Polishing tomorrow, wash with dawn?

[Velociabstract]

As the title indicates, tomorrow or Saturday I'm going to polish with the Fine Machine Polish. I've never used dawn or anything else to remove the existing wax before polishing and I'm curious if it makes a difference or not. So, wash with dawn to remove the wax or use Car Wash Soap before I polish and re wax?

 

Les

[Bill-V8V]

As the title indicates, tomorrow or Saturday I'm going to polish with the Fine Machine Polish. I've never used dawn or anything else to remove the existing wax before polishing and I'm curious if it makes a difference or not. So, wash with dawn to remove the wax or use Car Wash Soap before I polish and re wax?

 

Les

 

 

I would just use the car wash soap as the polish will take off any old wax anyways :thumbsup:

[Velociabstract]

I was just wondering. I always use car wash soap but started thinking, perhaps I'm clogging my polishing pad with wax. I may try dawn it to see if it makes a difference in the results. (don't worry, the clay step won't be skipped.) Thanks for the reply.

[Bill-V8V]

I was just wondering. I always use car wash soap but started thinking, perhaps I'm clogging my polishing pad with wax. I may try dawn it to see if it makes a difference in the results. (don't worry, the clay step won't be skipped.) Thanks for the reply.

 

 

Good thought Let me know if you think it helped

[08G8V8]

Along this same line: You have clayed, polished and waxed. Then you apply detail spray and BSG for upkeep. When it comes time to apply MSW or Buttery Wax again(and no polish step), is a dawn wash suggested to get back to a clean surface? Or do you just do a normal wash, clay and then re-wax?

[Bill-V8V]

Along this same line: You have clayed, polished and waxed. Then you apply detail spray and BSG for upkeep. When it comes time to apply MSW or Buttery Wax again(and no polish step), is a dawn wash suggested to get back to a clean surface? Or do you just do a normal wash, clay and then re-wax?

 

Normal wash would be fine. Clay will remove old wax too :thumbsup:

[08G8V8]

Thanks Bill. I figured this was the case.

[jjwvette]

I use dawn to start with a clean surface,then clay:)

[ImpulseIII]

Might be wrong but I do not think clay removes wax. Jason?????????

[Team Adam's]

Only wash with Dawn if your goal is to remove wax. That's the trick. If you want to keep your coat of wax perfectly safe use our pH neutral Car Wash Soap.

 

Clay bar certainly removes old wax buildup and will give you a perfectly clean clear coat Clay bar removes any physical contaminants, polish gives it a deep chemical clean.

[Tmag]

I would never thought to use dawn.

[Team Adam's]

I would never thought to use dawn.

 

On my first car I didn't know to use anything else! I honestly washed my Camaro with Dawn every single time - how did I know it'd remove wax?

[08G8V8]

On my first car I didn't know to use anything else! I honestly washed my Camaro with Dawn every single time - how did I know it'd remove wax?

 

 

And you passed the interview with Adam?

[Team Adam's]

And you passed the interview with Adam?

 

I was an Adam's customer long before I was a Team Member

[Velociabstract]

So, I don't have to wash with car soap first and then dawn? The car is clean by the way, it never gets dirty, I won't let it. And my car always has a good coat of wax too. The paint looks good but I want it to POP! Real WOW! So I plan to polish again to see if I can bring a bit more depth out of the paint.

[Bill-V8V]

So, I don't have to wash with car soap first and then dawn? The car is clean by the way, it never gets dirty, I won't let it. And my car always has a good coat of wax too. The paint looks good but I want it to POP! Real WOW! So I plan to polish again to see if I can bring a bit more depth out of the paint.

 

One or the other, no need for both. If you do NOT plan to clay or polish you can use Dawn to take the wax off but i have heard over time repeated use of Dawn is not good for your paint. :thumbsup:

[Junkman2008]

Only wash with Dawn if your goal is to remove wax. That's the trick. If you want to keep your coat of wax perfectly safe use our pH neutral Car Wash Soap.

 

Clay bar certainly removes old wax buildup and will give you a perfectly clean clear coat Clay bar removes any physical contaminants, polish gives it a deep chemical clean.

 

I'm so glad that you've explained this. So many people use clay for the wrong reason. Claying is only necessary when you can actually feel contaminants in the paint. If you car is garaged all the time, you will not clay no where near as often as guys who park outside all the time. Mine stays garaged and I keep it really clean. Thus, I have only clayed it once in a year.

 

Claying is a lot of freakin' work. I ain't looking forward to doing it again anytime soon!

[Bluezey]

Edited December 30, 2008 by Bluezey

[Nitelord]

The paint looks good but I want it to POP! Real WOW! So I plan to polish again to see if I can bring a bit more depth out of the paint.

 

Have you looked at the BSG? Once you get the car polished and waxed, try the Brilliant Spray Glaze. It will make a huge difference.

[Bill-V8V]

Have you looked at the BSG? Once you get the car polished and waxed, try the Brilliant Spray Glaze. It will make a huge difference.

 

 

It really does make a big difference !!!!!

 

[Doug123]

Ditto A.J on the claying. Just did my first on on this vehicle last weekend. I got it really really smooth, so not looking forward to that again for a few months, and certainly not to that extreme. It's amazing to see what comes off the finish.

[RyGo]

Ok so I did the Dawn wash, clay bar, FMP polish, SMW wax (on a brand new car). Next go around will be wash (car wash shampoo) then Buttery wax, Americana, or BSG? No clay or polish needed?

[Junkman2008]

Ok so I did the Dawn wash, clay bar, FMP polish, SMW wax (on a brand new car). Next go around will be wash (car wash shampoo) then Buttery wax, Americana, or BSG? No clay or polish needed?

 

Answer these two questions for me (and don't nobody help him!). Why and when do you clay a car? Two, why do you polish a car?

 

I'm sitting by my computer waiting for your answer. This will help answer your questions and you will learn in the process, which is way more useful than me just answering your questions. If you don't understand when and why you're doing something, then you are wasting your time and money. That, I don't want to see.

[RyGo]

I feel like it's a game show. I can hear the JEOPARDY theme. LOL

 

Clay : 1) to remove the contaminants from the surface

2) time frame varies

A) as needed - easily determined by the "baggie test"

as a step in the correction process to prep the surface for polish & wax

 

Polish : 1) following the clay process

2) varying amounts of abrasive quality

2a) which polish is dictated by the level of degradation to the surface

3) to prepare the surface for wax

3a) by removing minimal amounts of clearcoat to bring the surface to as consistant a level as possible, thus increasing paint reflectivity

[RyGo]

My question may have come off more elementary than I intended. I simply meant to ask that if I polished again prior to second wax I would be removing the previous SMW wouldn't I? Even as minimally invasive as the FMP can be.

[Junkman2008]

I feel like it's a game show. I can hear the JEOPARDY theme. LOL

 

Clay : 1) to remove the contaminants from the surface

2) time frame varies

A) as needed - easily determined by the "baggie test"

as a step in the correction process to prep the surface for polish & wax

 

Outstanding! You know exactly why to clay and when it is necessary. Thus you have answered your own question about "No clay or polish needed?"

 

Polish : 1) following the clay process

2) varying amounts of abrasive quality

2a) which polish is dictated by the level of degradation to the surface

3) to prepare the surface for wax

3a) by removing minimal amounts of clearcoat to bring the surface to as consistant a level as possible, thus increasing paint reflectivity

 

Man, you know this stuff! You should have no questions! Everything in the detailing process has a why and when. If you know why you are doing any step, then you will know when it needs to be done. You obviously understand this! The why depicts then when. If it is not necessary, then skip that step!

 

You get a gold star on your post!

 

My question may have come off more elementary than I intended. I simply meant to ask that if I polished again prior to second wax I would be removing the previous SMW wouldn't I? Even as minimally invasive as the FMP can be.

 

Short answer, YES! Anytime you polish a area of the car, you have just removed ALL of the wax in that area.

Edited February 1, 2010 by Junkman2008