Quick/easy way to strip waxes and sealants

[cheekyage]

Hi everyone

What would be the easiest and quickest way to strip waxes or sealants?

I’d like to test some new products on various panels of a car that has bare paint protection rather than layering it on top of an existing wax/sealant.

Would something like CarPro Eraser or Gyeon Prep help remove any existing product from the paintwork?

I’m hoping there is some sort of decon product or technique to help with this.

Thanks in advance.

[Kamakaz1961]

I use Gyeon Prep to strip. It works great! Smells good too!

[FUNX650]

I’ve found that to ensure the total removal
of any LSP that is worth their salt, including
Waxes and Sealants, you polish them off.


Bob

[Dr Oldz]

I’ve found that to ensure the total removal
of any LSP that is worth their salt, including
Waxes and Sealants, you polish them off.


Bob

I have to agree. There are some products a spray on prep won’t totally remove.

[SWETM]

Much depends on what you want to remove. The most certain way is abrade it off with a polisher and a finishing polish or a paint cleaner without protection in it. Some chemicals will do it too but that's much about what kind of chemicals and protection you like to remove. And it's base to go to which will work or not. But test it out and see if it works or not.

Useally it's high alkaline APC or stronger solvents that removes protection chemically. Carpro Eraser and Gyeon Prep is kind of weak IPA based. Which is good to remove polishing oils or protection that is on it's last step. If trying to remove a freshly applyied LSP these will be have hard to remove it. In some cases you will make a dent in it where you remove the oils in it and just a little amount of the wax or sealant. A wax and grease remover would be a better first step to try with solvent based to strip the LSP. Then the chemicals gets way more aggressive when you even lightly aggitate it with a mf towel or wash mitt. And you see when you rinse these chemicals off how you have made an impact or not on the LSP. Also use a wash solution or IPA based product to wipe off any residue left behind from the cleaners. As when many useing Dawn dish soap and would do this they would notice the beading and sheeting comes back when the residue of it wipes off as it's surfactans left is heavy from this. This is also a case when you use APC many times. So trial and error.

Don't let any chemicals dry on the paint when you use them as it's not good for the paint. Also rinse thoroughly so you get the most of the chemicals of the paint or heavly dilute it if it's not runs off. Also be carefull if you use masking tape and when you use IPA or IPA based products or solvents. Cause the masking tape will be wet by these and if the masking tape is on for a longer time. You will be seeing an unpleasant surprise when you remove it. As you can wrinkle the paint as it has softened or even pull the paint off. Especially when you use high IPA percent or the stronger solvents. It's fine to spray it on the paint and let it dwell for a little time as up to a minute. When you wipe it off it will evaporate at the same time as you soak it up with the mf towel. It's just when it gets trapped under something and a higher amount of it sits in one place you can get problems with it. But it's good to know.

If you find a wax and grease remover that also claims to remove silicone is a good product to start with. And at last think of your health and use nitrile gloves and work in a well ventilated area. This is when you use the protection products and also the polishing and chemical removing part. It's often forgotten to think of this but it's not fun to get a chemical burn or your breathing get impacted. And in some cases the damage on you is inreverseble. Try to not have your head right over where you applying things helps you a little to not breath in the first volatile part of the evaporating chemicals.

And share your experience with the testing you are going to do. Always enjoying to follow those tests.

/ Tony

[CleanIT]

I stumbled upon a thread in the UK detailing forum on Bilt Hamber Cleanser Fluid. It's naphtha based, and most swear it will remove tar with ease as well as existing waxes and some sealants. Most panel wipes are alcohol based. I wonder if Optimum Paint Prep is using naptha as an alternative to alcohol. I ordered the BH Cleanser Fluid to test.

[briarpatch]

I stumbled upon a thread in the UK detailing forum on Bilt Hamber Cleanser Fluid. It's naphtha based, and most swear it will remove tar with ease as well as existing waxes and some sealants. Most panel wipes are alcohol based. I wonder if Optimum Paint Prep is using naptha as an alternative to alcohol. I ordered the BH Cleanser Fluid to test.

Holy sh!t.....naphtha?? That is some nasty stuff. When I was a kid, my dad used that to clean brass shells before reloading.....and then used it as starter fluid for charcoal

[dcjredline]

If you have Quick and Easy you usually dont get Quality. As Bob said polishing is the only way to really remove waxes etc well.

If yer looking for quick and easy what does that say about your quality?

[CleanIT]

If you have Quick and Easy you usually dont get Quality. As Bob said polishing is the only way to really remove waxes etc well.

If yer looking for quick and easy what does that say about your quality?

I agree nothing beats polishing to remove any LSP. But this one particular panel prep (BH Cleanser Fluid) is unique in its formulation compared to all others which are mostly alcohol based.

A lot of the folks on the UK detailing site love it. BH also produces top notch quality products too, so I'd trust the chemists that designed it.

[PA DETAILER]

https://bilthamber.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/cleanser-fluid.pdf

[Paul A.]

Don't forget that your pads load up with residue when cutting off a previous LSP. I always use more pads when trying to cut off previous sealants and especially coatings.

A lot of times there are very robust sealants and coatings that inhibit actual paint correction of the paint for 2 reasons...they clog up your pads AND have a pretty substantial bond with the paint.

My approach is a 3 step process, 1. Chemical wipedown first 2. Cutting with a GOOD ABRASIVE product (and frequent pad cleans and change outs) and 3. A final chemical wipedown.

I do all that before I attempt correction.

[CleanIT]

"To achieve the expected results and durability associated with Bilt Hamber's range of sealants and waxes it is necessary to properly clean the surfaces to be treated first. Bilt Hamber cleanser-fluid is the perfect product for this task, as it flushes the surface pores of painted finishes, removing former last step product residues and embedded grime with ease. Being naphtha-based, it's less harsh than its alcohol-based rivals, yet much more effective, as evidenced by its ability to dissolve tar spots. Moreover, because it doesn't flash off as quickly, it's also far nicer to use."

[Silly Rabbit]

I have a buddy that does this as a living, much like alot of you guys here, and I was in his shop when he was doing a detail. Many of you may know what he was using, he sprayed the car in an acid type product. Omg, his shop was like a chemical minefield, not only was it a difference in breathing in there, my eyes were feeling it. I think it stripped alot of stuff off, lol.

[chilly]

Don't forget that your pads load up with residue when cutting off a previous LSP. I always use more pads when trying to cut off previous sealants and especially coatings.

A lot of times there are very robust sealants and coatings that inhibit actual paint correction of the paint for 2 reasons...they clog up your pads AND have a pretty substantial bond with the paint.

My approach is a 3 step process, 1. Chemical wipedown first 2. Cutting with a GOOD ABRASIVE product (and frequent pad cleans and change outs) and 3. A final chemical wipedown.

I do all that before I attempt correction.

^^^^^ THIS ^^^^^


I have a buddy that does this as a living, much like alot of you guys here, and I was in his shop when he was doing a detail. Many of you may know what he was using, he sprayed the car in an acid type product. Omg, his shop was like a chemical minefield, not only was it a difference in breathing in there, my eyes were feeling it. I think it stripped alot of stuff off, lol.

^^^^^ :wowwow: ^^^^^

[Larry A]

Mineral Spirits.