A question?

[Michael Stoops]

Re: A question?

While a single wash with a dishwashing detergent may not remove all the wax/sealant on a vehicle, especially if the coat of wax/sealant is very fresh (hence, detergent resistant - not detergent proof), multiple washes will. Now, if you haven't waxed your car in several months then the little wax that is left isn't going to survive a thorough detergent washing.

It is not uncommon to have many coats of waxes and sealnts on cars, so does just one washing actually clean the surface
of the clear coat.? Could the scratches be from what was not removed , and not on the clear coat itself?

It sounds as though you're assuming "many coast of waxes and sealants" means "layering", and we've simply never bought into that concept. If you wax your car 4 times a year, you do not have 4 coats of wax on it - much of what was applied the first time is gone by the second application, much of the second application is gone by the time you apply the third, etc.

As stated above, a coat of wax applied several months ago is now extremely thin and likely very easy to remove with a single detergent wash. And even if you could truly layer a wax or sealant, even the folks who claim you can with their product will tell you that Dawn will strip it.

Now, as to whether or not the swirls you're seeing are in the wax and not in the paint, consider this: if they were just in the wax, then a Dawn wash and clay treatment should remove the vast majority of them. They don't. Not even close. And if they didn't get all of the swirls out, a simple cleaner wax would. It doesn't. Not even close.

Does that mean there's zero chance any swirls you see are actually in the sealant or wax instead of the paint? No, but it's unlikely since the coat of wax/sealant is just a few microns thin.

Generally what we see is some fine swirls being filled in and hidden by waxes and sealants. As that sacrificial barrier breaks down, the swirls become more visible. If the swirls were in the wax/sealant then they would become less noticeable as the wax wore off, not more.

[Murr1525]

Re: A question?

You wont get a scratch or swirl in the wax, if that is what you mean. It will be in the paint.

[billd55]

I have seen many times on forums before and after pics of correction
detailing.Normally, the before pics show cobwebbing and swirl scratches.
The detailers normally use Dawn or a harsh cleaner to remove any old waxes, sealants, or glazes.


They assume this cleans and removes all these products off the clear coat
completely, and the scratches are on the clear coat itself, but I am not sure that is true.

Why? Well here is a quote from Micheal Stoops:

Carnauba waxes can be fairly easily washed off with even a mild detergent, synthetic polymers not so much. In fact, in our carnauba wax we utilize detergent resistant polymers to help with the longevity of the wax, to prevent it from simply being washed away.

So my question is this? It is not uncommon to have many coats of waxes and sealnts on cars, so does just one washing actually clean the surface
of the clear coat.? Could the scratches be from what was not removed , and not on the clear coat itself?