Stupid question

**notcreative** · 02-18-2014, 10:21 PM

I'm seriously getting interested in detailing but I'm very blatantly stupid. My dad just got a new car and I want to take car of the paint right because it's a nice car and I want it to always look nice. I had some Meguiars Cleaner/Wax and I felt like using it on the car. To be honest, I don't know what I did but it seemed to be a good thing. As I understand now after doing more research, I should have probably just used a finishing wax instead. So the stupid question is this: If I were to use dish soap to strip the car, am I stripping any of the Meguiars Cleaner/Wax? Again, I don't really understand what it is. Also one of the reasons I used it was because someone put a sticker on the car (can you believe it?) to advertise their business, and it left sticky residue. First I used Meguiars rubbing compound and then the cleaner/wax, and I liked the way it felt after applying it, so I did it to nearly the whole car except the roof. Maybe that was too much for a new car? However the hood is now smooth as silk and water beads off nicely, yet the roof feels like it's very exposed and not protected.

**HD.Detailing** · 02-18-2014, 10:27 PM

i'd call and rip that business a new a.. hole

**notcreative** · 02-18-2014, 10:32 PM

my mistake, it was not rubbing compound, it was Meguiars Polishing Compound "G18116" and Meguiars Cleaner Wax "A1216"

**jamesboyy** · 02-18-2014, 10:39 PM

Originally Posted by notcreative

my mistake, it was not rubbing compound, it was Meguiars Polishing Compound "G18116" and Meguiars Cleaner Wax "A1216"

The reason your car is so smooth is cause you have lightly polished it, and removed some contaminant's with the cleaner wax therefore if you use dish soap to strip the car yes you will remove the polish, and cleaner wax off the paint work, and its not a stupid question either...good luck

**hernandez.art13** · 02-18-2014, 10:44 PM

Just wondering and trying to learn as well.

Can you go from Meg's Ultimate Compound then to cleaner wax? Or should have notcreative gone with Meg's Ultimate compound then Polish and then sealed the paint?

Since we are going the Meguiar's route. I am assuming Meguiar's Ultimate Wax would have been a good choice after compound/polish and all these products mentioned above seem to be OTC. (Could be wrong) Plus i'm a fan of Meg's Ultimate Wax.

Did you do it by hand or did you use a machine notcreative?

**hernandez.art13** · 02-18-2014, 10:46 PM

^ nvm i thought I read "Ultimate" somewhere lol

And just read that you meant Polish so nvm that as well

**hernandez.art13** · 02-18-2014, 10:53 PM

I remember reading when I asked about using dish soap before applying opti coat that using dish soap can leave residue behind.

I was then recommended to use APC (all purpose cleaner) in the wash solution and then doing IPA wipe downs. Might be over kill for just applying a wax but one or the other should be sufficient.

An APC while washing or an IPA wipe down is quick and simple to do.

My coating is still going strong and I thank AGO for all the help.

**aim4squirrels** · 02-18-2014, 10:58 PM

A cleaner wax will typically remove old waxes, light bonded paint contamination, and depending on the pad you use, you could even see some light correction out of it. More from the pad than the actual cleaner wax, but it is a lubricant, nonetheless.

As it's also a wax, you're getting a protective coating left behind as well.

**jsgntulok** · 02-18-2014, 11:01 PM

1st, if you haven't been welcomed to AutoGeek, WECOME.
2nd. No such thing as a stupid question.
3rd. Stop referring to yourself as blatantly stupid. You are just a bit uninformed at this point which will clear up as you continue to follow and learn from this forum.
4th. Dish soap most probably will remove the cleaner wax, but why do you want to do that?
5th. As you continue to follow and learn from this forum, you will learn that many of us do far more than you did on our new cars.
6th. Finally, relax and continue to learn.

**notcreative** · 02-18-2014, 11:03 PM

Originally Posted by jamesboyy

The reason your car is so smooth is cause you have lightly polished it, and removed some contaminant's with the cleaner wax therefore if you use dish soap to strip the car yes you will remove the polish, and cleaner wax off the paint work, and its not a stupid question either...good luck

Thanks for the response. I actually used the Cleaner Wax "A1216" only on the hood and side panels and I did not do the top of the car at all. It says on the back description that this "cleans, polishes and protects". The reason I had these products in the first place was last year I bought them based on a youtube tutorial on resorting headlights. but now I'm really intrigued with all these different products, what they all do, which comes first and if I should even be using them? how abrasive is the cleaner wax that I used? was it wrong to use it? what about the polishing compound, could I have used that instead? and then there's tons of other Meguiars products. I think understanding their product line would be a good start. Right now I'm just a little paranoid. I feel like I am looking for different products to accomplish goals in this particular instance, so I want to strip what I've done and start again. Or should I do the top of the car, the trunk and the back and then top it with something else? If so, what?