Response from a professional to my question

Dear Mr. Daly:

Thank you for your email and bringing up many good questions. Each product offers certain advantages along with some disadvantages. As you correctly pointed out, applying wax can cause swirl marks on the paint that appear after the wax wears off. The marks are mainly due to polishing abrasives that are generally used in waxes as well as use of terry towels to apply or to remove the residue. Waxes as you pointed out wear out over time with washing. Using a wax that does not contain abrasives and applying it with a microfiber towel should eliminate these swirl marks.

Ideally a wax is combined with sealant polymers that can help bond the waxes to paint for increased longevity and additional protection. These are sometimes referred to as hybrid waxes. Optimum Car Wax does fulfill all the above criteria and when applied with a microfiber towel on a clean and swirl free surface will not induce any marring and provides long term protection. Additionally this product contains very high levels of UV absorbers to keep the wax and the paint from oxidation and fading. The only time a polish should be used is if the paint gets scratched.

Please let me know if I can be of further assistance. Thanks again.

Best Regards,
David Ghodoussi, CEO
Optimum Polymer Technologies, Inc.
Phone: (901) 363-4955
Fax: (901) 363-4956


On 1/24/2012 9:14 AM, BILL wrote:

My name is Bill Daley and I have been a working detailer for many years . I have never used wax, but a product called AT-5 for protection.

I am not a chemist, but I have noticed that swirl marks tend to happen when wax is used. I have come to this conclusion over many years in this business that using wax leads to swirl marks. I continue to see this same condition over and over on clear coat finishes.

[www.autopia.org]

I have a theory that when wax is applied it does not bound
to the clear coat, but just sticks to the finish. The damage
you see in this example is from washing with a harsh soap that breaks down the wax. Now , some of these scratches may be in the clear coat itself, but clearly
not all by no means.

I am a person who thinks it is important to preserve the
clear coat , and prevent polishing and correction at all cost
to maintain the integrity of the finish. I have done many
vehicles thru the years using the product I use, and have never had this problem. Here is just one example:
[www.youtube.com]

I feel using wax starts with light correction, and then more intense methods such as compounds and wet sanding are used to restore the clarity of the paint over time. Certainly, there is a place for correction, but I feel there are alot of people out there who think that adding mutiple layers of wax is a good thing.

At some time that wax has to be removed, and I feel that a washing with Dawn and a claybar is not totally removing what has been applied prior. As a result, what you see on this black car is not actual scratches in ALL cases, but just the residue of the sealants applied that has not been removed. As a result, correction is not removing actual scratches, but mainly removing the film that is distorting the natural clarity of the paint.
I feel using wax leads to repeated polishing even if you follow proper washing procedures.

I would like to hear your opinion on what I just said here. I know you are a chemist, and I will be interested in your response to my theory.

Bill Daley

Terry towels causing swirls in paint ????

Abrasive cleaners in the wax causing swirls ?????

" The only time a polish should be used is if the paint gets scratched " ?????

I have been unable to detect any scratching / swirls caused by quality terry towels . Cleaners in wax do not leave swirls, although harsh cleaner/waxes can dull the finish . I use a light polish such as Griot's Machine Polish #3 or Meguiar's Swirl Free Polish to remove staining, micro-marring, roughness and old wax before waxing the car. Zaino Z-AIO has mild polish in it, so I often use it , in place of polish, to prepare and seal the finish before adding the main layer of protection, Z-2 Pro .

If you don't use a mild polish before applying a pure wax, you risk sealing in stains .

Okay everyone ! Let the debate begin.