The effect of DC Cleaner Wax

[prr]

What exactly is a cleaner wax (and the DC Cleaner Wax in particular) supposed to do? I realize that it is supposed to take contaminants off the surface—but what impact will that have on the appearance of the paint?

Reason I’m asking, is that I just used it to our 12 year old minivan. I applied it to half of the panels, with TW Hard Shell on the other half. I (and two other family members) all had the same reaction: when you looked at the panels for several seconds, you could see a deeper color that was more detailed, on the DC cleaner wax side. But the differences were minute.


When I hear people talk about cleaner wax, I’m not sure if they are talking about a vast improvement over the normal look of normal wax, or if more shine has anything at all to do with the cleaner wax---was the better shine simply the result of using a higher quality wax, or was it that contaminants were taken off the surface on those sections?

[Nick Winn]

Re: The effect of DC Cleaner Wax

After washing & drying of the vehicle, there are a couple steps which can be performed to the paint to improve the finish, prior to waxing. First is cleaning & preparing the paint, next is to Polish. Our Step 2 Clean/Prep step consists of two parts, removed bonded above surface contaminants, and removing below surface defects like swirls, scratches, stains, or oxidation. Bonded Above Surface Contaminants are removed with a clay bar, and below surface defects are removed with a compound or paint cleaner. By performing this cleaning & preparing step, depending on the condition of the vehicle, this will dramatically improve the appearance, gloss, & clarity. Step 3 is Polish, and this is an optional pre-waxing step for additional high gloss, especially beneficial for a dark color.

Our Cleaner Waxes are essentially a 3 in 1 or "all in one cleaner wax." They clean, polish, & wax in one quick & easy step. Cleaner Waxes do not replace the use of a clay bar if needed, and they do not provide nearly as much cleaning as a paint cleaner or compound. Most cleaner waxes are considered to have mild cleaning ability.

You are probably seeing a slightly better appearance from the side our Cleaner Wax was used on because of the cleaning ability of the product. It doesn't sound as though the TW Hard Shell contains any cleaning ability.

The below videos are a little old, but they still provide some great information for reference:

Hope this helps!

- Nick

[BillyJack]

Re: The effect of DC Cleaner Wax

Cleaner Waxes vary in their composition. Some have a chemical cleaner content, some have abrasives and some have both. All have a similar purpose, to remove dirt and contaminants either bonded to or embedded in the paint surface, maximizing the results from the gloss-enhancing and protective components of the product. I've taken white cars that were regularly washed and waxed and made them noticeably "whiter" with an aggressive machine application of a cleaner wax product. For us fanatics, application of a wax/sealant is usually preceded by some form of surface preparation, including claying, decontamination, polishing or all of the above. The "average Joe" isn't about to spend that much time and effort. He just wants something he can wipe on his car with as little effort as possible to make it shine and protect the paint. I'm constantly asked by folks what wax is best for their vehicle. After a few simple questions, I find that a good Cleaner Wax is the best recommendation.

Bill

[Murr1525]

Re: The effect of DC Cleaner Wax

I usually end up doing something like clay, cleaner/wax, wax for a quick detail with good results.

Although being an older van, you may wish to use one of the stronger cleaner/wax products, like the White Wax...

[prr]

Re: The effect of DC Cleaner Wax

I went out today, and with the sun at a different angle, didn't see any real difference between the panels, so I'm suspecting that what I was seeing earlier was a difference in the angle of sunlight.

Anyways, today I went ahead and bought Ultimate Liquid Wax instead of a cleaner. But if I decide to go back to the cleaner wax, I'll compare the White wax with the DC cleaner. My car is a light greenish tan, so it looks like it would be ok for the White Wax, if that is a cleaner wax.
Thanks to all for your input.

I usually end up doing something like clay, cleaner/wax, wax for a quick detail with good results.

Although being an older van, you may wish to use one of the stronger cleaner/wax products, like the White Wax...