Pre LSP step

[Ryan R]

I like to wipe down the vehicle with a paint cleaner/prep all type solution before my LSP.
Some things have been coming to mind while placing my order today...

I see some use GG prewax cleanser. 8.99 for 35oz sprayer looks quite nice.
Is this spray cleanser in the same category and products such as Pinnacle cleansing lotion,Wolfgang polish enhancer,Dodo Lime Prime lite,etc.? Or is this something I use after the above mentioned products?

Or should I just go with the GG Paint Prep after polishing to really strip all the polish oil and residue?

[Ryan R]

Oh..and so far my order consists of
Megs 105 and 205 32oz bottles
GG PreWax Cleanser
Collinite 845 (too many good reviews to not try this)
And Dodo Juice Lime Prime Pre-Wax Cleanser

[lkotsios]

I like to wipe down the vehicle with a paint cleaner/prep all type solution before my LSP.
Some things have been coming to mind while placing my order today...

I see some use GG prewax cleanser. 8.99 for 35oz sprayer looks quite nice.
Is this spray cleanser in the same category and products such as Pinnacle cleansing lotion,Wolfgang polish enhancer,Dodo Lime Prime lite,etc.? Or is this something I use after the above mentioned products?

Or should I just go with the GG Paint Prep after polishing to really strip all the polish oil and residue?Pre-wax cleaner removes polishing oils and paint prep removes waxes and sealants, use this during car wash cycle.

[truckbutt]

3 good choices to remove all contaminants (wax, polish) immediately before LSP are:
Mineral spirits
Klean Strip-Prep All
DuPont-PrepSol
I use Prep All. No hazing and it dries fast.

[Bunky]

Pre-wax cleaner removes polishing oils and paint prep removes waxes and sealants, use this during car wash cycle.

Right. The difference is the pre-wax cleaner is a spray and wipe while the paint prep has to be rinsed with water so depends on your process.

[BobbyG]

Hi Ryan,

It sounds like you're talking about two different products and if you decided to use a cleanser I'd still use a cleaner.


Paint Cleansers
Paint Cleansers such as; Pinnacle Cleansing Lotion,Wolfgang Polish Enhancer, and Dodo Lime Prime actually remove light oxidation, sealant, wax and in general brighten up the finish. These are almost polishes but work chemically instead of using abrasives.

Paint Cleaners

Paint Cleaners such as Griot's Garage Pre-Wax Cleaner, dissolve and remove polish residue and other contaminates making the finish ready for sealing and waxing.

Truckbutt mentions three great products; Mineral spirits, Klean Strip-Prep All, and DuPont-PrepSol. I used DuPont prep-Sol for years however it is a bit pricy at $30.00 per gallon. Klean Strip-Prep All is a direct competitor to Prep-Sol at half the price and works just as good. Klean Strip-Prep All is what I use now and it works great!

[lkotsios]

Right. The difference is the pre-wax cleaner is a spray and wipe while the paint prep has to be rinsed with water so depends on your process.Pre-wax cleaner does not remove waxes and sealants only polishing oils and polish residue. Paint prep removes waxes and sealants so you can start fresh, thats the difference between the two.

[truckbutt]

Pre-wax cleaner does not remove waxes and sealants only polishing oils and polish residue. Paint prep removes waxes and sealants so you can start fresh, thats the difference between the two.
All this talk about names, prep vs cleaner, frankly is confusing me. What's important is what the label says it does and how it should be applied/removed. The three that I mentioned, mineral spirits, Prep All, Prep Sol take off everything other then your paint finish, require no washing afterwards, and leave a clear, contaminant free surface for you LSP. They are used after polishing and before LSP.

[BobbyG]

The three that I mentioned, mineral spirits, Prep All, Prep Sol take off everything other then your paint finish, require no washing afterwards, and leave a clear, contaminant free surface for you LSP. They are used after polishing and before LSP.

:iagree: Take this to the bank....:props:

[lkotsios]

:iagree: Take this to the bank....:props:
Can the mineral spirits cause damage to paint (paint swelling). I use mineral spirits to clean my expensive sealant and wax applicators then follow with dawn works great. I am a painting contractor mineral spirits = paint thinner.

[BobbyG]

Can the mineral spirits cause damage to paint (paint swelling). I use mineral spirits to clean my expensive sealant and wax applicators then follow with dawn works great. I am a painting contractor mineral spirits = paint thinner.

To be honest I'm not sure.

I started using it because of seeing Mike Phillips mentioning it and also Isopropyl Alcohol. I like to give new recommendations a try and while mineral spirits does seem to work I don't know if it affects the paint.

Personally, I wouldn't be overly concerned with paint swelling. While I'm not a chemist, I suspect this condition happens at the microscopic level, if used full strength, left on for long periods of time, and is temporary.

After polishing, washing with a solution of soap and water should dissolve and remove most of what's left behind considering most of the products we use are water based..

For years I've used DuPont Prep-Sol but after talking with a tech at my local paint shop he showed me a newer product, at least to me, Klean Strip-Prep All. This is designed to do all of what the DuPont Prep-Sol does at half the price. I bought a gallon and it looks the same, smells the same, performs the same at 1/2 the price.

Klean Strip-Prep All is what I use now as a final cleaning step....

[truckbutt]

On Bobby's recommendation I bought Klean Strip Prep All. I used it last weekend on a 3 step on my black Mustang. It worked as expected. It took off any polish residue and left no haze. :dblthumb2:

[weavers]

I like IPA. its $1.20 for 32 oz. 1:1 distilled water and 91% rubbing alcohol. removes wax, sealant, polish oils.

[truckbutt]

Before choosing IPA, may I suggest reading this:
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/hot-topics-frequently-asked-questions/31183-how-mix-ipa-inspecting-correction-results.html
A small excerpt from the thread:
"Their recommendation was for approximately a 10% dilution of IPA to water solution. The reason for this recommendation besides their chemistry background, is that a strong solution of IPA can stain and even soften some clear coat paints."-Mike Phillips
That's why I stopped using IPA.

[Ryan R]

Thanks a lot guys. I started confusing myself when looking at and choosing from all the products.
I currently use klean strip prep all after polish and before waxing.

I'm going to remove the GG prewax cleanser and stick with the same klean strip routine.

And for cars with little to no imperfections i was thinking of the Dodo Juice unless anyone has a better recommendation I'm all ears

Thanks again!