Is SwirlX abrasive

[jewitta]

I am a little confused about what SwirlX is exactly and have seen others raise the question 'is it safe to use regularly?'
I thought it was an SMAT product but the label on my bottle says 'this non-abrasive formula'.
If it is abrasive, in reality is it so mild that you would have to use it very regularly or harshly to risk removing too much paint either in the short or long term.

[Murr1525]

Re: Is SwirlX abrasive

There is a little advertising in the label.

Yes, it is abrasive. The catch is that when many people think of abrasive, they think of products that are like sandpaper, that leave other marks behind. SwirlX is 99% of cases, wont. That is where the advertisisng comes in.

As far as using it every few months, remember the SMAT products also depend on how you apply them. If you just need light cleaning, and apply it gently, then there is no risk. If you really applied it hard with lots of passion every time, for month after month, then you can start to see some risk.

[the_invisible]

Re: Is SwirlX abrasive

The catch is that when many people think of abrasive, they think of products that are like sandpaper

The SwirlX abrasive is a good abrasive. It makes paint look shiny.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Is SwirlX abrasive

Murr1525 is correct in that by "non abrasive" we actually mean it "won't scratch the surface". This is a common question among consumers who aren't enthusiasts like most MOL members, and they tend to be extremely nervous about using anything on clear coat - it's all part of the huge amount of mis/disinformation in the world regarding clear coat. It's very common to have people say they want something that will remove a scratch but "I don't want anything that will remove my clear coat". Well, when you look at what's involved in removing a scratch - ie, the "leveling" of the surrounding paint until it is down to the level of the bottom of the scratch - you see that it's impossible to remove one without removing some clear coat.

But the trick is in how you remove that very, very, VERY tiny bit of clear coat. Do you use an old school "rocks in a bottle" rubbing compound that will quickly remove the scratch but 99.9% haze the paint in the process? Or do you use a much more mild product, like SwirlX, with highly specialized ingredients that won't scratch the surface while taking out the scratches? Pretty easy question, isn't it?

As to how often you can use a product like SwirlX - if you're working by hand you can use it every month without worry. But the bigger question might be "why do you need to use it so often?". That is to say, what are you doing to cause you to need SwirlX on a regular basis? If your washing and drying process is causing scratches/swirls in the paint (and the vast majority of them come from that process) then you should be more concerned about changing the way you wash and dry rather than how often you can fix a repeating problem.