazy: That's a very good point about the cheap car soaps. Most low buck stuff does seem to strip wax and it is certainly gentler on the finish than anything that eats grease off my spaghetti sauce pan.

It seems to me that the reason Zaino suggests Dawn is because that is what is required to remove their product. Maybe that is an indication of it's ability to protect the finish. Maybe Zaino has some thing will replace the natural oils in the paint. I have not used Zaino but I know a lot folks here love it. I can't recommend it one or the other. I just love my carnuba, east to use, great protection, and incredible optical qualities. You gotta love Mother Nature.

 

[JJU]

It seems to me that the reason Zaino suggests Dawn is because that is what is required to remove their product. Maybe that is an indication of it's ability to protect the finish. Maybe Zaino has some thing will replace the natural oils in the paint. I have not used Zaino but I know a lot folks here love it. I can't recommend it one or the other. I just love my carnuba, east to use, great protection, and incredible optical qualities. You gotta love Mother Nature.

BZZZZT. WRONG! Dawn will NOT remove ZAINO! The correct way to wash your car after Zaino polish has been applied is to use Zaino Z-7. Other car washes WITHOUT wax will also work (but not as well IMHO.) Dawn will leave the finish dull on a Zainoed car. Hence, the reason I've only used Dawn on my car ONCE. If for some reason you would need to remove Zaino, use denatured or Isopropyl alcohol.

I've used carnuba for many years. What you like, I dislike. In nature, carnuba is a hard, brittle and anything but a clear product. If your "carnuba of choice" is avarage, it will stay on your car no more than 5 weeks and then IT"S GONE!. The better ones last 6 to 7 weeks. (I have independant sources that back up this FACT.) A synthetic will last 4 to 6 times longer. You can't layer carnuba like a synthetic and if you try, your surface starts to turn yellow. Your experience with synthetics may be a result of an older product. Sal Zaino continues to improve his products. Here's a good analogy.... You use Mobil 1 syntheic oil in your C4, right? There is a whole host of reasons that synthetic oil is better for your engine than petroleum-based oil. Now think of Zaino as Mobil 1 and carnuba-based waxes as petroleum-based oil. You have my reasoning in a nutshell.

Even though I use Zaino on my Corvette, my daily driver also gets the treatment. There's nothing like going to the wand car wash over the long winter in Nebraska and still see the water bead. So, I use it for its protection quality also..... so do many people I know who are converts to synthetics. Does your carnuba do that? Wait....Mother Nature will strike your car's surface dead if you give the wrong answer.

 

[Stallion]

I would be too afraid to use the dish detergent. That stuff just isn't made for it, and something as pH sensative as your paint job I would be too scared to do this.

But it's your Vette, it's your choice. Good luck!

TR