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Cleaner Waxes
Posted by Doug Delmont
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Cleaner Waxes August 12, 2004 06:38PM |
<HTML> There has been some question on the forum concerning what to expect from a cleaner/wax . The jobs these multi-purpose products do include removing contaminants and some paint to smooth the finish and make it shine , oiling with polishing oils or other ingredients to enhance gloss , filling in imperfections with wax or special fillers and waxing, which adds depth and provides a barrier to contaminants and UV rays. The sealing of the paint by the wax layer can prevent the oxidation that is a special problem for single-stage paints. In the past, some cleaner/waxes were very abrasive, owing to the need to strip dead paint from single-stage finishes. Ford's now-discontinued Silicone Gloss was like a rubbing compound with a little silicone added. The trend toward less abrasive waxes started in response to the wide use of clearcoat paint, which can be unnecessarily eroded by harsh products since there is no need to remove a layer of oxidized paint .
Many of today's cleaner waxes are gentle and won't dull the paint with abrasives but their cleaning ability may be reduced. That means you may have to resort to a dedicated cleaner or compound to prepare a weathered finish for waxing and then apply your cleaner/wax. Some products are mostly wax and polish blends with very little cleaner in them. Meguiar's Medallion Paint Protection and NXT are good examples of this sort of formula. Some cleaner/waxes employ mostly non-abrasive chemical cleaners, solvents, instead of gritty material. I tried one wax that seemed to be mostly solvent with a little carnauba thrown in ; it didn't have much durability but it was a great tar remover.
Cleaner waxes are the quickest way to clean, polish and protect because everything is combined into one step but compromises are made in choosing which properties to emphasize so a multi-step process can produce a better job. Some products that are billed as nonabrasive contain gritty particles but are claimed by their makers not to actually abrade clearcoats. Phrases such as" non-abrasive" and " clearcoat safe " may not be as precise as they sound.
Doug</HTML>
Many of today's cleaner waxes are gentle and won't dull the paint with abrasives but their cleaning ability may be reduced. That means you may have to resort to a dedicated cleaner or compound to prepare a weathered finish for waxing and then apply your cleaner/wax. Some products are mostly wax and polish blends with very little cleaner in them. Meguiar's Medallion Paint Protection and NXT are good examples of this sort of formula. Some cleaner/waxes employ mostly non-abrasive chemical cleaners, solvents, instead of gritty material. I tried one wax that seemed to be mostly solvent with a little carnauba thrown in ; it didn't have much durability but it was a great tar remover.
Cleaner waxes are the quickest way to clean, polish and protect because everything is combined into one step but compromises are made in choosing which properties to emphasize so a multi-step process can produce a better job. Some products that are billed as nonabrasive contain gritty particles but are claimed by their makers not to actually abrade clearcoats. Phrases such as" non-abrasive" and " clearcoat safe " may not be as precise as they sound.
Doug</HTML>
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Re: Cleaner Waxes August 13, 2004 12:40AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 1,838 |
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