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**Murr1525** · May 6, 2013, 12:24 PM

Re: Cleaner wax and paint swirls.

By hand, you will absolutely need stronger.

Probably something like Ult. Compound by hand.

Dawn wont make the truck blow up if used once.... but not usually needed either. Clay and a paint cleaner like UC will take care of most things on the surface. And if any tar/iron was on the surface and needed another cleaner, Dawn still wouldnt remove those either.

**C8N** · May 6, 2013, 12:45 PM

Re: Cleaner wax and paint swirls.

I don't mean sound like a smart mouth but read the directions as some manufacturers of wax do recommend Dawn for better bonding. Zaino is one of them.

EDIT
I should also mention.... even Zaino says...

**Wilhelm** · May 6, 2013, 05:05 PM

Re: Cleaner wax and paint swirls.

Originally posted by trailracer618 View Post

I bought a new-to-me truck a couple of weeks ago. While not bad, the red truck does have swirl marks all over it. Would meg's cleaner wax remove these swirls? Or do I need to step it up with something a little stronger? I would be applying by hand either way.

Also, I see conflicting things about using Dawn dishsoap prior to waxing. I have some gold class wash, but if pre-wax it would be better to strip everything off first, then I'll use the Dawn. Thoughts?

Swirls are in the paint. Cleaner waxes are used to remove things that are on the paint, not in the paint. To remove swirls you need something with some kind of abrasives in it. Generally, this is something called a compound, but sometimes some polishes have very mild abrasives.

The basic process for you is:

Wash. This removes surface dirt and film.
Clay. This removes things embedded in the paint. It will also tend to remove whatever wax was on the paint.
Compound. In this step you remove the swirls.
Polish. Do this to get rid of any hazing left behind by the compounding, gives a nice luster to the paint, and generally smooth out the surface of the paint.
Wax. This makes the paint gleam and provides a protective layer.
Maintain. Clean or wash the truck regularly using a correct method. If you don't use a correct method, swirls will come back and you may have to keep repeating some or all of the wash/clay/polish/compound processes until you learn prevention is a lot easier than the alternative.

**ffboy** · May 6, 2013, 10:17 PM

Re: Cleaner wax and paint swirls.

Each manufacturer has their own specific instructions. Some may require removing absolutely any hint of polishing oil for maximum bonding like Zaino, some manufacturers recommend using a pure polish or galze before waxing both for durability and appearance. But one thing they have in common is to use a pre-wax cleaner to remove any swirl, scratch, oxidation and stain for best results.

For swirls, Ultimate Compound or SwirlX are good, but DO A TEST SPOT FIRST to determine what technique (duration, pressure number of applications) and compound/cleaner to use.

SwirlX is a very good product, a bit thick and difficult to get out of the bottle, try that one first trying out different techniques if the some swirls remain, move up to Ultimate Compound.For really deep swirls, Ultimate Compound, never allow these products to dry to a haze.

Apply a Ultimate Polish to refine the finish further and add depth or if the initial results are already great, a pure polish may be sufficient. This will make your red paint even redder and wetter looking.

Protect with either Ultimate Wax, NXT 2.0, or GOld Class, depending on what look you are after.

Maintain with Ultimate Quik Detailer and Ultimate Quik Wax.

Regular maintenance will do wonders in terms of wax durability and how long your truck will look good.

As for the cleaner wax? Keep it, it's a very good and versatile product. Use it for "in-between" full detail jobs. It can cut your detailing time in half

**Michael Stoops** · May 7, 2013, 01:19 PM

Re: Cleaner wax and paint swirls.

As others have alluded to, our Cleaner Wax isn't going to be powerful enough to remove swirls from your paint by hand unless you have extremely soft and delicate paint. Some more aggressive cleaner waxes, such as our new White Wax, when applied with a buffer and the right pad can do a surprisingly good job at removing swirls, but even these are challenged to do so with hand application. Cleaner Wax (the traditional product in the red can/bottle) is better at removing embedded dirt from the pores of the paint and, when used regularly, will help to keep paint at a very high level.

The suggestions for use of a paint cleaner like SwirlX or even a compound like Ultimate Compound are good, and those are really the way to remove swirls prior to waxing.

As for the Dawn wash, we don't claim that you need to do this prior to using our products, but you can if you wish. Still, if the car hasn't been waxed in a while and you intend to clay and compound, there isn't much of anything left on the paint that proper washing, claying and compounding won't remove so there's no real need to use a dishwashing detergent. Interestingly, until very recently at least, Dawn's own website used to state that they did not recommend their product for use as a car wash. Not sure why that has changed but a quick check of their FAQ shows that recommendation is no longer there.

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Cleaner wax and paint swirls.

Cleaner wax and paint swirls.

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