Extra step after polishing?

[OZD 35]

I've read that after you've polished your car you should wipe down your car with a Isopropyl Alcohol and water mix due to some polishes leaving behind oils that will hinder the way wax or sealant bonds to your paint. Is this true?

[JonMiles]

Yep, 91% IPA mixed 1:1 with distiller water is the way to go. Polishes leave behind oils and sometimes fillers, so you want to get rid of all the fillers and see the real correction and inspect to make sure you really got rid of swirls, scratches etc. If you use IPA and the car is perfect, its ready for sealant/wax. Oils under sealant will hinder the bonding ability

[jpegs13]

Yes it's true. For the reason you've stated. And the IPA wipe down will remove any polish that may be hiding in any swirls, etc that may still be present.

Ya beat me Jon

[JonMiles]

Yes it's true. For the reason you've stated. And the IPA wipe down will remove any polish that may be hiding in any swirls, etc that may still be present.

Ya beat me Jon

I'll let you have the next one, lol just got excited because I explained the same thing to my friend yesterday; we are both bachelor's in Chemistry so it turned out to be an argument of organic chemistry and polymerization. Got interesting. He is a boat detailer and I'm a car detailer so we are going to run samples of each of our products at the lab and figure out the differences.

[A4 1.8tqm]

:iagree: with the Johns.


He is a boat detailer and I'm a car detailer so we are going to run samples of each of our products at the lab and figure out the differences.

Sounds interesting, I'd like to here more about your tests! :props:

[zinc02gt]

You can use mineral spirits or IPA 91% undiluted.

[OZD 35]

So how much IPA and water do I mix? Do I have to use distilled water or can I use tap water? Once I have the mixture do I just take a MF towel and wipe down my car? Then I apply sealant/wax or do I need to rinse the mixture off? Sorry for all the questions... as you can tell I'm new to the polishing aspect... I just want to do this right!

[JonMiles]

Distilled water is best because it doesnt have anything in it to leave spots on the paint, the water and IPA are both volatile and will evaporate off the surface without any residue. Mix it 50/50.

[Rsurfer]

So how much IPA and water do I mix? Do I have to use distilled water or can I use tap water? Once I have the mixture do I just take a MF towel and wipe down my car? Then I apply sealant/wax or do I need to rinse the mixture off? Sorry for all the questions... as you can tell I'm new to the polishing aspect... I just want to do this right!
Your title "Extra step after polishing" after an IPA wipe down use a paint cleaner before waxing/sealing.

[OZD 35]

Your title "Extra step after polishing" after an IPA wipe down use a paint cleaner before waxing/sealing.

I just wanted to know if I needed to do a IPA wipedown after a polish. I plan on using a glaze, WGFG 3.0, before I apply a wax/sealant. I'm assuming this counts as a paint cleaner?

[Jenn1270]

I'll let you have the next one, lol just got excited because I explained the same thing to my friend yesterday; we are both bachelor's in Chemistry so it turned out to be an argument of organic chemistry and polymerization. Got interesting. He is a boat detailer and I'm a car detailer so we are going to run samples of each of our products at the lab and figure out the differences.


So I was just a lowly Biochemistry major and tried to stay away from all that O-chem stuff. Nucleic acids and amino acids were enough chemistry for me.

So does IPA also remove wax and sealants as well? Or is dawn still the way to go for that?

[JonMiles]

it all depends on the polymer used as far as sealants go, if it is a long chain polymer with a low polydispersity the hydroxyl group on the IPA will be able to deprotonate from the hydrophilic side which is toward the paint due to its amphiprotic property which is essential to bonding to clear coat and having a resistance to water, if the chain is heavily branched there is a steric hindrance which prevents deprotonation from the bottom side and thus the polymer cannot be broken by an alcohol, only by an acid that is very non-polar and break the polymer from the hydrophobic side. Dawn is a do it all for stripping due to its prescence of alkali hydroxides which can penetrate the polymer and thus disperse the static bonds.

That work for you Jenn?

[Jenn1270]

it all depends on the polymer used as far as sealants go, if it is a long chain polymer with a low polydispersity the hydroxyl group on the IPA will be able to deprotonate from the hydrophilic side which is toward the paint due to its amphiprotic property which is essential to bonding to clear coat and having a resistance to water, if the chain is heavily branched there is a steric hindrance which prevents deprotonation from the bottom side and thus the polymer cannot be broken by an alcohol, only by an acid that is very non-polar and break the polymer from the hydrophobic side. Dawn is a do it all for stripping due to its prescence of alkali hydroxides which can penetrate the polymer and thus disperse the static bonds.

That work for you Jenn?

That works for me and I am excited to understand what you are talking about. After 15 years in medicine all that chemistry knowledge has long since vanished. I wish I could use the free room for science and not for the words to classic rock songs.

[JonMiles]

That works for me and I am excited to understand what you are talking about. After 15 years in medicine all that chemistry knowledge has long since vanished. I wish I could use the free room for science and not for the words to classic rock songs.

lol I am working on a full analysis of consumer car products for my M.S. thesis which will include why everything works, how it works, what it works on, and the chemistry behind it, I posted a few of my notes on the forum so far. It's alot of fun to work on because I want to develop and market my own line.

[BobbyG]

So how much IPA and water do I mix? Do I have to use distilled water or can I use tap water? Once I have the mixture do I just take a MF towel and wipe down my car? Then I apply sealant/wax or do I need to rinse the mixture off? Sorry for all the questions... as you can tell I'm new to the polishing aspect... I just want to do this right!

We all learn something new every day by listening and asking questions. I've often said; The only stupid question is the one that's not asked.

Mixing Isopropyl Alcohol 1:1 with water is an important step because it gives you time to wipe everything thoroughly to ensure all the oils have been removed.

Isopropyl Alcohol by itself it dries very and redeposit the oils you're trying to remove back onto the surface and "may" cause an issue with the next step.