# Stripping Wax/Sealant



## Posts001 (Mar 17, 2009)

Having read through other forums/ threads

What's the best car wash to strip sealants and waxes before machine polishing? I presume that it's better to do this in the wash stage rather than clogging up the compounding and polishing pad? 

I've read normal washing up liquid, is there a better more car friendly product?

Any ideas would be appreciated


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## fozzy (Oct 22, 2009)

I like a good strong mix of APC and a little fairy  check for any signs of beading/sheeting after the wash. If any protection remains repeat as needed  Only nano coatings will need anything more aggressive to remove such as polishing.


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## dholdi (Oct 1, 2008)

What about the silicone based stuff like Project X / Hyd-re-seal ?


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## DrEskimo (Jan 7, 2016)

I came across this, which would suggest that fairy liquid does little to remove wax...






As such I've become pretty skeptical of the idea that waxes and sealants can be removed chemically. I would just clay and decon, then machine polish. Beginning to think removing it mechanically is the only way to be sure!


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## fozzy (Oct 22, 2009)

Same mix as above, although I have removed the X type stuff with a strong car wash mix and normal wash routine.


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## Kimo (Jun 7, 2013)

Using fairy is an old myth

Angelwax do something caked strip ease

Though if you're polishing (I presume you're doing a proper job and claying too) then the clay and polish will remove it anyway


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## DrEskimo (Jan 7, 2016)

Kimo said:


> Using fairy is an old myth
> 
> Angelwax do something caked strip ease
> 
> Though if you're polishing (I presume you're doing a proper job and claying too) then the clay and polish will remove it anyway


Has the concept of removing waxes with clay been tested? I know IPA has also been branded around as a means of removing waxes, but the bloke at the end of the video said he tried this and it had no effect either.

I cant help but be skeptical about those wax stripping shampoos given that fairy doesn't do anything...I think the guy in that video said he was going to test one out in the same way, but nothing yet.


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## Kimo (Jun 7, 2013)

DrEskimo said:


> Has the concept of removing waxes with clay been tested? I know IPA has also been branded around as a means of removing waxes, but the bloke at the end of the video said he tried this and it had no effect either.
> 
> I cant help but be skeptical about those wax stripping shampoos given that fairy doesn't do anything...I think the guy in that video said he was going to test one out in the same way, but nothing yet.


Clay and polish is imo the only sure fire way of actually doing the job properly


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## Hawkesybaby (Jun 17, 2016)

Anybody tried washing up liquid through foam lance....? Let it evenly coat the paintwork and do its job for 10 mins??? I dunno just an idea haha


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## DrEskimo (Jan 7, 2016)

Kimo said:


> Clay and polish is imo the only sure fire way of actually doing the job properly


I guess its largely irrelevant, since I always tend to polish after I clay anyway...even if its just a light final polish to remove minor marring, and fully prep the surface to get the maximum benefit from any protection.



Hawkesybaby said:


> Anybody tried washing up liquid through foam lance....? Let it evenly coat the paintwork and do its job for 10 mins??? I dunno just an idea haha


That bloke poured a bunch of it over the hood of his car neat and it didn't do much, so I'm not sure diluted in a foam lance will make much difference unfortunately...! Shame as it's far quicker than machine polishing!!


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## RMM (Jan 9, 2014)

Posts001 said:


> ...
> What's the best car wash to strip sealants and waxes before machine polishing? ...





fozzy said:


> I like a good strong mix of APC and a little fairy  check for any signs of beading/sheeting after the wash. If any protection remains repeat as needed  Only nano coatings will need anything more aggressive to remove such as polishing.


These urban legends linger on...

There is no car wash, APC, IPA, etc. that will remove LSPs from your car's paint: the only thing that they do is alter the beading characteristics of the LSP, masking it with surfactants and other films.

The only way to do it is using a paint cleaner or a polish (clay won't do it either).


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## Hereisphilly (Nov 17, 2014)

Clay doesn't remove wax on its own, I've personally tested that
And yeah strong apc doesn't do anything either, it just alters the bearings characteristics, which you can put back after washing again

The only chemicals I've found to remove waxes 100% (not sealants) are solvent based products such as tardis / far removers and my new one Koch chemie FW

Sent from my Pixel C using Tapatalk


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## Kimo (Jun 7, 2013)

I still don't get why when you're decon'ing the car wbu you want to remove it when the decon and polish stage WILL remove it

That's the idea ffs :lol:


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## Posts001 (Mar 17, 2009)

Thanks all, I'll do the decon and clay.

I was worried about clogging the pad, I suppose if I clean it on the fly it will always be clean anyway 

I'm planning on a 2 stage polish if needed then applying Miyabi and then over costing with infinity wax


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## A&J (Mar 4, 2015)

RMM said:


> These urban legends linger on...
> 
> There is no car wash, APC, IPA, etc. that will remove LSPs from your car's paint: the only thing that they do is alter the beading characteristics of the LSP, masking it with surfactants and other films.
> 
> The only way to do it is using a paint cleaner or a polish (clay won't do it either).


This...of course it depends on the applied lsp but a full decon (prep for polishing) and polishing is the only way to remove lsp.

There is a topic called stripping lsp on autogeek that is worth a read. Google it.


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## steelghost (Aug 20, 2015)

Posts001 said:


> I was worried about clogging the pad/QUOTE]
> The thickness of a buffed layer of wax is so minimal, you would never clog the pad with it.
> 
> As it goes, Bilt Hamber Cleanser Fluid definitely does take off LSPs, should you ever need to do so as a standalone process :thumb:


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## Posts001 (Mar 17, 2009)

steelghost said:


> Posts001 said:
> 
> 
> > I was worried about clogging the pad
> ...


Ah okay that's a good point, never really thought how little wax would be on the car 

And thanks for the tip, I'll have a look at that now &#55357;&#56397;


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## fozzy (Oct 22, 2009)

RMM said:


> These urban legends linger on...
> 
> There is no car wash, APC, IPA, etc. that will remove LSPs from your car's paint: the only thing that they do is alter the beading characteristics of the LSP, masking it with surfactants and other films.
> 
> The only way to do it is using a paint cleaner or a polish (clay won't do it either).


The beemer was stripped of everything a couple of weeks ago using just such a mix, not just altering the beading characteristics but stripped bare, it did need two goes at it mind but there was nothing left on the paint at all.

Mmm does that mean the LSP was *** ***


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## Juke_Fan (Jul 12, 2014)

Autosmart do a range of dewaxers, can't comment on how effective they are as I have never tried them.

*Dewaxers*

*Plus 10*
A solvent based dewaxer formulated for hydrocarbon (soft) wax removal by sponge or pre-spray method.

*Safe T Strip*
Extremely effective copolymer remover yet will not harm paintwork, trim or glass. Very economical. Motor manufacturer approved. Also an effective heavy duty TFR.

*TWR Steam*
Low odour, hydrocarbon wax remover prevents redepositing of wax because of its unique formulation. Safer and more economical in use than paraffin and diesel, it is safe on glass and trims.

*G101*
G101 can be used for some dewaxing applications. Ideal for use on Co-polymer wax removal. A low hazard option for dewaxing.


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## RMM (Jan 9, 2014)

A&J said:


> This...of course it depends on the applied lsp but a full decon (prep for polishing) and polishing is the only way to remove lsp.
> 
> There is a topic called stripping lsp on autogeek that is worth a read. Google it.


I participated in that thread several years ago...



fozzy said:


> The beemer was stripped of everything a couple of weeks ago using just such a mix, not just altering the beading characteristics but stripped bare, it did need two goes at it mind but there was nothing left on the paint at all.
> 
> Mmm does that mean the LSP was *** ***


If you have a LSP that is stripped like that, ditch it.


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## Leebo310 (Sep 30, 2013)

RMM said:


> These urban legends linger on...
> 
> There is no car wash, APC, IPA, etc. that will remove LSPs from your car's paint: the only thing that they do is alter the beading characteristics of the LSP, masking it with surfactants and other films.
> 
> The only way to do it is using a paint cleaner or a polish (clay won't do it either).


Sorry but that cannot be true at all, otherwise any LSP would in theory last forever providing you don't polish or use a paint cleaner....

In addition, surely IPA is a type of paint cleaner anyway??


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## A&J (Mar 4, 2015)

Nope IPA wont remove anything other than maybe wax oils but wax will still remain on top.

Paint cleaners like Bilt hamber might remove most weak waxes but its a question if it will remove it 100%. 

Remember that waxes and sealants are made to be chemicaly and thermal resistant so its not so easy to remove them.


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## DrEskimo (Jan 7, 2016)

Leebo310 said:


> Sorry but that cannot be true at all, otherwise any LSP would in theory last forever providing you don't polish or use a paint cleaner....
> 
> In addition, surely IPA is a type of paint cleaner anyway??


I don't think anyone is disputing that waxes and sealants degrade over time, or even that chemicals can degrade the effectiveness of a wax. The question is as A&J says, can they completely remove them.

This is important as having a 'naked' surface when applying any new waxes or sealants is crucial to get the best performance out of them. Hence why I always try and do a final polish before re-applying anything...


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## Matt_Nic (Apr 15, 2011)

I can't see how anyone can say without a microscope whether or not they have taken off their coatings. 

Just using water behavior is nonsense. You might have affected the coating, IE roughed it up a little, but it may well be there just causing the water to move differently over the less than smooth surface.


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## lemansblue92 (Aug 6, 2015)

I used this stuff recently before applying new wax, I was happy with it. Now re-branded (2nd link)

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=230721

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=332595


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## A&J (Mar 4, 2015)

One question!

How would you know if you had completely stripped lsp? What would be your indicator?


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## PWOOD (Apr 30, 2007)

steelghost said:


> Posts001 said:
> 
> 
> > I was worried about clogging the pad/QUOTE]
> ...


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## GleemSpray (Jan 26, 2014)

G3 Body Prep Shampoo appears to successfully strip lsp, as its claimed to do.

I have used it for a while and its certainly a good strong cleaning shampoo, if nothing else. It will bring off stubborn, baked on cack from old vehicles, so it must put some dent in lsp's.


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## Loach (May 23, 2015)

I was out testing Chemical Guys Clean Slate Surface Cleanser Wash on a very fresh Meguiar's M21 2.0 and Ultimate Liquid Wax this last weekend. At 1oz per 5 gallons, the impact is pretty minimal, no major difference compared to a quick wash with Meguiar's Hyper Wash. When dumped neat out of the bottle on the paint and worked in, the drop in behaviour is more noticeable with M21, ULW still behaves strongly. Neither are anywhere near the level of how slow the water sheets off after polishing with M205, 15% IPA solution wipe, and a quick wash and rinse with Hyper Wash which is what you see at the end of the Dawn video.

These are also two sealants where if I do an extended rinse with just water to simulate a heavy rain, I'll see that water sheet get slower and slower around the 5 minute mark. This might not have anything much to do with the overall durability at all, rather just the short term surface tension which is different between many LSP's. So for anything without heavy residuals or conditioners to really attempt to convince me that it's eating into the LSP, it has to completely transform that surface tension to produce a very slow water sheet.

To be fair to Chemical Guys, they do mention the removal of "old" waxes and sealants. Everything I'm testing is very fresh except for the panels I'm doing extended durability tests on which are remaining untouched from anything but regular car soap. Overall, I wouldn't expect any IPA wipe, coating prep, or dish soap to fully remove any decent and relatively fresh sealant from the paint.


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## -Raven- (Aug 26, 2010)

Use a proper naphtha based panel wipe, and not an alcohol based one trying to pass off as a panel wipe.....

There is a reason paint and panel shops use this, it gets rid of waxes, oils, silicones, etc.


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## DJBAILEY (May 7, 2011)

I guess based on this logic that waxes and sealants cannot be chemically stripped, then we should be throwing our MF towels out after using them for LSP application/removal.

How often does one try to strip freshly applied LSP? Like never.

I'm always stripping cars that have virtually no protection or at best a lame spray wax.

Aren't we forgetting about the degreasing that these solutions provide. You are all making it sound like we're wasting our time using a heavy duty wash to prep a car.


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## mac1459 (Aug 25, 2011)

In the process of correcting my son's 18 month old Leon FR , reason for it has a dealer coating on it , rough as sand paper. Full decon ,no difference to feel off surface, so i'am machining panel by panel with Megs UC, panels now have a very smooth finish and clarity.
panels will be refined and waxed this time to suit the paint.
As a novice i've listen and read before tackling anything, then followed the advice given , to this day DW has never let me down.


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## Posts001 (Mar 17, 2009)

GleemSpray said:


> G3 Body Prep Shampoo appears to successfully strip lsp, as its claimed to do.
> 
> I have used it for a while and its certainly a good strong cleaning shampoo, if nothing else. It will bring off stubborn, baked on cack from old vehicles, so it must put some dent in lsp's.


I've just had a good read up on this, might get some for the price, plus I needed one other thing, so will at the minimum top up the 3 for 2.

Will be interesting to see what it's like


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## Dr_T (Jun 9, 2016)

used the farcela clay mitt on my bonnet yesterday and it removed the wax.


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## A&J (Mar 4, 2015)

It would be interesting to hear an opinion from wax makers here on this forum like bouncers, cipriani, wax planet, angelwax on what they think how more chemicaly resistant waxes become when you add synthetic waxes into the blend in oppose to just natural ingredients.

Also what do they think what completely strips waxes/sealants. I left coatings out on purpose because they are a whole different story.


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## Kam09 (Apr 11, 2014)

Appreciate any advise on stripping my supagard and a layer of wax?
Supagard has been on for around 2 months,wax has been on for 2 weeks..
I just want to get down to bare paint.. TIA


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## steelghost (Aug 20, 2015)

Kam09 said:


> Appreciate any advise on stripping my supagard and a layer of wax?
> Supagard has been on for around 2 months,wax has been on for 2 weeks..
> I just want to get down to bare paint.. TIA


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/111501414524 plus the same vendor sells wipes to be used in conjunction.


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## Hereisphilly (Nov 17, 2014)

Kam09 said:


> Appreciate any advise on stripping my supagard and a layer of wax?
> Supagard has been on for around 2 months,wax has been on for 2 weeks..
> I just want to get down to bare paint.. TIA


Or just an abrasive polish will do the trick

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## bigalc (Aug 7, 2014)

I bought g3 body prep shampoo just for this job and to me it seems to work very well.


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