DC1 as pre-wax cleanser

[nothelle]

Re: DC1 as pre-wax cleanser

In that case i might try #80 with finishing pad.. might give me that cleansing properties, a lil bit of polishing oil and very minor cutting abilities at the same time

[Mary S]

Re: DC1 as pre-wax cleanser

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.

I would be extremely careful here. The term "abrasive" may be associated with scratching in the mind of a consumer, but not necessarily synonymous with it.

This is from the label of "Bon Ami Polishing Cleanser," which is a milder abrasive alternative to Comet, which is a harsher abrasive.

On the front: "Cleans without scratching."

On the back: "Bon Ami is America's original non-scratching cleanser. While some cleansers scratch dirt away, Bon Ami's unique soft abrasives polish fine hard surfaces clean.

I think to be safe, in the labeling of SwirlX as well as DC1, you would want to follow the lead of Bon Ami and refer to non-scratching as "non-scratching," and to refer to the product as a "soft abrasive" or "mild abrasive" rather than non-abrasive."

This is from the dictionary: Abrade: "to rub or wear away especially by friction"

The point is, no matter how gently it does so, use of these products may and will remove clear coat. As a consumer, this discrepancy popped out at me immediately, and I don't think I am unique in that way. Consumers are used to the idea of "milder abrasives" and know that even something like Bon Ami needs to be used with caution on a porcelain sink.

Granted, the average consumer doesn't do as much removing and adding of wax as I do since I like to test things, but to many it will matter to them that if they are removing old wax that they want it to be done noninvasively, not to remove clear coat unless it needs to be removed.

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.

After reading the descriptions of many pre-wax paint cleaners from many other manufacturers, I got the impression many of them were oil-based or oil emulsion (obviously water can't dissolve something that is hydrophobic like a wax or sealant). And most of them said they contained mild abrasives, but one of them hinted about removing "dead" clear coat. Perhaps that removal could be chemical if petroleum products can remove "dead" clear coat without abrasives. Or maybe that was just their way of saying it had abrasives in it without saying it did. Hmmm.

There was a discussion a while back on a UK detailing forum where someone asked, basically, "what's wrong with just hiding swirls?"

I think I have coming in the mail at the end of the week a polish that has fillers in it. I'll get back to you on that, whether the defects are really hidden or can you see them when you look at them in a light source reflection. It may be the surface is smooth and distant reflections are impressive but the borders between the clear coat and the polish can still be seen up close (which would still drive some people crazy).

[Mary S]

Re: DC1 as pre-wax cleanser

Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael Stoops
There was a discussion a while back on a UK detailing forum where someone asked, basically, "what's wrong with just hiding swirls?"

I think I have coming in the mail at the end of the week a polish that has fillers in it. I'll get back to you on that, whether the defects are really hidden or can you see them when you look at them in a light source reflection. It may be the surface is smooth and distant reflections are impressive but the borders between the clear coat and the polish can still be seen up close (which would still drive some people crazy).

I said I would get back to you. As I expected, you can still see the swirls in a light source even after applying a polish with fillers. I think the best you can hope to do to hide swirls is to make the surface smooth and maybe reflect better at a distant angle, but head on, you probably can't really hide them. If anyone knows of a product that will do this, that would be really good to know about.

[Fly Bye]

Re: DC1 as pre-wax cleanser



I have used simply z best car wax in the past, and I noticed that it hides shallow scratches & swirls pretty well.