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View Full Version : Do some polishes clean up easier than others?


mdreibelbis
10-27-2014, 07:22 AM
I just completed my second polishing session using a PC DA last weekend. The first time I did my car was about a year ago using BF TPnS. It was a great learning experience and the car looked awesome when done. My biggest problem (I think) was not cleaning the pads well enough during the process - I used three pads for the car and they were pretty well saturated with product at the end. I don't think I used too much product as I studied numerous how-to videos (and lurked here for a year reading many posts from you people!) and was very careful as I worked.

Cleaning the pads when I was done was a total mess. I had them soaking in a bucket with soapy water and then got to work on them - squeezing them and rinsing them over and over as the blue goop came out a little at a time. It took forever and at the end I decided if I'm only going to polish my car once a year I would just buy new pads every year and not go through this process again so I threw them away!

Fast forward to this year. I used new pads and Meguairs 205 to polish the car - again using three pads for the entire process. I thought I would at least try to clean them so I soaked the pads in a bucket of soapy water however it only took a couple times squeezing/rinsing them until I was getting clear water coming out and they seemed to be clean!

So - my question is this - is the M205 an easier product to clean up when compared to TPnS, or did I do something different that caused them to be easier to clean?
Niblick
10-27-2014, 07:33 AM
polishes are all different, so inevitably some will dissolve better in water than others. so the answer is yes
RottenII
10-27-2014, 07:36 AM
Just from my own limited experience but I used some 3M compound that washed out of the pads easily. TP&S took a lot more time. BFWD is brutal trying to get out of the pads. I attribute this to the "sealant" part of the latter two?
CDot
10-27-2014, 07:45 AM
IME Megs UC and UP are both easily washed out with CG Fast Pad pad cleaner.
mdreibelbis
10-27-2014, 07:47 AM
Just from my own limited experience but I used some 3M compound that washed out of the pads easily. TP&S took a lot more time. BFWD is brutal trying to get out of the pads. I attribute this to the "sealant" part of the latter two?

Ah - I didn't consider that - that would make sense!

I actually put a coat of BFWD on the car after polishing however I applied it by hand and tossed the hand applicator in the trash when done. Really liked the BFWD - went on easy and came off easy and the car was sooooo slick and shimmery afterwards!
Mike Phillips
10-27-2014, 08:07 AM
So - my question is this - is the M205 an easier product to clean up when compared to TPnS, or did I do something different that caused them to be easier to clean?





The question you're asking is more involved than what you think as you're referring to a "Cleaner/Wax" as a "Polish" and they are very different products.

Most compounds and polishes are water soluble as they are not intended to do two things,

Abrade the paint
Protect the paint


A cleaner/wax like the Total Polish and Seal you're referring to will

Abrade the paint (clean)
Protect the paint (wax)


Waxes or sealants, by their very nature are NOT water soluble. It wouldn't make any sense to have a protection product that washed off in the rain or when you washed your car.

Compounds and polishes are formulated and designed to abrade paint and thus remove defects by leveling the surface. Making these type of product water proof has nothing to do with what they are designed to do.


Make sense?


Meguiar's M205 is a dedicated Fine Cut Polish, it's designed to clean up any haze or holograms after using it's twin, M105.

Total Polish and Seal is a one-step cleaner/wax or All-in-One as some like to call them, it will clean, polish and wax or "seal" the paint in one step.

The M205 will break down with water and soap a LOT easier than any wax type product.


:)
mdreibelbis
10-27-2014, 08:43 AM
Meguiar's M205 is a dedicated Fine Cut Polish, it's designed to clean up any haze or holograms after using it's twin, M105.

Total Polish and Seal is a one-step cleaner/wax or All-in-One as some like to call them, it will clean, polish and wax or "seal" the paint in one step.

The M205 will break down with water and soap a LOT easier than any wax type product.


:)

Makes perfect sense - thanks!

I think going forward I'm going to stay away from AIO type products and stick with a straight polish topped with a sealant.