DC1 as pre-wax cleanser

[nothelle]

I still have the Megs DC1 Cleanser and i wonder if it works like other brands' pre-wax cleanser? like sv cleaner fluid or DJ lime prime? (sorry, if mentioning other brands is not allowed, I'll edit my post)

My goal is to strip of previous layer of wax... I've tried clay, IPA 50:50 and somehow i still feel the old layer is still there and I've read some brand LSP needs repetitious treatment of either (or both) for total wax removal. I Never try APC, as i afraid the acid content might do something to the paint.

Looking at DC1 description it come close to surface preparation/cleaning so it'll be ready for proper lsp bonding. Can someone verify this?

Thanks

[Slicked]

Re: DC1 as pre-wax cleanser

No DC1 is not a pre-wax cleanser like Swissvax Cleaner Fluid. It has no glazing oils in it. Thats why you need to follow with DC2, which is full of oils. For a comparable product to Cleaner Fluid, try SwirlX, or M205 Ultra Finishing Polish. They have a bit of cut, but if gently applied by hand they will behave in the same way as Cleaner Fluid. M205 is spectacular when used this way. Follow with M26 HiTech Yellow Wax.

You can top DC1 with wax, but it just won't have the same pop as Swissvax Cleaner Fluid because its missing the beautifying oils.

[akimel]

Re: DC1 as pre-wax cleanser

Nothelle, DC1 will accomplish your goal of removing wax, contaminants, and stains, and will leave the surface ready for wax. That's what it was made to do. Go for it.

[nothelle]

Re: DC1 as pre-wax cleanser

I just want to ensure clean surface without doing any correction using what's available. Though adding new pre-wax cleanser might do the trick (and satisfy my ongoing need of collecting stuff), i want to use what's available on my arsenal and DC 1&2 might do the trick. Thanks for the input

[Slicked]

Re: DC1 as pre-wax cleanser

That's an alright way to go.

DC1 + DC2 = Swissvax Cleaner Fluid.

[Lasthope05]

Re: DC1 as pre-wax cleanser

That's an alright way to go.

DC1 + DC2 = Swissvax Cleaner Fluid.

Where do you get this? Not all pre-wax cleaners have "polishing oils" and "glossing" agents.

Just use DC1 and you will be fine as it is a chemical and mildly abrasive cleaner. Pre-wax clears are just chemical or lightly abrasive polishes meant to clean and prep the paint for any type of sealant or wax. Some might have some more stuff added to it but they all perform the same task. If you want a polish that can cleans, corrects and contains lots of polishing oils take a look at m80. Just remember thought, most sealants don not sit will with an oily product sitting underneath it.

You can also use an APC at 10:1 on paint. It will not harm it what so ever. All purpose cleaners are alkaline not acidic so you dont have to worry about that. As with any chemical you use, do not let it dry on the surface.

[Slicked]

Re: DC1 as pre-wax cleanser

Where do you get this? Not all pre-wax cleaners have "polishing oils" and "glossing" agents.

Swissvax Cleaner Fluid does. It chemically cleans and leaves behind polishing oils.

Therefore, DC1 + DC2 = Swissvax Cleaner Fluid in a functional sense. I don't mean they are chemically identical.

I understand both brands quite well, so your ROFL graphic has me ROFLMFAO.

[Lasthope05]

Re: DC1 as pre-wax cleanser

Swissvax Cleaner Fluid does. It chemically cleans and leaves behind polishing oils.

Therefore, DC1 + DC2 = Swissvax Cleaner Fluid in a functional sense. I don't mean they are chemically identical.

I understand both brands quite well, so your ROFL graphic has me ROFLMFAO.

Than in a sense M80 is the same as swissvax CF.

The original question is if it will functionally work the same as in prepping the paint for a coat of wax and DC1 would work perfectly fine. A pre-wax cleaner is a broad category that can include cleaners like M09, M82, KAIO, poli-seal, DG501, HD cleanse... etc.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: DC1 as pre-wax cleanser

Guys, let's ease up a little here before this starts to escalate.

Yes, DC1 on it's own is fine as a pre wax cleaner, but since the OP specifically mentioned if it would be similar to SV Cleaner Fluid that specific point was addressed, and addressed quite well.

Bottom line - is DC1 a good cleaner to use before waxing? Yes.
Is it similar to SV Cleaner Fluid? Well, if that product does indeed contain some polishing oils then, technically, no since DC1 is a dedicated cleaner only. But do you need the polishing oils prior to waxing? No. You might want them, but you don't need them.

Yes, the term "pre-wax cleaner" is indeed very broad and will include light paint cleaners and light cleaner/polishes. They all do basically the same thing, with varying degrees of cleaning or defect removing abilities with varying levels of polishing oils.

[Lasthope05]

Re: DC1 as pre-wax cleanser

No worries Mike! Theres no hard feelings over here.

[Mary S]

Re: DC1 as pre-wax cleanser

I was just looking at the description:

"Meguiar's Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner is non-abrasive paint cleaner. The latest formula has been improved to deliver even stronger performance with no chemical odor. Meguiar's Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner safely removes road grime, surface contamination, light oxidation, swirls and light scratches to restore damaged and dull finishes. Prepares all paint finishes for polishing and waxing. For most effective cleaning, use with our Even-Coat Applicator and remove excess product with a Supreme Shine Microfiber or Ultra Plush Super Terry."

So is this kind of chemical solvent of petroleum-based products then?

I notice it says nonabrasive, but it also says it removes swirls and light scratches.

So is it a solvent or abrasive or both?

[nothelle]

Re: DC1 as pre-wax cleanser

Well different companies might have different formulas and gimmicks... didn't mean to compare head to head with SV or other brands. I don't bother to use anything with abrasive ability because I just simply want to strip off wax, and i figure if DC1 can chemically clean the surface of previous wax or other contaminants, then the surface will be clean enough to ensure proper bonding with the LSP.

I've used DC1 and 2 previously for good result, just need to revisit them instead of buying new stuff for the same result that the Megs lineup can well provide.

[akimel]

Re: DC1 as pre-wax cleanser

Nothelle, one suggestion: Don't worry about how DC1 compares to Swissvax or any other pre-wax cleanser. It really doesn't matter, at least not more than a day or two. Polishing oils can add a little bit to the gloss, but they don't last very long. After the next wash you will not notice a difference. What makes a real difference is the actual polishing!

[Mary S]

Re: DC1 as pre-wax cleanser

DC1: safely removes road grime, surface contamination, light oxidation, swirls and light scratches

Swissvax Cleaner Fluid:

"This paint preserving solution will nourish the paint with its heavy polishing oils. The product does not contain abrasives. Swirl marks, light scratches, tar, tree sap and old wax are completely removed. Cleaner Fluid stops short of the underlying paint layer without scratching it. Apply before wax treatment."

Does anybody know, both these products claim to have no abrasives, yet both products also claim to remove swirls and scratches. This appears to be a contradiction. The only way to remove swirls and scratches is to level the paint containing them.

Especially since the Meguiar's "Cleaning" step of the 5-step paint care cycle involves removing swirls and scratches, it appears DC1 does indeed act on the paint itself.

There are times when using abrasives is not the least aggressive way to do something, especially when your only goal is to remove the wax, not remove part of your clear coat.

I am going to stick with body solvent or even mineral spirits if I have to because to dissolve a petroleum product you have to have a hydrophobic solvent to do so. Detergent doesn't even dissolve petroleum, it emulsifies it, which may work with the right kind and amount of friction but may not work on heavily built up wax layers or durable wax.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: DC1 as pre-wax cleanser

The Swissvax product sure sounds like a pure polish to us - along the lines of M07 Show Car Glaze.

When we talk about "non abrasive" products we're talking about products that won't scratch the surface. We use the same terminology on the label of SwirlX, by the way. To the general consumer the word "abrasive" almost always means the product can scratch, haze or otherwise dull the paint. We get calls about this very thing daily from people concerned about "damaging my delicate clear coat". Heck, we constantly get calls from people asking if a particular wax of ours is clear coat safe or not - most people simply do not know.

It's also a common for people to call complaining about swirls in their paint asking for a product that will remove them without removing any clear coat. We do our best to educate them on what's really going on here.

So, with regard to DC1 - it is a hybrid abrasive/chemical cleaner. But it is incredibly mild when it comes to the abrasives content so even with a D/A it can be challenged by even light swirls in very hard paint. But the chemical cleaning ability does a fine job of removing embedded dirt and other similar issues as a prep before polishing and/or waxing.

As for the Swissvax product claims of "This paint preserving solution will nourish the paint with its heavy polishing oils. The product does not contain abrasives. Swirl marks, light scratches, tar, tree sap and old wax are completely removed. Cleaner Fluid stops short of the underlying paint layer without scratching it. Apply before wax treatment." Well, without knowing the formulation it's a bit hard to say. From the description it is highly likely that this product will do an excellent job of concealing swirls, just as M07 will. But the claim of removing tar, tree sap and old wax leads us to think there's a chemical cleaner in it as well, which M07 really doesn't have. So it can remove some of these issues through a chemical process and effectively hide other issues, that actually sounds pretty good.

Everyone is obsessed with fully, truly removing swirls - which means removing paint at least to some degree. This often leads to people asking how often they can use an abrasive product to remove swirls. Is every couple of months OK? That in turn always has us asking why you need to remove swirls so often? What's happening in your wash/dry process that needs to change?

There was a discussion a while back on a UK detailing forum where someone asked, basically, "what's wrong with just hiding swirls?". A good question, actually. What really is wrong with it? It's certainly not invasive to the paint. It sure doesn't take as much elbow grease to apply a pure polish as it does a paint cleaner. For a daily driver the paint will look every bit as good to 99.99943% of the population. And if you do it every couple of months (it's easy to do, remember) that great look will remain for a very long time. How is that "bad"? Just because it doesn't show off your ability to remove defects? Because it's cheating? You tell us.