D115 smearing ?

[Don M]

I've been using D115 (Express Wash & Wax) for about 2 weeks now and so far I'm loving it. This is the first bottle I made and I made it to about 1:7. It works great as a waterless (on LIGHTLY dusty cars), a QD and as a spray wax. Today getting off work as I walked toward my car the sun was coming up and I could see some smears (not swirls or scratches) on a few parts of the right side of the car (the side facing the sun).


I didn't want to try and wipe them away because the car has been driven 100 miles since it was last detailed and risk putting real swirls in, or use some more D115 and add to the smears that were already there.


I guess my question(s) are: Did I make the bottle too strong at 1:7? Should I dilute it more? The way I used it was to spray a partial panel, then wipe it with a clean mf then when the car was fully cleaned, go back over it with a fresh, DRY mf to get rid of any smears/blotchiness. The 1st mf cloth DOES get extremely wet during the process and I start with it dampened w/water but wrung out, and I wring it out several times during the wipe-down. Could this be causing me to use too much?


Although I've been detailing for years, I've only been playing with this whole waterless/rinseless/drying aid thing for a little over a month and I definitely need some guidance.


Any help would be appreciated.

[Huot25]

I don't have any experience with d115, but the video of the Jason rose using d115 shows him buff the product with a dry MF as he finishes a panel to eliminate any streaks while the product is still wet. Not sure if that is the issue, but it's something I would try.

Overall, are you happy with d115 besides the streaking?

[WillSports3]

I've found this to be the case with a lot of the quick detailers I've uused.what works for me for getting rid of the streaks and smears is to keep a separate dry mf towel to buff off after I've gone over it. What seems to cause the smears is too much excess product gets absorbed into your buffing cloth so you might want to try using just one towel per panel for buffing as well, that seems to leave me without the streaks. I think going back over the car after you're done is causing the excess liquids to dry. I'd suggest buffing it off after each panel as well. For your streaks and smears, that's probably dried qd. Give the panel a very light spritz and go over it again with a fresh mf and buff it off again with a dry one.

Edit:
Sorry I missed what you said about the water soaked mf. Instead of soaking and wringing out your cleaning mf towel, try giving whatever surface of the towel you're about to use a few quick spritz of detailer spray as well as the spritz on the panel.

[Don M]

Overall, are you happy with d115 besides the streaking?

I'm LOVING the D115, once I get the smearing issue dealt with I'll REALLY love the stuff. It cleans slightly to moderately dirty cars, it works as a QD AND a QW, it leaves a very slick, glossy surface that stays that way for a while, how long, I don't know because since it's so easy to use (except for the smearing part, which I WILL get a handle on). It's awesome on glass, paint and textured plastic (I used it on my grill). It makes bug guts easier to remove than soap & water and Kevin Brown just told me on MOL, to use it at 1:8, which will make the gallon jug go a LONG way.

For me, it's replaced QD, QW, window cleaner (exterior), car wash soap (about 75% of the time), dressing for ext plastics) haven't tried interior plastics/vinyl yet. And it makes the car smell good (I can smell the stuff on the interior when I get in) and the trunk smells awesome.

So yeah, I guess you could say I'm happy with it :dblthumb2:

[AZpolisher15]

Wolfgang Uber Rinseless will solve all your problems :)

[Eldorado2k]

Are you using distilled water to dilute it?

[Don M]

Are you using distilled water to dilute it?


This first time I didn't :bash:, but as soon as this bottle is empty I will be using distilled water and mixing it by the gallon instead of bottle by bottle.

[Eldorado2k]

This first time I didn't :bash:, but as soon as this bottle is empty I will be using distilled water and mixing it by the gallon instead of bottle by bottle.

6:1

50089

[2black1s]

I use D115 (4:1) as a quick detailer on my black truck regularly and we all know how black will show streaks. I think the key is wiping and buffing each panel or section to completion in single step. Once the product dries any streaks that are evident will be difficult to remove without re-wetting the surface. I use one microfiber for the initial wipe and follow that immediately with another dry one for the final finishing in a single non-stop process. Also like WillSports3 recommended, I don't wet the initial wipe microfiber other than a light mist of the D115.

Another thing that is pretty common with any quick detailer is that as your LSP deteriorates the streaks become more of a problem. If you're having a really hard time with streaks there's a good chance that it's time for another coat of wax or sealant.

[WillSports3]

The funny thing is, mothers show time quick detailer actually says on the bottle that if product is difficult to remove, it's time to rewax or re-lsp.

Honestly Don, best way to find the way that works is to light up your hood in your work space and go over it a few times. You can see what works for you as I find that most people all buff differently with different amounts of pressure and what not. I know that if I'm not careful or if I'm using uww to get rid of a specific spot, I'll see streaks in the sun a day or two later but I just give the area a light spritz and re clean and re buff. Using qd or waterless wash is pretty straight forward but you just have to find the right rhythm for you.

[Real Riders]

I use D115 at 4:1 with distilled water without a problem

[Don M]

Honestly Don, best way to find the way that works is to light up your hood in your work space and go over it a few times.


LOL. My workplace is my driveway ever since the wife commandeered the garage and my light source is the sun. Once it passes over the trees in the late morning, I get all the light I could want, but the whole car gets a bit warm as well as lit up, which makes for difficult detailing.

It seems like the common denominator is that everyone is using distilled water but me, which I plan on getting a gallon at the drug store in the morning. Can it really make THAT much of a difference? It rained slightly tonight which seemed to clear up the smears, but without the same lighting and angles as this morning, I really couldn't tell. But it looked GOOD all beaded up and glossy black in the lights of the night.

[WillSports3]

Distilled water means a lot less mineral deposits in your mixture essentielly. It might help with the streaks but I think it's a combination of that as well as technique. Too much excess liquid left over without being fully buffed off

[TTQ B4U]

Don, I'll concur with others here as you've seen my car and know the challenges of pure black.



Distilled Water - I buy it in 2gal sizes and mix up my Wolfgang Uber used as a detail spray as I go.
I do still often have to go back and buff the panel as many of noted. Just like with any type of coating or product really, there's always some trace residue that needs wiped. Solid black is perhaps the one color I think that shows this. Just about any other color won't.
Do the baggie test on your car. I know with our van if which will occassionally get parked under a tree that if I don't remove all the drops of sap, often very tiny ones, that they will cause streaks.

[Don M]

I'm almost out of my 1st batch, so when I get some distilled water, I'll just have to practice my technique more often :cool: