Carnuaba with Cleaner

[asallwey]

Be easy on me, I'm new to this!

If I applied my Mother's carnuaba w/cleaner on a finish, would it remove any prior treatments?

I've been using this by hand for years, but in reading Autogeeks I've come to realize that the recommended wax to apply over detailing solution is pure carnuaba wax, not the wax with cleaner.

Thanks!

[trekkeruss]

If I applied my Mother's carnuaba w/cleaner on a finish, would it remove any prior treatments?

Yes. The Mother's product is a cleaner wax, or an all-in-one (AIO) product. It has ingredients designed to clean, polish, and protect. The cleaning and polishing ingredients would remove the old finish.


I've been using this by hand for years, but in reading Autogeeks I've come to realize that the recommended wax to apply over detailing solution is pure carnuaba wax, not the wax with cleaner.

For most people, using a cleaner wax is good enough. It will clean the paint, have some polishing ability, and leave behind some wax to protect it.

For a neglected car with damage to the finish, an AIO isn't strong enough. That when dedicated products are used for each step, and that's when what you call "pure carnauba wax" is used. A more correct term would be a finishing wax.

I do not know what you mean by "detailing solution." Wax is used to protect, and also to help impart shine. It is just one way to do those jobs. There are also sealants and coatings. Waxes, sealants, and coatings are all collectively known as last step products, or LSP. What is recommended depends on your goals.

What vehicle do you have? What is the condition of the finish? What tools and supplies do you have, and what are you willing to spend? Do you have a place where you can work on the car? How much time are you willing to put into detailing? Knowing the answers to all those questions will help you narrow down what products you should use to take care of your vehicle.

[asallwey]

Thanks for the explanation. That fits with what I was thinking would happen with the cleaner.

The gross term "solutions" I used to refer to all the "Waxes, sealants, and coatings... ." I've read (on here somewhere) that pure carnauba wax can be applied over everything else for more depth. I figured that if I put the wax + cleaner I have on, it would strip them off. You have answered that.

So to use up my w + c I can use it on my riding lawnmower and a few other items (tool boxes, mill, lathe, wife's car -- ops!).

[trekkeruss]

I've read (on here somewhere) that pure carnauba wax can be applied over everything else for more depth.

What you are referring to is known as topping. Many detailers use two different products to protect the finish. They first use a sealant, which are generally known to be more durable than a wax. Then wax is applied to (supposedly) add more depth, warmth, and protection. I personally do not top.

Regardless, the steps taken before "waxing" are just as...if not more...important if you want o maximize the shine. If you haven't already, click on the "detailing how-to's" button at the top of the page, and study the flow chart.