Team Adam's

This was a little project I began last fall when I pulled these wheels off in order to swap my winter set on...for the winter we never really had here in Northern Indiana.
 
It ended up being a pretty tedious process and overall, I spent about 10-12 hours total to get them from the factory finish to the polished finish that you'll see in the pictures.
 
The process I used was as follows:
 
I began with aircraft stripper applied with a paint brush. The first coat of stripper was blasted off with the fire hose nozzle opened all the way up. That was enough to get the majority of the clear coat off.
 
I then used a different kind of sprayable stripper and applied another full coat of that. Agitated with a VRT block sponge, then sprayed off with the hose. That got 99% of the clear off, and I just spot treated any left-over stubborn areas with the sprayable stripper and some #0000 steel wool.
 
Once all the clear was gone, it was time to polish. I used an un-named red ball on a cordless drill with MP #1 for the majority of the heavy lifting. I did 1 wheel with MP #1 by hand and it nearly killed me, so that's why I switched to the ball.
 
After everything has been hit with MP #1, I started with MP #2 and a blue MF applicator. This step made a HUGE difference! They looked nice after MP #1, but they really popped after #2 did it's work!
 
After the MP combo was done, I did a quick IPA wipe down to remove and left over polishing residue, then applied two coats of QS with an Americana applicator. I also put one coat of QS on the barrels of the wheels, but didn't do any polishing on them. Followed that with a coat of Americana and some VRT on the tires. On to the pictures....
 
Before:
 

 
In progress:
 

 
Bottom two spokes are polished here:
 

 
Here's a pretty good illustration of what the Adam's Metal Polish combo is capable of. Bottom three spokes are finished and you can see the half-finished, half-not line at the 9 o'clock position:
 

 
Finished!
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi All, 
 
After seeing a need for some flowcharts and more "processes" for overall detailing, especially Ceramic Coating and maintenance, I've developed the roadmap to Ceramic Paint Coating! Let me know what you think and how this can help you-- Also, If there are any processes you are confused by, list them here and I'll consider them for future flow charts! 
 
 

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The next in my series of FAQ threads, addressing our most common questions and concerns with aspects of detailing.
 
So you've taken your first crack at machine polishing and noticed that as you start the machine is casting dried up polish everywhere. While not the end of the world it still can be quite annoying. This writeup is designed to help you identify the causes of 'dusting' and arm you with the tools to prevent it.
 
 
WHAT CAUSES POLISH DUSTING?
 
There are a few common factors that can be blamed for excessive polish dusting. First, understand that some dusting is normal, as products are worked its inevitable that some of the spent polish will be cast out. Typically you'll notice it most on the hood of a vehicle when it accumulates near the wiper cowl or along the wiper blades. Excessive dusting is caused by one, or a combination, of the following factors.
 

CAUSE: Too Much Product - A mistake most new machine polishers make it to assume that 'more is better' and while this may be true for some things, its not true in the world of detailing. Excessive use of polishes not only causes dusting, but it will also clog up the pad prematurely rendering it less effective, as well as not allowing the products to be broken down, subsequently resulting in less than stellar results. As a general rule use an "X" across the face of the pad with the polish for the first panel, for each panel after that add only 2-4 pea sized drops, much more than that should not be needed.
 

SOLUTION: Try polishing a panel without adding anymore product. Simply prime the pad with a few shots of DS, then proceed as usual. The DS will reactivate a lot of the polish trapped deep within the pad and bring it to the surface. Continue using nothing but DS until the polish beings to thin out and dusting stops. From that point forward add only a few drops of polish with each new panel.
 

CAUSE: Insufficient Pad Cleaning - Once used and allowed to sit polishes will dry deep within the pores of polishing pads and become very difficult to remove. This residual polish trapped in the pad can then be responsible for dusting the next time the pad is used. To prevent this washing pads immediately after being used or allowing them to soak in a water/APC mixture bucket until they can be cleaned is helpful.
 

SOLUTION: If you have a pad that has dried polish trapped in it that doesn't seem to come clean easily try washing with warm water and soaking for a few minutes before scrubbing. Unfortunately, pads with this issue will pretty much continue to have the problem until cleaned completely so you may need to swap to a new pad if you're in the midst of a detail with the problem starts.
 
CAUSE: High Heat/Direct Sunlight - Even when using the appropriate amount of product for the job, environmental conditions can play a factor. High ambient temperatures or working on a panel heated up by direct sunlight will cause the polish to dry out prematurely. This dried polish then tends to be cast out of the pad and thrown on the car. If working in high heat/direct sunlight be prepared to work harder, though the products can be used in direct sunlight it does make them more difficult to work with.
 


SOLUTION: If there is no shade or shelter available to work under prime the pad more frequently with Detail Spray and/or attempt to cool the panel down using damp towels or a spray bottle filled with ice water prior to polishing. If all else fails hold off polishing until you can work in cooler temps or find shade.
 
CAUSE: Panel Gaps, Body Lines, or Protrusions - The Porter Cable 7424xp and the Flex 3401 are both tools that are only effective when the pad is flush with the surface being polished. When the pad comes out of contact with the panel or strikes a hard edge it can cause the pad to cast dust. While it may be tempting to just go right across that door gap to save time, realize that you're going to cause excessive polish dusting and other issues (including pad damage) by doing so.
 


SOLUTION: Tape off badges, washer fluid nozzles on the hood, or other similar protrusions also present areas that will cause a spray of polish dust to fly so taping areas like this off and avoiding hitting them excessively with the pads will not only prevent dusting, but damage to pads as well. Avoid crossing body panel gaps, polish up to the line from either side, but not across. The same applies for hard body lines as well.


 
 
HOW SHOULD I REMOVE DUSTING IF I HAVE IT?
 


Generally polish dust isn't sticky so it will remove rather easily from all surfaces. Using forced air from a tool like the Metro Blaster Sidekick or the Master Blaster is a great way to get polish dust out of tight spaces without much effort.
 
For a little more low tech approach simply mist a small amount of Detail Spray or Waterless Wash onto a plush microfiber towel and use almost no pressure to remove. The moisture will cause the polish to cling to the towel and you won't be forced to rub excessively to remove.
 
Avoid spraying cleaners or Detail Spray directly onto polish dust as it will re-liquify the polish and make it more difficult to remove or cause smearing.

Sealants, glazes, waxes, and even coatings - in the world of car care right now there are a number of options when it comes to protection and enhancement of your vehicles exterior. But what should you be using? While there is no right answer for everyone, there certainly is a right choice for you depending on how your vehicles are used, stored, and ultimately what your goals are for the finish.

UNDERSTANDING YOUR OPTIONS
Each type of product provides unique benefits and some level of compromise. Understanding what benefits are part of each type of product and choosing your last step product (LSP) or combination of steps based on what you need them to do is important. Ultimately, each person needs to strike their own personal balance between 2 aspects:

DURABILITY = how long the product lasts and how well it protects the underlying clearcoat.
AESTHETICS = the visual impact the product provides in terms of added gloss, depth, etc.


GLAZE:
Durability: Very Low | Aesthetics: High
Glazes are probably the least understood product considered a part of the LSP category. The term glaze has been used and misused widely over the years by a number of manufactures, but most professionals have come to accept that a glaze is most commonly a non-abrasive product used to mask imperfections and provide aesthetic enhancement.

Most glazes will be a blend of a few basic ingredients - wax, solvent, and oils. These three components are blended in a ratio to allow them to help fill in minor imperfections and thanks to the solvent content even offer a level of paint cleansing.

Glaze has long been a favorite product of car lots all over the world since they offer fast, easy, and inexpensive enhancement of painted surfaces in one step. However, the short lived effects have left more than a few new car owners wondering why their recent purchase looked so awful after just a few washes.

Ultimately glazes are best suited as a compliment to another LSP or used only for short term enhancement. The blends rarely lend themselves to more than a week of staying power in mild conditions and they're often easily washed away or evaporate when exposed to moderate heat.

In spite their short lifespan on your vehicles finish a glaze can offer fast, easy, and dramatic enhancement of gloss and depth making them a great choice as a topper right before a show, cruise, or whenever you want a little extra 'pop' on your finish.


WAX:
Durability: Low to Moderate | Aesthetics: High
Wax is actually comprised of naturally occurring compounds, harvested from a specific type of palm tree, commonly known as the detailing world as Carnauba wax. Carnauba wax comes in a variety of grades, purities, and can be refined to various levels. Its blended with oils, other wax types (like bees wax), and in some cases even some polymers to create car wax. Carnauba is actually a hard and coarse substance that has to be blended to create a chemical suitable for application to a vehicle - so be skeptical of any product claiming to be 100% carnauba. The makeup of carnauba would make it almost impossible to spread over your paint if it isn't cut with various other ingredients. See the magnified picture of raw carnauba wax below for a better idea why no car wax can be truly 100% carnauba.



Blending various waxes, solvents, oils and polymers together can give you virtually an infinite number of combinations and types of car wax, but there are some limitations no matter how good the blend. These limitations center mostly on how susceptible to deterioration from heat, detergents, and abrasion wax is. Even the best grades of carnauba will have a melting point between 160-180 degrees F, meaning a black car parked outside on a summer day in a climate like Arizona will easily begin to see evaporation of wax coating, within just a few days, or even a few hours the wax will be completely gone. Additionally, waxes will offer lower resistance to harsh detergents, like those found in touchless car washes.

The biggest benefit to waxes is their overall enhancement to painted finishes. A good wax will enhance colors, fill minor imperfections, and produce a rich, deep look that typically won't be seen with other LSP options. On dark colors (blacks and blues) you'll see additional depth and dimension. On brighter colors (yellows and reds) you may notice a more rich, vibrant look.


SEALANT:
Durability: Moderate to High | Aesthetics: Low to Moderate
Sealants tend to be mostly synthetic man made products chemically engineered to do very specific things, but mostly they excel at providing durable protection. Because these products are essentially created in a lab they can be modified, customized, and engineered to meet any number of criteria and perform in different ways.

On average a sealant will provide better durability than a comparable wax product. With much higher resistance to heat, UV, and detergents an application will withstand more abuse. Sealants encompass a wide variety of chemical compounds including acrylic resins, polymers, and aminos. Some will include varying amounts of wax in their blend to aid in filling or adding gloss.

For years sealants fell behind waxes in terms of providing aesthetic enhancement, but more recently sealants have been bridging that gap, offering better durability and an ever increasing levels of gloss and depth. While a sealant hasn't quite been able to recreate the rich depth found from carnauba based products the gap separating the two is increasingly smaller. Most sealants currently on the market offer excellent clarity and reflective properties making their look ideal for colors that don't typically benefit from waxes like metallic silvers and white.


COATING:
Durability: Extremely High | Aesthetics: Low to Moderate
The most recent technology for exterior protection is found in the coatings category. Once a product only for professionals the detailing world has begun to see more consumer friendly products that offer previously unheard of longevity and various other benefits. Described as nano coatings, glass coatings, or ceramic coatings the chemicals used in this category offer durability spanning multiple YEARS rather than months with some even claiming permanent protection.

Coatings can almost be thought of as a clear coat for your clear coat. They form a hard, clear, cured, hydrophobic barrier that is more resistant to scratches than automotive clear coat and even prevents contamination from sticking making them easier to clean.

The products in this category continue to evolve offering an increasingly diversified amount of benefits, with some coatings being easier to apply, others offering better scratch resistance, and others even focusing on some amount of gloss enhancement like a wax. The coating market is still very young and continues to evolve.

It should be mentioned that there is some level of skill involved in a coating application as well. A finish should be completely corrected prior to a coating application simply because any defects still in the paint will be trapped beneath the coating. Additionally coatings have specific cure times and techniques - be sure to research the application and requirements for any coating before attempting to apply yourself.


SO WHICH ONE SHOULD YOU BE USING?

There are no specific rules for choosing a product to use on your particular car, but there are some clear frontrunners to choose from simply by looking at how you use/store your vehicles mixed with your overall desire for increased shine.

For outright show car looks its hard to beat a wax. Its ideal for a car that spends most of its days in the garage or lives in more mild climates. A wax still continues to be the ultimate choice for someone looking to get the most 'shine' out of their finish. While sealants and coatings continue to find new levels of shine they still don't quite measure up to the look of a quality carnauba paste wax.

On the other hand a sealant or even a coating might make sense for your car if its a daily driver or its exposed to extreme winters or very hot summers. If you're among the large percentage of people who have to drive their car every day, even when the weather is less than perfect durability and ease of maintenance are your primary concerns. Ultimately you want to keep your car protected from the elements - so for a driver or car stored outside explore the options of sealants and coatings.

Ultimately, the choice of what is best is up to you. Find a product or products that have the right mix of the durability and enhancement for your budget and your free time. Afterall, if you just enjoy the process of cleaning and waxing your car then a wax is going to give you the most excuses to rub on it. Theres no rule you can't apply a wax to your daily driver or a sealant to your garage queen, but understand that you might not be seeing the full benefit of your product choice if its not ideal for the conditions its exposed to.




LAYERING MULTIPLE PRODUCTS

What if you want the best of both worlds? Well, you could venture into the world of layering. Working with a couple of product types in specific layers can give you a number of benefits, so long as you apply them properly.

As a general rule, the most durable product should always be used as the base, so for example if you were working with a sealant and a wax, the sealant would be your base layer that is then topped with the wax. The only exception to this rule comes into play with a combination of glazes and wax. Because wax doesn't bond to the paint in the same manner as a sealant or a coating a glaze can be used UNDER a wax to maximize the filling ability of the glaze without compromising the longevity of the wax coat.

The flip side of layering different products is in the top coat performance. Remember that whatever is applied last will be what outward behavior you see most. So when you top a coating with wax you will notice the aesthetic benefit, but you might also notice that the surface isn't as hydrophobic as it would've been with just the coating alone.

The best thing to do is to experiment for yourself to see what you like. With so many possible combinations theres going to be a process that suits you best, finding it is just a matter of trying them and evaluating for yourself.

MULTIPLE LAYERS OF THE SAME PRODUCT

If some is good, more must be better? Right? That might not always be the case. Many products will stack a few layers deep for additional surface coating, but there is a point of diminishing return. A wax for example will max out at about 2 thin coats, attempting to put 5 coats of a wax down in search of extra gloss and super durability just doesn't work. The additional coats simply begin to smear the base coats around and can actually have a negative impact on the clarity of the finish. The same is true of glazes for the mostpart.

Sealants, while more apt to layer without issues, still only stack a few layers deep before they begin to offer no additional benefit and you begin wasting product. Our independent testing showed no noticable benefit for a panel treated with 2 coats of sealant vs a panel treated with 4 coats.

With coatings, the tricky part of their curing process and the specific type of coating. Some coatings require substantial cure time before an additional layer can be applied, others require additional layers be applied before the first is fully cured to bond properly as the cured coat will actually repel the 2nd coat. Refer to your specific coating technology for guidance if you intend to layer.


LSP OPTIONS FROM ADAM'S:
WAXESBUTTERY WAX AMERICANA PASTE WAX PATRIOT WAX GLAZESBRILLIANT GLAZE SEALANTSLIQUID PAINT SEALANT H2O GUARD & GLOSS QUICK SEALANT GLASS SEALANT COATINGSCOMING SOON!

Hi All, 
 
After seeing a need for some flowcharts and more "processes" for overall detailing, especially Ceramic Coating and maintenance, I've developed the roadmap to Ceramic Paint Coating! Let me know what you think and how this can help you-- Also, If there are any processes you are confused by, list them here and I'll consider them for future flow charts! 
 
 

The next in my series of FAQ threads where I open up a discussion on a common concern or problem people face when detailing.

An area of confusion for many people is the process of "stripping" their car as part of the detailing process. No, this isn't a process where that lovely college co-ed trying to put herself thru medical school comes over and washes your car in the nude. 
 
A strip wash, or stripping the finish, is a way to remove all the previously applied waxes, sealants, and/or dressings that have been applied. Removing or weakening these coatings makes for an easier detail in terms of claying and polishing. 
 
 
WHY SHOULD I STRIP WASH?  
When it comes time to do a full detail on your ride, whether its one you've been maintaining for a number of years, or a fresh off the lot car, there will be some layer of buildup on all the exterior surfaces. Waxes, sealants, glazes, dressings, and things like tree sap will have accumulated.
 
Without strip washing these layers are then pulled up by your clay bar and/or your polishing pads. This clogs them up prematurely and, in the case of polishing pads, can lead to reduced performance. 

A clay bar clogged up with wax will be messy to work with and deteriorate quickly. A polishing pad clogged up with wax will be less effective and require frequent cleanings to finish a detail. 
 
 
DO I HAVE TO DO A STRIP WASH? 
No. Its not required, but does result in a dramatically easier detail by helping remove or degrade existing coatings on the car. If you choose not to strip the exterior surfaces of your car simply be prepared to adjust your technique to compensate. 
 
 
WILL STRIP WASHING HURT MY CAR? 
As long as its done in moderation and done using the appropriate chemicals and follow up there really is no concern. Some 'old school' guys will claim things like it will dry out your paint, which is not true. Strip washing is a perfectly safe way to prepare your exterior for detailing, and in all honesty the chemicals used are less harsh than those used in your average drive thru car wash. 
 
 
METHODS FOR STRIPPING YOUR FINISH
There are a number of ways to go about performing a strip wash, each with their own merit and benefits. The various processes are outlined below:
 
A.P.C. + Car Wash Mix - this is the method most often recommended by the team at Adam's Polishes. By adding a few ounces (typically 3-4oz) of APC (acidic) to your wash bucket along with your usual amount of Car Wash Shampoo (neutral) you get a mixture that has a slightly acidic pH. Still plenty safe for washing, but strong enough to weaken and/or remove most waxes or sealants while washing.
 
By using a 2 part mixture, ultimately you get control over how strong or weak the mixture is. Add more APC for a stronger strip wash, less for a mild wash. The 2 products both foam very well so using this application with a foam gun or foam cannon is also great. The suds are very thick and sustain well thru an entire wash. 
 
Perform your wash like usual, the only thing to avoid is allowing the mixture to dry on the finish. Since you are no longer working with a pH neutral bath water spots can occur if allowed to dry. 
 
Dawn Dish Soap - Wait! What? I've been told never to use dish soap! Correct... dish soap is never ideal for washing IF you want to keep your wax intact on your car. For removing waxes and sealants from your finish it great. Simply replace your Adam's Car Wash Shampoo with the same amount of dish soap and wash like usual. 

Use only Original BLUE Dawn dish soap. Other soaps are not going to be as effective and may also contain moisturizers and lotions to prevent 'dish pan hands'. 
 
The drawbacks to dish soap are a lack of sustained suds, it will go flat much faster and doesn't perform nearly as well in a foam gun or foam cannon to produce a thick lather. The lack of sustained suds decreases the dwell time of the soap and ultimately its effectiveness. 
 
Additionally it limits your control over the concentration. Unlike the APC/Car Wash method you can't control or tweak your concentration for different tasks. 
 
Panel by Panel Stripping - Sometimes you may not want or need to strip the entire car. Maybe its perfect, except that one panel where someone accidentally rubbed up against it. In situations like this you can use diluted isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol, otherwise known as IPA, to strip a small controlled section for repair. 

IPA is available at almost any grocery or drugstore and is typically sold pre-diluted to 70%. Cutting that at least another 1:1 with water will give you a great panel by panel stripping mixture. 
 
After cleaning the area to be worked on with waterless wash, simply spray the diluted alcohol mixture onto the areas to be striped and wipe clean with a plush microfiber towel. 
 
AFTER THE STRIP...
A couple of final tips to make sure your strip wash is a success and helps make your detail process that much better. 
Try to wash out of direct sunlight, in shade, or early in the day before sun is too harsh. Because the strip wash mixture will be slightly acidic it will be easy for the mixture to cause spots if its allowed to dry.  If your car has severely sun damaged or oxidized trim avoid strip washing as it can accelerate already damaged or trim parts.  Make sure to rinse very thoroughly when the process is done. Strip wash mixture left pooled in door jambs or other areas can potentially dry out surfaces.  Rinse your wash media (mits and buckets) out very well before returning to your usual car wash routine to avoid cross contamination.  Be sure to dress all exterior trim that is exposed to the mix with a quality water based trim dressing like our Super VRT. Restoring moisture to these surfaces will be important after they've been heavily cleaned.  And there it is... the ins and outs of strip washing as a part of your detail routine. Remember that this process is designed for use just a few times a year, when you intend to do a FULL and complete detail from start to finish. 
 
Stick to just your mixture of Adam's Car Wash Shampoo for your in between washes and upkeep. 
 
By stripping the finish before big details not only will you make the process faster and easier you'll prolong the life of your clay as well as keep your pads working better for longer! 
 
Happy Detailing! 

So you want to start mixing and diluting products for various uses, but you're not sure how to decode the ratios? Not to worry - the Shine Doc has got you covered! Dilution and mixing can be a very important part of a good detailing regimen, whether its to reduce the strength of a cleaner for more delicate needs or reduce the shine of a dressing, its key to know how to properly read dilution recommendations.
 
WHAT PRODUCTS CAN BE DILUTED?
Virtually any chemical can be diluted in one way or another, but things like wax for example won't be diluted often. Other products like Super VRT, Leather & Interior Cleaner, or Rinseless Wash will be things you dilute all the time.
 
CAN I USE TAP WATER TO DILUTE THINGS?
Yes and no, it really depends on the product you're mixing and what its purpose will be. Typically any product that has an 'optical implication' should only be mixed with distilled water. By optical implication we're talking about products with a visual impact on reflection, clarity, etc. So for example Super VRT can be mixed with regular tap water as the clarity of your tires or trim isn't an issue. On the other hand Rinseless should (ideally) be diluted with distilled water to reduce the chance for streaking when its used as a waterless spray.
 
DEFINING 'PARTS' IN A DILUTION
The term 'parts' are used in simplified dilution ratios that allow the user to calculate a dilution ratio regardless of the size of the bottle or batch you are mixing. Simply put 'parts' are a basic way to break down a mix and scale it to whatever amount you need or want.
 
In a dilution ratio your first number is always the water and the second number is your chemical, so for example:
 
If you were trying to create a dilution of Car Wash at 4:1 it would read 4 PARTS water and 1 PART car wash. Because the ratio is a simplified dilution you can apply it to something as small as a 16oz bottle or as large as a 5 gallon bucket. As long as you know the parts you can create any batch you need at the identical dilution ratio.
 
HOW PARTS MAKE UP A TOTAL YIELD
With the parts understood we can discuss how those parts add up to create your total yield. The total yield is the amount of the finished mixture you will create with your dilution. Simply put, the sum of the parts equals the yield. Sticking with our 4:1 mixture for Car Wash from earlier -
 
4 parts water and 1 part car wash equals a total yield of 5 (the sum of the parts)
 
If you were using a dilution of 20:1 your total yield would be 21. If working with a dilution of 10:1 your total yield is 11, etc, etc.
 
DETERMINING YOUR BATCH SIZE
Your batch will be dictated mostly by the container you intend to mix in. Keep in mind that most bottles are not defined by 'full to the top' as almost every bottle manufacture leaves an air gap at the top to reduce spillage. If your bottle doesn't have markers or a gauge to indicate sizes use a measuring cup to determine where the fill lines should be and mark them with a sharpie.
 
CONVERTING YOUR RATIO TO OUNCES
So now we know what parts are and how they add up to the total yield. You also know that your batch size will be dictated by your container, but how do we break the formula down into ounces and start mixing? We need to convert our parts to ounces. Lets say we're going to mix 32oz of our Car Wash solution at 4:1 to clean a set of delicate aluminum wheels:
 
 
BATCH / YIELD = OUNCES PER PART
 

Remember BATCH is the size of your container, or the amount you wish to make in ounces and YIELD is the total number of parts in your dilution ratio so in our example:
 
32oz  /  5  =  6.4 ounces per part
 
Now that we've determined our ounces per part we can plug that number back into the original ratio and determine exactly what we need to create our mixture in the correct batch size
 
4 PARTS WATER       x     6.4oz   =     25.6oz
1 PART CAR WASH   x     6.4oz   =     6.4oz
 
Double checking our math by adding it together you can see we have a total of 32oz of mixture being created at our desired dilution.
 
TIP: PRE-MIX LARGER BATCHES
Armed with all this new found knowledge of dilution how can you make it even more effective? Try pre-mixing larger quantities of your most commonly used ratios for refill purposes. Diluting directly into the bottle, while convenient and easy does present a challenge - if you are almost done with your mixture and need to refill it how can you accurately measure when there is already liquid in the bottle to contend with? By mixing gallon or larger batches to then refill your spray bottles you can eliminate the guess work and the need to mix for 128oz of use.

So the next time you exhaust a gallon container don't toss it out! Mix up a batch of your most commonly used dilution and have it ready to go whenever you need it!

 
COMMON DILUTIONS
Below you'll find just a few suggestions on various dilutions to use your Adam's products at. If you have a dilution ratio you like for a product reply here and we'll add it to the list. The beauty of diluting products is you can find a variety of needs and new solutions for products you may not have thought of before.
 
All Purpose Cleaner 8:1 - Delicate aluminum wheels or trim 4:1 - Bug or tar pre-treater, door sills, kick panels 1:1 - Ceramic coated wheels, gloss or matte black painted wheels, delicate engine bay Car Shampoo 128:1 - Soap Bucket 8:1 - Foam Cannon or Foam Gun Leather & Interior Cleaner 8:1 - Delicate surface interior cleaning 3:1 - Moderate soiling 1:1 - General coated leather cleaning (when no stains are present) Mega Foam 256:1 - Soap Bucket 16:1 - Foam Cannon or Foam Gun Rinseless Wash 16:1 - Waterless washing spray 64:1 - Clay lubricant 6:1 - Pre-Wash/Pre-Soak solution Strip Wash 128:1 - Soap Bucket 8:1 - Foam Cannon or Foam Gun Tire & Rubber Cleaner 1:1 - Maintenance cleaning of lightly dirty tires, delicate engine bay Ultra Foam Shampoo 128:1 - Soap Bucket 10:1 - Foam Cannon or Foam Gun VRT Tire & Trim Dressing 1:1 - Spray on low gloss tire dressing 2:1 - Spray on detailer for vinyl soft tops/tonneau covers and engine bay plastics/hoses (sometimes referred to as "VRT Milk") 3:1 - Quick detail spray dressing for matte vinyl wraps Wash & Wax 128:1 - Soap Bucket 10:1 - Foam Cannon or Foam Gun Wheel Cleaner 1:1 - Paint decontamination/removal of ferrous metal (Iron Remover is preferred and more effective for full body panels) Wheel & Tire Cleaner 2:1 - Fender wells and engine bay 1:1 - Maintenance cleaning of lightly dirty wheels and tires 

Maybe like this???
 

This was a little project I began last fall when I pulled these wheels off in order to swap my winter set on...for the winter we never really had here in Northern Indiana.
 
It ended up being a pretty tedious process and overall, I spent about 10-12 hours total to get them from the factory finish to the polished finish that you'll see in the pictures.
 
The process I used was as follows:
 
I began with aircraft stripper applied with a paint brush. The first coat of stripper was blasted off with the fire hose nozzle opened all the way up. That was enough to get the majority of the clear coat off.
 
I then used a different kind of sprayable stripper and applied another full coat of that. Agitated with a VRT block sponge, then sprayed off with the hose. That got 99% of the clear off, and I just spot treated any left-over stubborn areas with the sprayable stripper and some #0000 steel wool.
 
Once all the clear was gone, it was time to polish. I used an un-named red ball on a cordless drill with MP #1 for the majority of the heavy lifting. I did 1 wheel with MP #1 by hand and it nearly killed me, so that's why I switched to the ball.
 
After everything has been hit with MP #1, I started with MP #2 and a blue MF applicator. This step made a HUGE difference! They looked nice after MP #1, but they really popped after #2 did it's work!
 
After the MP combo was done, I did a quick IPA wipe down to remove and left over polishing residue, then applied two coats of QS with an Americana applicator. I also put one coat of QS on the barrels of the wheels, but didn't do any polishing on them. Followed that with a coat of Americana and some VRT on the tires. On to the pictures....
 
Before:
 

 
In progress:
 

 
Bottom two spokes are polished here:
 

 
Here's a pretty good illustration of what the Adam's Metal Polish combo is capable of. Bottom three spokes are finished and you can see the half-finished, half-not line at the 9 o'clock position:
 

 
Finished!
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKpKWIUgtj8

Current customers will notice we've changed the sealant to a pour top... long term the sealant has shown it will eat away at the sprayer. To alleviate this we've gone to a pour top - the product still works as designed, use very little to treat the glass.

Liquid Paint Sealant is more than sufficient protection... it is now as it was before the introduction of H2O. The addition of H2O gives you additional layers of protection and more gloss. Necessary? No. Worthwhile? Depends on your situation and preferences.
 
You should never find yourself in a situation where you have 3 waxes, 3 sealers, and 3 detail sprays once you've defined your process and what works best for you on your car. Pick the combo that works best for you and you're set.
Now if you maintain multiple cars, detail on the side for money, or just like having a selection of products certainly you should have a variety of things at your disposal, but never have we been a company that says you have to own ALL of our waxes.... certainly try them till you find your favorite then stick with that one.

Light pressure with plenty of glass cleaner and you should be fine. I've used that combo a ton and never had any issues with scratching.

So you want to start mixing and diluting products for various uses, but you're not sure how to decode the ratios? Not to worry - the Shine Doc has got you covered! Dilution and mixing can be a very important part of a good detailing regimen, whether its to reduce the strength of a cleaner for more delicate needs or reduce the shine of a dressing, its key to know how to properly read dilution recommendations.
 
WHAT PRODUCTS CAN BE DILUTED?
Virtually any chemical can be diluted in one way or another, but things like wax for example won't be diluted often. Other products like Super VRT, Leather & Interior Cleaner, or Rinseless Wash will be things you dilute all the time.
 
CAN I USE TAP WATER TO DILUTE THINGS?
Yes and no, it really depends on the product you're mixing and what its purpose will be. Typically any product that has an 'optical implication' should only be mixed with distilled water. By optical implication we're talking about products with a visual impact on reflection, clarity, etc. So for example Super VRT can be mixed with regular tap water as the clarity of your tires or trim isn't an issue. On the other hand Rinseless should (ideally) be diluted with distilled water to reduce the chance for streaking when its used as a waterless spray.
 
DEFINING 'PARTS' IN A DILUTION
The term 'parts' are used in simplified dilution ratios that allow the user to calculate a dilution ratio regardless of the size of the bottle or batch you are mixing. Simply put 'parts' are a basic way to break down a mix and scale it to whatever amount you need or want.
 
In a dilution ratio your first number is always the water and the second number is your chemical, so for example:
 
If you were trying to create a dilution of Car Wash at 4:1 it would read 4 PARTS water and 1 PART car wash. Because the ratio is a simplified dilution you can apply it to something as small as a 16oz bottle or as large as a 5 gallon bucket. As long as you know the parts you can create any batch you need at the identical dilution ratio.
 
HOW PARTS MAKE UP A TOTAL YIELD
With the parts understood we can discuss how those parts add up to create your total yield. The total yield is the amount of the finished mixture you will create with your dilution. Simply put, the sum of the parts equals the yield. Sticking with our 4:1 mixture for Car Wash from earlier -
 
4 parts water and 1 part car wash equals a total yield of 5 (the sum of the parts)
 
If you were using a dilution of 20:1 your total yield would be 21. If working with a dilution of 10:1 your total yield is 11, etc, etc.
 
DETERMINING YOUR BATCH SIZE
Your batch will be dictated mostly by the container you intend to mix in. Keep in mind that most bottles are not defined by 'full to the top' as almost every bottle manufacture leaves an air gap at the top to reduce spillage. If your bottle doesn't have markers or a gauge to indicate sizes use a measuring cup to determine where the fill lines should be and mark them with a sharpie.
 
CONVERTING YOUR RATIO TO OUNCES
So now we know what parts are and how they add up to the total yield. You also know that your batch size will be dictated by your container, but how do we break the formula down into ounces and start mixing? We need to convert our parts to ounces. Lets say we're going to mix 32oz of our Car Wash solution at 4:1 to clean a set of delicate aluminum wheels:
 
 
BATCH / YIELD = OUNCES PER PART
 

Remember BATCH is the size of your container, or the amount you wish to make in ounces and YIELD is the total number of parts in your dilution ratio so in our example:
 
32oz  /  5  =  6.4 ounces per part
 
Now that we've determined our ounces per part we can plug that number back into the original ratio and determine exactly what we need to create our mixture in the correct batch size
 
4 PARTS WATER       x     6.4oz   =     25.6oz
1 PART CAR WASH   x     6.4oz   =     6.4oz
 
Double checking our math by adding it together you can see we have a total of 32oz of mixture being created at our desired dilution.
 
TIP: PRE-MIX LARGER BATCHES
Armed with all this new found knowledge of dilution how can you make it even more effective? Try pre-mixing larger quantities of your most commonly used ratios for refill purposes. Diluting directly into the bottle, while convenient and easy does present a challenge - if you are almost done with your mixture and need to refill it how can you accurately measure when there is already liquid in the bottle to contend with? By mixing gallon or larger batches to then refill your spray bottles you can eliminate the guess work and the need to mix for 128oz of use.

So the next time you exhaust a gallon container don't toss it out! Mix up a batch of your most commonly used dilution and have it ready to go whenever you need it!

 
COMMON DILUTIONS
Below you'll find just a few suggestions on various dilutions to use your Adam's products at. If you have a dilution ratio you like for a product reply here and we'll add it to the list. The beauty of diluting products is you can find a variety of needs and new solutions for products you may not have thought of before.
 
All Purpose Cleaner 8:1 - Delicate aluminum wheels or trim 4:1 - Bug or tar pre-treater, door sills, kick panels 1:1 - Ceramic coated wheels, gloss or matte black painted wheels, delicate engine bay Car Shampoo 128:1 - Soap Bucket 8:1 - Foam Cannon or Foam Gun Leather & Interior Cleaner 8:1 - Delicate surface interior cleaning 3:1 - Moderate soiling 1:1 - General coated leather cleaning (when no stains are present) Mega Foam 256:1 - Soap Bucket 16:1 - Foam Cannon or Foam Gun Rinseless Wash 16:1 - Waterless washing spray 64:1 - Clay lubricant 6:1 - Pre-Wash/Pre-Soak solution Strip Wash 128:1 - Soap Bucket 8:1 - Foam Cannon or Foam Gun Tire & Rubber Cleaner 1:1 - Maintenance cleaning of lightly dirty tires, delicate engine bay Ultra Foam Shampoo 128:1 - Soap Bucket 10:1 - Foam Cannon or Foam Gun VRT Tire & Trim Dressing 1:1 - Spray on low gloss tire dressing 2:1 - Spray on detailer for vinyl soft tops/tonneau covers and engine bay plastics/hoses (sometimes referred to as "VRT Milk") 3:1 - Quick detail spray dressing for matte vinyl wraps Wash & Wax 128:1 - Soap Bucket 10:1 - Foam Cannon or Foam Gun Wheel Cleaner 1:1 - Paint decontamination/removal of ferrous metal (Iron Remover is preferred and more effective for full body panels) Wheel & Tire Cleaner 2:1 - Fender wells and engine bay 1:1 - Maintenance cleaning of lightly dirty wheels and tires 

Hi All, 
 
After seeing a need for some flowcharts and more "processes" for overall detailing, especially Ceramic Coating and maintenance, I've developed the roadmap to Ceramic Paint Coating! Let me know what you think and how this can help you-- Also, If there are any processes you are confused by, list them here and I'll consider them for future flow charts! 
 
 

So you want to start mixing and diluting products for various uses, but you're not sure how to decode the ratios? Not to worry - the Shine Doc has got you covered! Dilution and mixing can be a very important part of a good detailing regimen, whether its to reduce the strength of a cleaner for more delicate needs or reduce the shine of a dressing, its key to know how to properly read dilution recommendations.
 
WHAT PRODUCTS CAN BE DILUTED?
Virtually any chemical can be diluted in one way or another, but things like wax for example won't be diluted often. Other products like Super VRT, Leather & Interior Cleaner, or Rinseless Wash will be things you dilute all the time.
 
CAN I USE TAP WATER TO DILUTE THINGS?
Yes and no, it really depends on the product you're mixing and what its purpose will be. Typically any product that has an 'optical implication' should only be mixed with distilled water. By optical implication we're talking about products with a visual impact on reflection, clarity, etc. So for example Super VRT can be mixed with regular tap water as the clarity of your tires or trim isn't an issue. On the other hand Rinseless should (ideally) be diluted with distilled water to reduce the chance for streaking when its used as a waterless spray.
 
DEFINING 'PARTS' IN A DILUTION
The term 'parts' are used in simplified dilution ratios that allow the user to calculate a dilution ratio regardless of the size of the bottle or batch you are mixing. Simply put 'parts' are a basic way to break down a mix and scale it to whatever amount you need or want.
 
In a dilution ratio your first number is always the water and the second number is your chemical, so for example:
 
If you were trying to create a dilution of Car Wash at 4:1 it would read 4 PARTS water and 1 PART car wash. Because the ratio is a simplified dilution you can apply it to something as small as a 16oz bottle or as large as a 5 gallon bucket. As long as you know the parts you can create any batch you need at the identical dilution ratio.
 
HOW PARTS MAKE UP A TOTAL YIELD
With the parts understood we can discuss how those parts add up to create your total yield. The total yield is the amount of the finished mixture you will create with your dilution. Simply put, the sum of the parts equals the yield. Sticking with our 4:1 mixture for Car Wash from earlier -
 
4 parts water and 1 part car wash equals a total yield of 5 (the sum of the parts)
 
If you were using a dilution of 20:1 your total yield would be 21. If working with a dilution of 10:1 your total yield is 11, etc, etc.
 
DETERMINING YOUR BATCH SIZE
Your batch will be dictated mostly by the container you intend to mix in. Keep in mind that most bottles are not defined by 'full to the top' as almost every bottle manufacture leaves an air gap at the top to reduce spillage. If your bottle doesn't have markers or a gauge to indicate sizes use a measuring cup to determine where the fill lines should be and mark them with a sharpie.
 
CONVERTING YOUR RATIO TO OUNCES
So now we know what parts are and how they add up to the total yield. You also know that your batch size will be dictated by your container, but how do we break the formula down into ounces and start mixing? We need to convert our parts to ounces. Lets say we're going to mix 32oz of our Car Wash solution at 4:1 to clean a set of delicate aluminum wheels:
 
 
BATCH / YIELD = OUNCES PER PART
 

Remember BATCH is the size of your container, or the amount you wish to make in ounces and YIELD is the total number of parts in your dilution ratio so in our example:
 
32oz  /  5  =  6.4 ounces per part
 
Now that we've determined our ounces per part we can plug that number back into the original ratio and determine exactly what we need to create our mixture in the correct batch size
 
4 PARTS WATER       x     6.4oz   =     25.6oz
1 PART CAR WASH   x     6.4oz   =     6.4oz
 
Double checking our math by adding it together you can see we have a total of 32oz of mixture being created at our desired dilution.
 
TIP: PRE-MIX LARGER BATCHES
Armed with all this new found knowledge of dilution how can you make it even more effective? Try pre-mixing larger quantities of your most commonly used ratios for refill purposes. Diluting directly into the bottle, while convenient and easy does present a challenge - if you are almost done with your mixture and need to refill it how can you accurately measure when there is already liquid in the bottle to contend with? By mixing gallon or larger batches to then refill your spray bottles you can eliminate the guess work and the need to mix for 128oz of use.

So the next time you exhaust a gallon container don't toss it out! Mix up a batch of your most commonly used dilution and have it ready to go whenever you need it!

 
COMMON DILUTIONS
Below you'll find just a few suggestions on various dilutions to use your Adam's products at. If you have a dilution ratio you like for a product reply here and we'll add it to the list. The beauty of diluting products is you can find a variety of needs and new solutions for products you may not have thought of before.
 
All Purpose Cleaner 8:1 - Delicate aluminum wheels or trim 4:1 - Bug or tar pre-treater, door sills, kick panels 1:1 - Ceramic coated wheels, gloss or matte black painted wheels, delicate engine bay Car Shampoo 128:1 - Soap Bucket 8:1 - Foam Cannon or Foam Gun Leather & Interior Cleaner 8:1 - Delicate surface interior cleaning 3:1 - Moderate soiling 1:1 - General coated leather cleaning (when no stains are present) Mega Foam 256:1 - Soap Bucket 16:1 - Foam Cannon or Foam Gun Rinseless Wash 16:1 - Waterless washing spray 64:1 - Clay lubricant 6:1 - Pre-Wash/Pre-Soak solution Strip Wash 128:1 - Soap Bucket 8:1 - Foam Cannon or Foam Gun Tire & Rubber Cleaner 1:1 - Maintenance cleaning of lightly dirty tires, delicate engine bay Ultra Foam Shampoo 128:1 - Soap Bucket 10:1 - Foam Cannon or Foam Gun VRT Tire & Trim Dressing 1:1 - Spray on low gloss tire dressing 2:1 - Spray on detailer for vinyl soft tops/tonneau covers and engine bay plastics/hoses (sometimes referred to as "VRT Milk") 3:1 - Quick detail spray dressing for matte vinyl wraps Wash & Wax 128:1 - Soap Bucket 10:1 - Foam Cannon or Foam Gun Wheel Cleaner 1:1 - Paint decontamination/removal of ferrous metal (Iron Remover is preferred and more effective for full body panels) Wheel & Tire Cleaner 2:1 - Fender wells and engine bay 1:1 - Maintenance cleaning of lightly dirty wheels and tires 

A few minor language changes and additions were made to the rules. I encourage everyone, new members and old, to review the rules to make sure we all have a clear understanding of what is and isn't acceptable here on the forums. Thank you all for being a part of AdamsForums.com and we value your participation here!

Registration to our little slice of heaven is free!  Before we get to the fine print and other legal stuff, let's get one thing straight, this forum is supposed to be fun! Maintain a light heart, sense of humor, and a desire to learn from both Adam's Team Members and other users and we'll all get along fine. Remember also that any Adam's Moderator or Team Member completely reserves the right to remove any post, thread, or member that does not contribute in a positive manner. We're sure you'll very rapidly notice the difference between AdamsForums.com and many other forums on the web... the environment is respectful, helpful, and friendly. Feel free to contribute to the discussions, ask questions, and mingle with your fellow enthusiasts without the drama so common on other parts of the internet. 
 
ADAMSFORUMS.COM RULES & REGULATIONS (UPDATED 3/5/2015)
By becoming a member of AdamsForums.com and participating on the message board, you are agreeing to abide by our rules. As with any rules, they are made for the purpose and benefit of our members as well as to protect the best interest of the message board. Please read them and understand them. If you should have any questions about them, feel free to ask for clarification. 
 
This forum is not ruled with an iron fist and all rules are always up for discussion, but there is an appropriate time and place to raise such concerns. If you feel a rule is unfair, outdated, or being unjustly enforced please contact a member of the moderating team. Public discussions or disagreements over rules are not permitted. 
 
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We invite and encourage a healthy exchange of opinions; disagreements are okay. If you disagree with a member's post or opinion, by all means, challenge the opinion. However, any challenge must be given with a sense of respect and caring for the other person. The real objective of community is to understand each other, not to attack others and convince them that you're right. Name-calling, insults, "flaming" and attacks are not appropriate and will not be tolerated. Agree to disagree respectfully.
 
Additionally please understand that a good number of the moderation team volunteer their time to make this a better site for everyone, use discretion when disagreeing with them and always understand that their word is final. Should you disagree with a decision, outcome, or action of a moderator or administrator DO NOT START A THREAD TO DISCUSS IT. All manner of disagreements can be settled in a professional manner via PM and or e-mail. Inflammatory threads in regards to staff or site decisions will not be tolerated.
 
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Falsely representing yourself will not be tolerated. Choose a username and stick with it, multiple user accounts per person is not allowed, in the event you are found to have created multiple user accounts for the purpose of deception or illicit activities you will be permanently and irreversibly banned. No exceptions. 
 
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The main focus of AdamsForums.com is to be a place where car care enthusiasts can come to discuss their passion thus explicit, obscene or vulgar language, graphics, X-rated GIFs, JPEGs or other graphic files are NOT appropriate. This includes picture and graphic files in signatures or avatars as well as language featured in videos. Posts in all forums that contain any of these will not be tolerated and will be moved or deleted without notice! Repeated or intentional posting of these types of material will be subject to immediate ban at the discretion of the moderating team. If you are ever in doubt as to whether the post you are about to make could violate this rule its probably best you don't post it or contact a moderator privately to ask first.

Additionally, posts about religion, politics, and/or controversial issues are strongly discouraged. Topics of an inflammatory nature can lead to bigger problems and we ask that you keep your political and religious views out of the forum. The forum is comprised of people from varied social, economic, religious, and political backgrounds lets celebrate these differences by leaving them out of discussions and ensuring no one is offended.

The forum staff also encourages members to help enforce the rules and keep this the best place on the web to discuss your passion for detailing. If a clear violation of any of our forum policies is posted, including spam, please utilize the "REPORT" link located at the bottom of each individual post. 
 
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Violations of these rules will be removed without notice by the moderation team. Repeat violations of these rules will result in the suspension of your posting privileges for a time to be determined by the moderation team.
 
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The forum is a place to discuss techniques, get assistance with technical issues, and share a love of detailing. If you experience a problem with a shipment, product, or any other customer service related issue the fastest and most effective way to seek help is through any one of the following channels:
Call toll free: 1-866-965-0400 Email 24 hours a day: Tips@AdamsPolishes.com Threads started to complain about a customer service related issue will be removed and you will be redirected to one of the contact sources above. Trust us, the forum is not the fastest way to seek a resolution to your issue and does little more than cause problems. The moderation team is comprised of volunteers who are not employees of Adam's Premium Car Care, thus they will have a limited capacity to rectify your problem or complaint without directing you first to the contact channels above. 

Save yourself the wait and the wasted effort of typing up your concerns here, and simply contact Adam's directly for any and all product and service related issues that do not directly pertain to the forums. 
 
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Linking competitors products or outside vendors on AdamsForums.com is strictly prohibited. The team at Adam's understands that we are clearly not the only detail products on the market, but we do however reserve the right to limit the discussion of such products in order to protect our best interests. 
 
Light discussion and comparison of outside products is perfectly acceptable so long as it remains respectful, but direct links, marketing, excessive discussion, and endorsement of any product not endorsed or sold by Adam's Premium Car Care is prohibited. There are a number of detailing discussion boards and enthusiast forums on the web where these products can be discussed at length. Here at AdamsForums.com please try to keep the discussion related to the use and support of Adam's products. 
 
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Absolutely no commercial marketing or sales. Our 'garage sale forum' is ONLY for single items/previously-owned, or unopened stuff that fellow forum members might want. Please do not treat this forum like a pawn shop to clear out your old junk.

The Garage Sale section is a privilege for our members. We ask that you first establish yourself in the general forum areas with an introduction and a few posts before posting an item for sale -- reserving the Garage Sale section for active members protects us all from spammers and "fly-by-night" types. In order to protect our members from unscrupulous individuals we ask that you have a minimum of 50 posts before starting a sale thread. The moderation team will remove any thread started by a person with fewer than 50 posts unless prior approval is granted.

Adam's Polishes is in no way responsible for the honesty, integrity, or legality of any item sold in the forum. While we will try to mediate a peaceful resolution in the event of obvious fraud we are in no way a legal authority or mediator in the matter. It goes without saying that Adam's Polishes reserves the right to remove any item we deem illicit or illegal with no prior warning to the thread originator.
What's appropriate for listing in the Garage Sale Forum? Any item in working condition, that might have some value to someone else. Please don't list your worn out pair of sneakers you use to mow the lawn in, but feel free to put a thread up for that digital camera you don't use anymore. What isn't allowed? Anything commercial, your Beanie Baby collection, stuff you regularly sell on the side, etc. – stuff like that belongs on craigslist. Mods have the right to remove anything they don't feel is appropriate. Not sure about something? PM a mod first and get an OK. PLEASE DO NOT ADVERTISE ADAM'S CHEMICALS FOR SALE HERE. As we cannot guarantee the quality or track the purchase of a specific bottle to a specific person. The sale/resale of any "Used" Adam's Polishes chemicals is strictly prohibited unless prior approval is granted by a member of the moderating team. 
 
Used tools, accessories, and similar items can be listed for sale so long as they are in fair, working condition. Any and all warranty coverage is non-transferrable.

Buyer and seller beware! Adam's Polishes and the Adam's Forums team accept no responsibility for transactions conducted here, although repeated issues or complaints associated with a particular member may result in that member having their private sale privileges revoked.
 
FINALLY, WE RESERVE THE RIGHT
AdamsForums.com reserves the right to remove a post that does not relate to the topic being discussed on the board. In addition, AdamsForums.com reserves the right to organize message boards (or folders) in order to best serve the majority of our members. For example, narrow-interest or minimal activity topics may, at AdamsForums.com's discretion, be relocated to a more appropriate forum, or deleted entirely.
 
AdamsForums.com also reserves the right to prohibit or delete messages that are thought to violate applicable law or that may be harmful to other members, or the rights of AdamsForums.com or others. With that said, AdamsForums.com does not have the practical ability to restrict conduct or communications that might violate AdamsForums.com's rules, nor can we ensure prompt removal of offending message board posts.
 
We also reserve the right to remove your AdamsForums.com membership should you violate its rules. Any decision to ban a member will be made by the Administration Team. As a privately owned and operated web forum we reserve the right to revoke or deny membership to anyone as deemed reasonable or necessary by the AdamsForums.com team. Repeated or harassing attempts to gain access to the forums after denial or revoking of membership privileges can and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
 
All rules and standards are subject to change at the discretion of the AdamsForums.com team. (Updated 3/5/2015)

A few minor language changes and additions were made to the rules. I encourage everyone, new members and old, to review the rules to make sure we all have a clear understanding of what is and isn't acceptable here on the forums. Thank you all for being a part of AdamsForums.com and we value your participation here!

Registration to our little slice of heaven is free!  Before we get to the fine print and other legal stuff, let's get one thing straight, this forum is supposed to be fun! Maintain a light heart, sense of humor, and a desire to learn from both Adam's Team Members and other users and we'll all get along fine. Remember also that any Adam's Moderator or Team Member completely reserves the right to remove any post, thread, or member that does not contribute in a positive manner. We're sure you'll very rapidly notice the difference between AdamsForums.com and many other forums on the web... the environment is respectful, helpful, and friendly. Feel free to contribute to the discussions, ask questions, and mingle with your fellow enthusiasts without the drama so common on other parts of the internet. 
 
ADAMSFORUMS.COM RULES & REGULATIONS (UPDATED 3/5/2015)
By becoming a member of AdamsForums.com and participating on the message board, you are agreeing to abide by our rules. As with any rules, they are made for the purpose and benefit of our members as well as to protect the best interest of the message board. Please read them and understand them. If you should have any questions about them, feel free to ask for clarification. 
 
This forum is not ruled with an iron fist and all rules are always up for discussion, but there is an appropriate time and place to raise such concerns. If you feel a rule is unfair, outdated, or being unjustly enforced please contact a member of the moderating team. Public discussions or disagreements over rules are not permitted. 
 
AGREE TO DISAGREE RESPECTFULLY
We invite and encourage a healthy exchange of opinions; disagreements are okay. If you disagree with a member's post or opinion, by all means, challenge the opinion. However, any challenge must be given with a sense of respect and caring for the other person. The real objective of community is to understand each other, not to attack others and convince them that you're right. Name-calling, insults, "flaming" and attacks are not appropriate and will not be tolerated. Agree to disagree respectfully.
 
Additionally please understand that a good number of the moderation team volunteer their time to make this a better site for everyone, use discretion when disagreeing with them and always understand that their word is final. Should you disagree with a decision, outcome, or action of a moderator or administrator DO NOT START A THREAD TO DISCUSS IT. All manner of disagreements can be settled in a professional manner via PM and or e-mail. Inflammatory threads in regards to staff or site decisions will not be tolerated.
 
BE YOURSELF
Falsely representing yourself will not be tolerated. Choose a username and stick with it, multiple user accounts per person is not allowed, in the event you are found to have created multiple user accounts for the purpose of deception or illicit activities you will be permanently and irreversibly banned. No exceptions. 
 
KEEP YOUR POSTS CLEAN
The main focus of AdamsForums.com is to be a place where car care enthusiasts can come to discuss their passion thus explicit, obscene or vulgar language, graphics, X-rated GIFs, JPEGs or other graphic files are NOT appropriate. This includes picture and graphic files in signatures or avatars as well as language featured in videos. Posts in all forums that contain any of these will not be tolerated and will be moved or deleted without notice! Repeated or intentional posting of these types of material will be subject to immediate ban at the discretion of the moderating team. If you are ever in doubt as to whether the post you are about to make could violate this rule its probably best you don't post it or contact a moderator privately to ask first.

Additionally, posts about religion, politics, and/or controversial issues are strongly discouraged. Topics of an inflammatory nature can lead to bigger problems and we ask that you keep your political and religious views out of the forum. The forum is comprised of people from varied social, economic, religious, and political backgrounds lets celebrate these differences by leaving them out of discussions and ensuring no one is offended.

The forum staff also encourages members to help enforce the rules and keep this the best place on the web to discuss your passion for detailing. If a clear violation of any of our forum policies is posted, including spam, please utilize the "REPORT" link located at the bottom of each individual post. 
 
SIGNATURE SIZES, LINKS, & ADVERTISING
Adams Forums encourages all members to express themselves and feature a colorful, interesting, cool, or funny (non offensive) picture in their signature line. Please limit all images to a maximum height of 200 pixels and a maximum width of 600 pixels. This ensures a clean uniform look to all threads and prevents unnecessary scrolling past large images or long page load times. In addition to an image we encourage all members to limit any text in their signature to one line of standard font.

The use of links in signature lines is limited to Authorized Adams Dealers and employees only. The use of this forum to advertise, market, or distribute other products or services is strictly prohibited.

Violations of these rules will be removed without notice by the moderation team. Repeat violations of these rules will result in the suspension of your posting privileges for a time to be determined by the moderation team.
 
CUSTOMER SERVICE ISSUES
The forum is a place to discuss techniques, get assistance with technical issues, and share a love of detailing. If you experience a problem with a shipment, product, or any other customer service related issue the fastest and most effective way to seek help is through any one of the following channels:
Call toll free: 1-866-965-0400 Email 24 hours a day: Tips@AdamsPolishes.com Threads started to complain about a customer service related issue will be removed and you will be redirected to one of the contact sources above. Trust us, the forum is not the fastest way to seek a resolution to your issue and does little more than cause problems. The moderation team is comprised of volunteers who are not employees of Adam's Premium Car Care, thus they will have a limited capacity to rectify your problem or complaint without directing you first to the contact channels above. 

Save yourself the wait and the wasted effort of typing up your concerns here, and simply contact Adam's directly for any and all product and service related issues that do not directly pertain to the forums. 
 
OUTSIDE PRODUCTS & COMPETITIVE COMPARISONS
Linking competitors products or outside vendors on AdamsForums.com is strictly prohibited. The team at Adam's understands that we are clearly not the only detail products on the market, but we do however reserve the right to limit the discussion of such products in order to protect our best interests. 
 
Light discussion and comparison of outside products is perfectly acceptable so long as it remains respectful, but direct links, marketing, excessive discussion, and endorsement of any product not endorsed or sold by Adam's Premium Car Care is prohibited. There are a number of detailing discussion boards and enthusiast forums on the web where these products can be discussed at length. Here at AdamsForums.com please try to keep the discussion related to the use and support of Adam's products. 
 
GARAGE SALE SECTION
Absolutely no commercial marketing or sales. Our 'garage sale forum' is ONLY for single items/previously-owned, or unopened stuff that fellow forum members might want. Please do not treat this forum like a pawn shop to clear out your old junk.

The Garage Sale section is a privilege for our members. We ask that you first establish yourself in the general forum areas with an introduction and a few posts before posting an item for sale -- reserving the Garage Sale section for active members protects us all from spammers and "fly-by-night" types. In order to protect our members from unscrupulous individuals we ask that you have a minimum of 50 posts before starting a sale thread. The moderation team will remove any thread started by a person with fewer than 50 posts unless prior approval is granted.

Adam's Polishes is in no way responsible for the honesty, integrity, or legality of any item sold in the forum. While we will try to mediate a peaceful resolution in the event of obvious fraud we are in no way a legal authority or mediator in the matter. It goes without saying that Adam's Polishes reserves the right to remove any item we deem illicit or illegal with no prior warning to the thread originator.
What's appropriate for listing in the Garage Sale Forum? Any item in working condition, that might have some value to someone else. Please don't list your worn out pair of sneakers you use to mow the lawn in, but feel free to put a thread up for that digital camera you don't use anymore. What isn't allowed? Anything commercial, your Beanie Baby collection, stuff you regularly sell on the side, etc. – stuff like that belongs on craigslist. Mods have the right to remove anything they don't feel is appropriate. Not sure about something? PM a mod first and get an OK. PLEASE DO NOT ADVERTISE ADAM'S CHEMICALS FOR SALE HERE. As we cannot guarantee the quality or track the purchase of a specific bottle to a specific person. The sale/resale of any "Used" Adam's Polishes chemicals is strictly prohibited unless prior approval is granted by a member of the moderating team. 
 
Used tools, accessories, and similar items can be listed for sale so long as they are in fair, working condition. Any and all warranty coverage is non-transferrable.

Buyer and seller beware! Adam's Polishes and the Adam's Forums team accept no responsibility for transactions conducted here, although repeated issues or complaints associated with a particular member may result in that member having their private sale privileges revoked.
 
FINALLY, WE RESERVE THE RIGHT
AdamsForums.com reserves the right to remove a post that does not relate to the topic being discussed on the board. In addition, AdamsForums.com reserves the right to organize message boards (or folders) in order to best serve the majority of our members. For example, narrow-interest or minimal activity topics may, at AdamsForums.com's discretion, be relocated to a more appropriate forum, or deleted entirely.
 
AdamsForums.com also reserves the right to prohibit or delete messages that are thought to violate applicable law or that may be harmful to other members, or the rights of AdamsForums.com or others. With that said, AdamsForums.com does not have the practical ability to restrict conduct or communications that might violate AdamsForums.com's rules, nor can we ensure prompt removal of offending message board posts.
 
We also reserve the right to remove your AdamsForums.com membership should you violate its rules. Any decision to ban a member will be made by the Administration Team. As a privately owned and operated web forum we reserve the right to revoke or deny membership to anyone as deemed reasonable or necessary by the AdamsForums.com team. Repeated or harassing attempts to gain access to the forums after denial or revoking of membership privileges can and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
 
All rules and standards are subject to change at the discretion of the AdamsForums.com team. (Updated 3/5/2015)

This will be the first in a series of FAQ threads where I'll open up a discussion on a common concern or problem people face when detailing.
 
The last few weeks there has been a lot of emails, PM's, and calls regarding wash techniques probably due in large to the fact we're starting to get nice warm weather in many parts of the world and people are getting their rides ready for shows, cruises, or just driving around and looking good!
 
So the common concern usually comes to me something like this.
 
"I washed my car today and the soap dried on the paint. Its about 89* out and my black paint was very hot. When I went to dry the car the soap didn't come off easily. I did it exactly like the video, why is it hard to remove the soap? Is this normal?"
 
The first thing to understand is that this is very much a case of "Just becasue you can, doesn't mean you should". The soap is designed the way it is as a measure of insurance, not an excuse to be careless. Ideally you never want anything to dry on your finish, but if its completely unavoidable or happens by accident the soap drying is far safer than the alternative. The soap serves to keep the minerals suspended and being pH neutral it will not etch the paint or introduce any damage.
 
Avoid allowing the soap to dry in the first place and you'll make life much easier on yourself, but what if it does get baked on? How should you proceed?? In many cases just the act of rinsing the area one more time with water right before you start your drying routine with a Great White Drying Towel and Detail Spray will be enough to 'reactivate' the soap and make removing it easy as you dry.
 
In the event you still have some soap residue that won't come cleanly from the surface try taking a small amount of soapy water, either from your soap bucket via a clean wash pad, or a foam gun if you're working with one. Essentially you will "re-wash" that panel to remove the soap.
 
Keep in mind that dried soap on your finish is MUCH better than the alternative which is dried water that could lead to stubborn water spots and etching. 2 conditions that will require claying and/or polishing to remove.
 
SOME TIPS FOR AVOIDING DRIED SOAP:
 

Wash in the early morning or around dusk when the sun is low in the sky and much less harsh. The less direct sunlight leads to much lower surface temps and lower likelihood anything will dry on the paint.
 
Work indoors or in shade whenever possible. A kin to the first tip, reducing how much direct sunlight is on the paint while you're working is key to preventing drying and in turn makes everything easier. In the event you don't have a garage or cover to work under look into purchasing a pop up shelter. Many can be found for $150-$300 and collapse down for easy storage when not in use. Your entire care doesn't have to fit under it... position the shelter so it gives you shade in the areas you need.
 
Avoid wetting/soaping the sides of the vehicle that are in the sun until last. Nothing says you can't wash the vehicle in 2 stages. Rinse and soap the areas that are on the shad side of the vehicle first then move to the areas in the sun. Keeping the 'sun exposed' areas of the car dry until absolutely necessary buys you significantly more time before anything drying becomes a concern.
 
Spend more time on your initial rinse. 2 things cause drying - the direct heat of the sun and the indirect heat of the panel temperatures. You can reduce the surface temps of the paint by a large amount by spending more time in the initial rinsing of the panels. Soaking panels for more time with water drops the overall temps and buys you more time before the soap (once its introduced) will start drying.
 
Most of all common sense! As stated in the beginning this is a case of 'Just because you can, doesn't mean you should'. If you absolutely must work in the worst possible conditions adjust your technique to compensate, work quickly, and understand that you are creating more work for yourself by working in unforgiving circumstances. Also, DON'T PANIC! The initial response is to grab a towel and start scrubbing aggressively... understand that dried soap is a surface problem that can be corrected with the gentle approaches given above. Scrubbing at them can potentially introduce bigger problems.
 
Lastly HAVE FUN! Caring for your car is something that can be a joy or a real pain in the rear... by choosing when and how you approach your wash you dictate how it will go... so choose wisely!!

 

Hi all, 
 
Clearing up some confusion regarding this topic. When we talk Silica and SiO2, we think of immediate curing and hydrophobic intensity. Wash and Wax does contain a small amount of silica in it (why it plays well with coatings) but don't think of it as a soap packed full with ceramic properties. The silica is a small polymer-like addition that helps with beading over repeated washes. 
 
So in conclusion: YES, Wash & Wax does contain silica. Keep your eyes peeled for a much more robust soap that may or may not contain an increased amount of SiO2  
 
-Kyle 

Sealants, glazes, waxes, and even coatings - in the world of car care right now there are a number of options when it comes to protection and enhancement of your vehicles exterior. But what should you be using? While there is no right answer for everyone, there certainly is a right choice for you depending on how your vehicles are used, stored, and ultimately what your goals are for the finish.

UNDERSTANDING YOUR OPTIONS
Each type of product provides unique benefits and some level of compromise. Understanding what benefits are part of each type of product and choosing your last step product (LSP) or combination of steps based on what you need them to do is important. Ultimately, each person needs to strike their own personal balance between 2 aspects:

DURABILITY = how long the product lasts and how well it protects the underlying clearcoat.
AESTHETICS = the visual impact the product provides in terms of added gloss, depth, etc.


GLAZE:
Durability: Very Low | Aesthetics: High
Glazes are probably the least understood product considered a part of the LSP category. The term glaze has been used and misused widely over the years by a number of manufactures, but most professionals have come to accept that a glaze is most commonly a non-abrasive product used to mask imperfections and provide aesthetic enhancement.

Most glazes will be a blend of a few basic ingredients - wax, solvent, and oils. These three components are blended in a ratio to allow them to help fill in minor imperfections and thanks to the solvent content even offer a level of paint cleansing.

Glaze has long been a favorite product of car lots all over the world since they offer fast, easy, and inexpensive enhancement of painted surfaces in one step. However, the short lived effects have left more than a few new car owners wondering why their recent purchase looked so awful after just a few washes.

Ultimately glazes are best suited as a compliment to another LSP or used only for short term enhancement. The blends rarely lend themselves to more than a week of staying power in mild conditions and they're often easily washed away or evaporate when exposed to moderate heat.

In spite their short lifespan on your vehicles finish a glaze can offer fast, easy, and dramatic enhancement of gloss and depth making them a great choice as a topper right before a show, cruise, or whenever you want a little extra 'pop' on your finish.


WAX:
Durability: Low to Moderate | Aesthetics: High
Wax is actually comprised of naturally occurring compounds, harvested from a specific type of palm tree, commonly known as the detailing world as Carnauba wax. Carnauba wax comes in a variety of grades, purities, and can be refined to various levels. Its blended with oils, other wax types (like bees wax), and in some cases even some polymers to create car wax. Carnauba is actually a hard and coarse substance that has to be blended to create a chemical suitable for application to a vehicle - so be skeptical of any product claiming to be 100% carnauba. The makeup of carnauba would make it almost impossible to spread over your paint if it isn't cut with various other ingredients. See the magnified picture of raw carnauba wax below for a better idea why no car wax can be truly 100% carnauba.



Blending various waxes, solvents, oils and polymers together can give you virtually an infinite number of combinations and types of car wax, but there are some limitations no matter how good the blend. These limitations center mostly on how susceptible to deterioration from heat, detergents, and abrasion wax is. Even the best grades of carnauba will have a melting point between 160-180 degrees F, meaning a black car parked outside on a summer day in a climate like Arizona will easily begin to see evaporation of wax coating, within just a few days, or even a few hours the wax will be completely gone. Additionally, waxes will offer lower resistance to harsh detergents, like those found in touchless car washes.

The biggest benefit to waxes is their overall enhancement to painted finishes. A good wax will enhance colors, fill minor imperfections, and produce a rich, deep look that typically won't be seen with other LSP options. On dark colors (blacks and blues) you'll see additional depth and dimension. On brighter colors (yellows and reds) you may notice a more rich, vibrant look.


SEALANT:
Durability: Moderate to High | Aesthetics: Low to Moderate
Sealants tend to be mostly synthetic man made products chemically engineered to do very specific things, but mostly they excel at providing durable protection. Because these products are essentially created in a lab they can be modified, customized, and engineered to meet any number of criteria and perform in different ways.

On average a sealant will provide better durability than a comparable wax product. With much higher resistance to heat, UV, and detergents an application will withstand more abuse. Sealants encompass a wide variety of chemical compounds including acrylic resins, polymers, and aminos. Some will include varying amounts of wax in their blend to aid in filling or adding gloss.

For years sealants fell behind waxes in terms of providing aesthetic enhancement, but more recently sealants have been bridging that gap, offering better durability and an ever increasing levels of gloss and depth. While a sealant hasn't quite been able to recreate the rich depth found from carnauba based products the gap separating the two is increasingly smaller. Most sealants currently on the market offer excellent clarity and reflective properties making their look ideal for colors that don't typically benefit from waxes like metallic silvers and white.


COATING:
Durability: Extremely High | Aesthetics: Low to Moderate
The most recent technology for exterior protection is found in the coatings category. Once a product only for professionals the detailing world has begun to see more consumer friendly products that offer previously unheard of longevity and various other benefits. Described as nano coatings, glass coatings, or ceramic coatings the chemicals used in this category offer durability spanning multiple YEARS rather than months with some even claiming permanent protection.

Coatings can almost be thought of as a clear coat for your clear coat. They form a hard, clear, cured, hydrophobic barrier that is more resistant to scratches than automotive clear coat and even prevents contamination from sticking making them easier to clean.

The products in this category continue to evolve offering an increasingly diversified amount of benefits, with some coatings being easier to apply, others offering better scratch resistance, and others even focusing on some amount of gloss enhancement like a wax. The coating market is still very young and continues to evolve.

It should be mentioned that there is some level of skill involved in a coating application as well. A finish should be completely corrected prior to a coating application simply because any defects still in the paint will be trapped beneath the coating. Additionally coatings have specific cure times and techniques - be sure to research the application and requirements for any coating before attempting to apply yourself.


SO WHICH ONE SHOULD YOU BE USING?

There are no specific rules for choosing a product to use on your particular car, but there are some clear frontrunners to choose from simply by looking at how you use/store your vehicles mixed with your overall desire for increased shine.

For outright show car looks its hard to beat a wax. Its ideal for a car that spends most of its days in the garage or lives in more mild climates. A wax still continues to be the ultimate choice for someone looking to get the most 'shine' out of their finish. While sealants and coatings continue to find new levels of shine they still don't quite measure up to the look of a quality carnauba paste wax.

On the other hand a sealant or even a coating might make sense for your car if its a daily driver or its exposed to extreme winters or very hot summers. If you're among the large percentage of people who have to drive their car every day, even when the weather is less than perfect durability and ease of maintenance are your primary concerns. Ultimately you want to keep your car protected from the elements - so for a driver or car stored outside explore the options of sealants and coatings.

Ultimately, the choice of what is best is up to you. Find a product or products that have the right mix of the durability and enhancement for your budget and your free time. Afterall, if you just enjoy the process of cleaning and waxing your car then a wax is going to give you the most excuses to rub on it. Theres no rule you can't apply a wax to your daily driver or a sealant to your garage queen, but understand that you might not be seeing the full benefit of your product choice if its not ideal for the conditions its exposed to.




LAYERING MULTIPLE PRODUCTS

What if you want the best of both worlds? Well, you could venture into the world of layering. Working with a couple of product types in specific layers can give you a number of benefits, so long as you apply them properly.

As a general rule, the most durable product should always be used as the base, so for example if you were working with a sealant and a wax, the sealant would be your base layer that is then topped with the wax. The only exception to this rule comes into play with a combination of glazes and wax. Because wax doesn't bond to the paint in the same manner as a sealant or a coating a glaze can be used UNDER a wax to maximize the filling ability of the glaze without compromising the longevity of the wax coat.

The flip side of layering different products is in the top coat performance. Remember that whatever is applied last will be what outward behavior you see most. So when you top a coating with wax you will notice the aesthetic benefit, but you might also notice that the surface isn't as hydrophobic as it would've been with just the coating alone.

The best thing to do is to experiment for yourself to see what you like. With so many possible combinations theres going to be a process that suits you best, finding it is just a matter of trying them and evaluating for yourself.

MULTIPLE LAYERS OF THE SAME PRODUCT

If some is good, more must be better? Right? That might not always be the case. Many products will stack a few layers deep for additional surface coating, but there is a point of diminishing return. A wax for example will max out at about 2 thin coats, attempting to put 5 coats of a wax down in search of extra gloss and super durability just doesn't work. The additional coats simply begin to smear the base coats around and can actually have a negative impact on the clarity of the finish. The same is true of glazes for the mostpart.

Sealants, while more apt to layer without issues, still only stack a few layers deep before they begin to offer no additional benefit and you begin wasting product. Our independent testing showed no noticable benefit for a panel treated with 2 coats of sealant vs a panel treated with 4 coats.

With coatings, the tricky part of their curing process and the specific type of coating. Some coatings require substantial cure time before an additional layer can be applied, others require additional layers be applied before the first is fully cured to bond properly as the cured coat will actually repel the 2nd coat. Refer to your specific coating technology for guidance if you intend to layer.


LSP OPTIONS FROM ADAM'S:
WAXESBUTTERY WAX AMERICANA PASTE WAX PATRIOT WAX GLAZESBRILLIANT GLAZE SEALANTSLIQUID PAINT SEALANT H2O GUARD & GLOSS QUICK SEALANT GLASS SEALANT COATINGSCOMING SOON!

So you want to start mixing and diluting products for various uses, but you're not sure how to decode the ratios? Not to worry - the Shine Doc has got you covered! Dilution and mixing can be a very important part of a good detailing regimen, whether its to reduce the strength of a cleaner for more delicate needs or reduce the shine of a dressing, its key to know how to properly read dilution recommendations.
 
WHAT PRODUCTS CAN BE DILUTED?
Virtually any chemical can be diluted in one way or another, but things like wax for example won't be diluted often. Other products like Super VRT, Leather & Interior Cleaner, or Rinseless Wash will be things you dilute all the time.
 
CAN I USE TAP WATER TO DILUTE THINGS?
Yes and no, it really depends on the product you're mixing and what its purpose will be. Typically any product that has an 'optical implication' should only be mixed with distilled water. By optical implication we're talking about products with a visual impact on reflection, clarity, etc. So for example Super VRT can be mixed with regular tap water as the clarity of your tires or trim isn't an issue. On the other hand Rinseless should (ideally) be diluted with distilled water to reduce the chance for streaking when its used as a waterless spray.
 
DEFINING 'PARTS' IN A DILUTION
The term 'parts' are used in simplified dilution ratios that allow the user to calculate a dilution ratio regardless of the size of the bottle or batch you are mixing. Simply put 'parts' are a basic way to break down a mix and scale it to whatever amount you need or want.
 
In a dilution ratio your first number is always the water and the second number is your chemical, so for example:
 
If you were trying to create a dilution of Car Wash at 4:1 it would read 4 PARTS water and 1 PART car wash. Because the ratio is a simplified dilution you can apply it to something as small as a 16oz bottle or as large as a 5 gallon bucket. As long as you know the parts you can create any batch you need at the identical dilution ratio.
 
HOW PARTS MAKE UP A TOTAL YIELD
With the parts understood we can discuss how those parts add up to create your total yield. The total yield is the amount of the finished mixture you will create with your dilution. Simply put, the sum of the parts equals the yield. Sticking with our 4:1 mixture for Car Wash from earlier -
 
4 parts water and 1 part car wash equals a total yield of 5 (the sum of the parts)
 
If you were using a dilution of 20:1 your total yield would be 21. If working with a dilution of 10:1 your total yield is 11, etc, etc.
 
DETERMINING YOUR BATCH SIZE
Your batch will be dictated mostly by the container you intend to mix in. Keep in mind that most bottles are not defined by 'full to the top' as almost every bottle manufacture leaves an air gap at the top to reduce spillage. If your bottle doesn't have markers or a gauge to indicate sizes use a measuring cup to determine where the fill lines should be and mark them with a sharpie.
 
CONVERTING YOUR RATIO TO OUNCES
So now we know what parts are and how they add up to the total yield. You also know that your batch size will be dictated by your container, but how do we break the formula down into ounces and start mixing? We need to convert our parts to ounces. Lets say we're going to mix 32oz of our Car Wash solution at 4:1 to clean a set of delicate aluminum wheels:
 
 
BATCH / YIELD = OUNCES PER PART
 

Remember BATCH is the size of your container, or the amount you wish to make in ounces and YIELD is the total number of parts in your dilution ratio so in our example:
 
32oz  /  5  =  6.4 ounces per part
 
Now that we've determined our ounces per part we can plug that number back into the original ratio and determine exactly what we need to create our mixture in the correct batch size
 
4 PARTS WATER       x     6.4oz   =     25.6oz
1 PART CAR WASH   x     6.4oz   =     6.4oz
 
Double checking our math by adding it together you can see we have a total of 32oz of mixture being created at our desired dilution.
 
TIP: PRE-MIX LARGER BATCHES
Armed with all this new found knowledge of dilution how can you make it even more effective? Try pre-mixing larger quantities of your most commonly used ratios for refill purposes. Diluting directly into the bottle, while convenient and easy does present a challenge - if you are almost done with your mixture and need to refill it how can you accurately measure when there is already liquid in the bottle to contend with? By mixing gallon or larger batches to then refill your spray bottles you can eliminate the guess work and the need to mix for 128oz of use.

So the next time you exhaust a gallon container don't toss it out! Mix up a batch of your most commonly used dilution and have it ready to go whenever you need it!

 
COMMON DILUTIONS
Below you'll find just a few suggestions on various dilutions to use your Adam's products at. If you have a dilution ratio you like for a product reply here and we'll add it to the list. The beauty of diluting products is you can find a variety of needs and new solutions for products you may not have thought of before.
 
All Purpose Cleaner 8:1 - Delicate aluminum wheels or trim 4:1 - Bug or tar pre-treater, door sills, kick panels 1:1 - Ceramic coated wheels, gloss or matte black painted wheels, delicate engine bay Car Shampoo 128:1 - Soap Bucket 8:1 - Foam Cannon or Foam Gun Leather & Interior Cleaner 8:1 - Delicate surface interior cleaning 3:1 - Moderate soiling 1:1 - General coated leather cleaning (when no stains are present) Mega Foam 256:1 - Soap Bucket 16:1 - Foam Cannon or Foam Gun Rinseless Wash 16:1 - Waterless washing spray 64:1 - Clay lubricant 6:1 - Pre-Wash/Pre-Soak solution Strip Wash 128:1 - Soap Bucket 8:1 - Foam Cannon or Foam Gun Tire & Rubber Cleaner 1:1 - Maintenance cleaning of lightly dirty tires, delicate engine bay Ultra Foam Shampoo 128:1 - Soap Bucket 10:1 - Foam Cannon or Foam Gun VRT Tire & Trim Dressing 1:1 - Spray on low gloss tire dressing 2:1 - Spray on detailer for vinyl soft tops/tonneau covers and engine bay plastics/hoses (sometimes referred to as "VRT Milk") 3:1 - Quick detail spray dressing for matte vinyl wraps Wash & Wax 128:1 - Soap Bucket 10:1 - Foam Cannon or Foam Gun Wheel Cleaner 1:1 - Paint decontamination/removal of ferrous metal (Iron Remover is preferred and more effective for full body panels) Wheel & Tire Cleaner 2:1 - Fender wells and engine bay 1:1 - Maintenance cleaning of lightly dirty wheels and tires 

Chances are you've encountered tire blooming and you don't even know it. Blooming is what causes a tire to look brown. That new set of tires that you have to scrub over and over again to get them to look black, or the tires on a car you detail less frequently that are closer to the color of chocolate than they are black. Modern rubber compounds are becoming increasingly complex, far more than most people realize. Tire manufactures are continually pushing the envelop with chemistry and design to create tires that can keep up with the demand of todays cars and drivers. Higher mileage, more miles per gallon, better all-weather traction, or high speed and cornering as cars get better, faster, more intense the tires they roll on must change to keep up.

We expect increased performance from our vehicles and tires are an integral part of that, but rarely do we take the time to understand what exactly has changed about tires other than going from bias ply to radial in the late 1960's.

What does this all have to do with your tires turning brown? Read on.

ANTI-OZONANT
An anti-ozonant is probably something you've never heard of. Its an organic compound added to rubber materials that prevents, or at the very least, slows the deterioration caused by exposure to the elements. Anti-ozonants are used as an additive in most all of the exterior rubber and plastic parts to one degree or another, but they are most prevalent in tire manufacturing. The anti-ozonant additive keeps plastics and rubbers from becoming dry, brittle, oxidized or cracking. It does this by preventing the surface of the material from oxidizing and keeps the material pliable.

Thanks to anti-ozonants in rubber compounds we have have high mileage tires, performance tires, and everything in between. Without it sports cars would shred tires incredibly fast after just a few high speed turns or long track runs where the tires were heated up. Even your daily driven commuter car would need tires far more often as the sun and heat slowly rotted away the rubber compounds.

TIRE BLOOMING
Tire rubber compounds are designed in a wat that allows the anti-ozonant to continually work its way to the outside of the tire and as such, continually keeps the outer surface and sidewall pliable and resistant to oxidation.

Once anti-ozonant reaches the outside of the tire and is exposed to air and moisture it oxidizes, the result being a brownish residue. The term for this ugly brownish tire look is 'tire blooming'. Just like metals left exposed to the outside world will slowly begin to rust (oxidize) as it is exposed to water and air, so does the anti-ozonant component of the tire rubber.

Making matters worse is the use of mold releases in the manufacturing processes. These lubricant type chemicals provide a non-stick surface for the inside of a tire mold. The mold release chemical bonds with the tire and hold anti-ozonants onto the surface of the tire.






While some people will point to mold release as the primary and/or only source of tire blooming, it is in fact often times only a part of the problem. Even after the removal of mold release a tire will continue to push anti-ozonant to the surface allowing the brown residue to return.
 
THE ROLE OF COLOR CHANGING WHEEL CLEANERS
Wheel cleaners used to dissolve metallic contamination (Deep Wheel Cleaner among them) can have an accelerating effect on the oxidation of anti-ozonant. The reaction you see when brake dust it turned to a reddish slurry by Deep Wheel Cleaner or a similar product is, in a very simplified way, oxidation. The chemical reacts with the metallic contamination and begins to dissolve it.

Tires that have not been cleaned properly before or have been left uncleaned for long periods of time will have substantial amounts of the anti-ozonant built up on the surface of the tire. When an active wheel cleaner comes into contact with this buildup it will accelerate the browning or blooming. Because of this its imperative to regularly scrub tires to remove the buildup of anti-ozonant and 'dead' rubber - think of it almost like exfoliating your skin. If you are a regular user of Deep Wheel Cleaner or similar color changing wheel cleaners for their ability to remove stubborn brake dust then be sure to spend an extra couple of minutes scrubbing your tires as well.

Does this necessarily mean you should discontinue the use of Deep Wheel Cleaner? No, but it should be used with the understanding that the tire needs deep cleaning after the wheel to remove any residues or prevent tire blooming acceleration as a result of the oxidation process. Abrading the tire sidewall to remove this will prevent the blooming in the first place - the reason your sidewalls brown, but your treads don't is that the treads are continually worn away by driving so the surface never is allowed to sit long enough to display blooming.
 
DON'T BLAME THE SILICONE
For years the prevailing thought has been that silicone based tire dressings are the culprit for brown tires. Read any number of forums and the first thing most casual detailers will point to is the choice of tire shine the person with the issue uses. While silicone can be a messy and sticky solution to making your tires shine it isn't always the main culprit of the brown issue.

Most browning related to silicone will be due to the silicone holding dirt and debris on the tires surface, not the tire itself turning brown. This type of browning is very easy to remove as silicone dressings also remove with scrubbing and a degreaser like All Purpose Cleaner.





Don't think this means you should immediately start to treat your tires with tons of silicone, there are still a lot of reasons it's not an ideal way to dress your tires, but don't believe the story that your choice of tire dressing is the ONLY source for the brown residue. Silicone and water based dressings can be used and the tire can still exhibit blooming... its the tires surfaces and/or lack of heavy cleaning more than it is anything you've treated it with.
 
REMOVING THE BLOOMING
Removing the blooming is really a simple process - the use of a good degreasing agent, like Adam's All Purpose Cleaner, and a stiff bristle brush should be more than enough to remove even the worst blooming within a few treatments. Be sure to rinse the tires extremely well with clean after each cleaning to remove any chemical buildup.

Once the brown residues are removed regular cleanings with All Purpose Cleaner shouldn't need to be as aggressive or frequent, but if you notice the blooming returning just scrub well. The application of a quality water based dressing like Super VRT or a dressing low in silicone content like Adam's Tire Shine will help slow the reappearance of blooming by providing a barrier between the tire surface and the environment.
 
IT WILL COME BACK, ITS JUST A QUESTION OF WHEN
Because anti-ozonants continue to work their way towards the outside of the tire even a car which sees very little use or doesn't have very dirty tires may experience tire blooming when eventually exposed to oxidizers due to lack of cleaning. As such it is recommended that even relatively clean tires be treated to a semi-regular scrubbing to remove the anti-ozonants from the outer layer of the tire sidewalls.

Each tire will have a different amount of blooming it is prone to. Some tires may bloom very slowly, while others will bloom almost before your very eyes. The amount of anti-ozonant and the way the tire is designed to push it to the surface will determine how fast or slow it happens. Regardless, one thing remains true - regular cleaning and dressing of your tires will prevent or at the very least minimize the appearance of brown on your tires.