Stripping Wax?

[Elliott.lwy]

Hi everyone. I know this question has been asked a lot on this forum. But I still cannot find an answer to my question.

From my understanding that clay, APC, Dawn, and some car washes like CG citrus clear will strip wax. I also read that polishing will remove wax and sealant. Let's say I have wax applied on my car and I want to do a paint correction with M105/M205 combo. Should I just wash and clay before start polishing? or do I have to strip wax before starting the correction?

Thank you.

[Colinpd137]

Yes you just wash & clay before polishing, the clay will remove most of it and polishing will whatever left, if any.

[Elliott.lwy]

Will the compound/polish become less "effective" if there has wax/sealant left on the car?

[dorkiedoode]

Nope, a compound and polish with light cutting ability will destroy whatever layer of protection you have on top.

[Elliott.lwy]

Ok... But why people want to strip their wax/sealant? Reapply?

[VP Mark]

They strip it so that then paint is clean before they reapply. As a pro I make sure everything is stripped so that when I go to reapply the high quality products I use will perform as they should.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using AG Online

[ScottB]

paint cleansing lotions remove old wax and sealants. You can find some strippers too, like Acyrosol.

[Elliott.lwy]

Now I get it.

I still have some questions. Even after washing the car with some wax-stripping soap, some people would do a IPA wipe down. What does it do?

Another question is how to know there has no sealant/wax left on the surface?

Thanks again. You guys are really helpful!

[swanicyouth]

Will the compound/polish become less "effective" if there has wax/sealant left on the car?

No. Polish has abrasives and will burn through "wax" in like a nanosecond. Hey, another use for "nano" - "our polishes cut through wax in a nanosecond".

If your using abrasive polishes, you don't have to worry about removing the wax prior to polishing. Of course, if you plan on polishing every square nanometer of the vehicle that is.

If your not doing bumpers, tight corners, pillars, etc... then you may want to chemically strip whatever is on your paint prior to polishing the rest of the car, just so everything has a fresh start.

You can tell the "wax" is gone by water just laying on the hood or paint, not beading or sheeting. IPA wipedowns are done by some people after all the polishing is done to remover any "oils" left by the polish. If your using a conventional wax its likely not necessary.

[WRAPT C5Z06]

Now I get it.

I still have some questions. Even after washing the car with some wax-stripping soap, some people would do a IPA wipe down. What does it do?

Another question is how to know there has no sealant/wax left on the surface?

Thanks again. You guys are really helpful!
I never rely on car wash soaps to strip the paint clean. They're relatively worthless for that, IMO.

Most polishes have what are called "fillers". When doing a test spot for polishing, an IPA wipe down will remove oils/fillers that mask true polishing results. Some fillers are more durable than others. An IPA wipedown is also good prior to applying and wax or sealant to remove the oils/fillers for better bonding.

You can tell if there's still wax on the car by using the "flooding method" with your hose. If the water still sheets(doesn't sit there) off the car, there's still some protection. Also, if there's still noticeable water beading, there's probably still wax left on the car. I go by sheeting for the most part.

[Elliott.lwy]

I know an IPA wipedown was used to remove any residues and inspect the paint after compound or polish. But what I read was people use Dawn to strip their wax and even wipe the car down with IPA after washing the car?

[WRAPT C5Z06]

I know an IPA wipedown was used to remove any residues and inspect the paint after compound or polish. But what I read was people use Dawn to strip their wax and even wipe the car down with IPA after washing the car?
I wouldn't rely on a soap(even dawn) to strip paint. The IPA wipe down helps to remove any residual residue from the soap or left over oills/fillers and provide "squeaky clean" surface prior to waxing.

[Elliott.lwy]

I wouldn't rely on a soap(even dawn) to strip paint. The IPA wipe down helps to remove any residual residue from the soap or left over oills/fillers and provide "squeaky clean" surface prior to waxing.

Alright. I got everything figured out. That was really helpful. Thank you guys. :dblthumb2:

[WRAPT C5Z06]

Alright. I got everything figured out. That was really helpful. Thank you guys. :dblthumb2:
No problem!

On second thought, a strong dawn(there are "healthier" alternatives) wash after polishing should be enough to remove polishing oils and most fillers. Just make sure you rinse thoroughly. However, you'll need something stronger if you're trying to strip wax without polishing.

[silverfox]

I strip LSPs only one way ...working forward by polishing it off, or hitting it with a good paint cleaner like DG 501.

Using soaps or chemical strippers never made any sense to me.