IPA Wipedown - Necessary or not?

[Lee Yoder]

I am am member on numerous forums and have been reading a lot recently about detailers doing an IPA wipedown of the vehicle after polishing or 'jewelling'. How necessary is this step? Most products are compatible with one another, so it seems redundant to me. Am I incorrect in my thinking? Some clarification would be useful.


Thanks,

[Paul S]

Re: IPA Wipedown - Necessary or not?

I see a lot of posters on various forums doing a wipe-down after compounding to check and see if the paint defects are gone or just being covered up. For my own use I will do a test spot to remove defects and wipe doen to check results, If the spot shows the desired correction I'll continue on with my correction and polishing. Just my 2cents and keep in mind this is my hobby and not the way I make a living. No lambos or high end cars in my garage.
Paul S

[BarryK]

Re: IPA Wipedown - Necessary or not?

this is one of those things that is more personal preference more than anything else.
As Paul said, many people will do this between correction steps to make sure the defects are gone rather than just being covered up by oils in the polish, etc. Some people swear by this step as they want to see the paint completely bare of anything residue from the product they were using.
Personally I've never done an IPA wipedown either on my own cars or on customer cars. I look at it was an unneeded step. If you remove your compound or polish product properly and carefully you can see the paint surface plenty good enough to see if your defects are gone or not without needing to use an IPA wipedown.
The other way I look at it is that I prefer to only use products on vehicles that benefit that vehicle's paint surface. I use whatever products, such as compounds, polishes, glazes, waxes, etc because i'm accomplishing something with them and they are improving or protecting the paint surface in one aspect or another.
Other than removing any possible residue of any product that may be on the paint surface alcohol does nothing to actually help, maintain, or protect the paint surface so i don't use it. In fact, while I have never heard of any real bad effects from using IPA I know that when I get it o my skin it tends to dry out my skin (same as lacquer thinner or other solvents tend to do) and i don't like the idea that the same 'drying" affect may actually affect the paint also. Again, I've never heard of any negative effects from IPA usage but it just never felt like the right thing to do to me. Just a gut feeling for me.

[Murr1525]

Re: IPA Wipedown - Necessary or not?

And you certainly wouldnt want to use it after polishing, and remove all the oils you just put in/on the paint. Unless you were going to polish the whole car again, but now you just added work for yourself.