# Your favourite paint cleaner?



## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

Not AIO, glaze, polish or cleaner wax, but straight paint cleaner...

Please list them up :thumb:


----------



## RaskyR1 (Jan 6, 2009)

Bigpikle said:


> Not AIO, glaze or cleaner wax, but straight paint cleaner...
> 
> Please list them up :thumb:


Meguiars M105/M205 for me.


----------



## drive 'n' shine (Apr 22, 2006)

Z-PC great for correcting softer paints as well

SV Pro expensive but a really nice polish/cleaner

And good old Z-HDC smells great to, always a bonus :lol:


----------



## drive 'n' shine (Apr 22, 2006)

RaskyR1 said:


> Meguiars M105/M205 for me.


#105 wouldn't call that a cleaner TBH!


----------



## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

drive 'n' shine said:


> #105 wouldn't call that a cleaner TBH!


agreed - thats some cleaning going on there :lol:


----------



## RaskyR1 (Jan 6, 2009)

drive 'n' shine said:


> #105 wouldn't call that a cleaner TBH!


Well I think that's how Meguiar's catagorizes it, M205 is actually a cleaner polish I guess. 

By "cleaner" I was assuming the OP meant any polish or compound used to remove below surface defects. 

Rasky


----------



## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

RaskyR1 said:


> Well I think that's how Meguiar's catagorizes it, M205 is actually a cleaner polish I guess.
> 
> By "cleaner" I was assuming the OP meant any polish or compound used to remove below surface defects.
> 
> Rasky


thanks - was looking at chemical cleaning products though.


----------



## RaskyR1 (Jan 6, 2009)

Bigpikle said:


> thanks - was looking at chemical cleaning products though.


haha, sorry mate! :lol:


----------



## Dipesh (Oct 12, 2007)

my fav is LPL.


----------



## Guest (Feb 6, 2009)

CL68 - ok, does leave a fine layer of acryllic sealant behind but doesn't half clean well.


----------



## akimel (Oct 25, 2008)

Meguar's Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner.

I recently purchased Sonus's Paint Work Cleanser, but I haven't used it yet.


----------



## caledonia (Sep 13, 2008)

+1 for LPL & CL68. Both fantastic products.
Cant go wrong with those 2 in you bag.
Gordon.


----------



## Schnorbitz (Aug 18, 2007)

Carlack NSC seems good to me, not tried anything else though. I guess Werkstatt Prime would be the Jeff's equivalent of that.


----------



## ahaydock (Jan 4, 2007)

Big fan of Dodo LPL here :thumb:


----------



## Bence (Dec 21, 2006)

Victoria Lite and Deep Cleanse, OPS and BHAB - surprising but the latter 2 has great chemical cleaning action.


----------



## nicp2007 (Apr 25, 2007)

lime prime & top inspection


----------



## Dream Machines (Mar 13, 2006)

Four Star Ultimate
Glare Micro Finish


----------



## pete001 (Dec 21, 2006)

Dodo LP + LPL :thumb:.

Sorry,forgot to mention Lusso Revitalizing Creme,Used it for 1st time the other day,Temp outside was 2Degrees,Real easy to apply and remove,left a finish very similar to Z HD Cleanse but much easier to work with.A fab paint cleaner IMO and great price too.


----------



## Epoch (Jul 30, 2006)

As your aware Damon it's something i have been collecting for a test myself. If i can find the right car when your next up we can test

*Cleaners*
Dodo LP
Dodo LPL
Zym0l HD-C
Swissvax CF
Meg's Deep Crystal
Victoria Lite Cleanse
Victoria Deep Cleanse
Sonus Paint cleaner or rejuvinator or something
CG Vertua Bond 408
P21s Paint cleanser

*Acrylics*
Jeffs Prime Strong
Carlack 68 NSC
CG EZ Creme Glaze
Zaino AIO

Plus anyothers i have forgotten i have collected or get before your up


----------



## Porta (Jan 3, 2007)

R-2000 paint cleaner and Fireglaze microfinishing compound.'


----------



## Serious (Mar 19, 2008)

By hand I am loving my sample of Serious Performance Paint Cleaner

By Machine, gotta be LP with polishing pad.


----------



## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

cheers guys - wide range of products being listed. 

Lots of AIO's seem popular, like the CL68 & Jeffs. I have the Jeffs Prime and Z-AIO, but need to invest in a pure cleaner. I have used LPL but didnt really like the application and MUCH preferred LP, especially by machine, as the finish it leaves is superb.

Intrigued by the P21s/R222, Sonus, Pinnacle pure cleaners & SV CF, although that is a but pricey... Look forward to trying a few with you Jon :thumb:


----------



## Scotty Pro (Nov 12, 2008)

I'm a bit intrigued by this post. what "exactly" does a paint cleaner do?
I have the Megs Deep Crystal Step 1 cleaner, and I have used it, but what are the benefits?
Does it strip everything off the paint ready for machine polishing, (when you do a normal polish) or is it a necessary step after claying.
Oh and is the Megs any good, to be honest, I cannot see what it actually does to the paint with the naked eye.


----------



## Epoch (Jul 30, 2006)

They help to remove ingrained dirt from the pores of the paint using chemical cleaners.

If you regularly clean your car and well, and it's not too old you may not see the difference as you car will not have built up much but it can help with wax bonding

Alot also have glazing oils in that help to level the surface


----------



## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

Scotty Pro said:


> I'm a bit intrigued by this post. what "exactly" does a paint cleaner do?
> I have the Megs Deep Crystal Step 1 cleaner, and I have used it, but what are the benefits?
> Does it strip everything off the paint ready for machine polishing, (when you do a normal polish) or is it a necessary step after claying.
> Oh and is the Megs any good, to be honest, I cannot see what it actually does to the paint with the naked eye.


I find paint cleaners one of the most important & rewarding steps in the process many times (except of course removing loads of swirls ) as they can really bring a little extra gloss to the paint, and most will leave a really clean, slick feeling finish. Lime Prime leaves the paint feeling incredible after a machine application :thumb: I always think that silvers and lighter colours really shine better with regular paint cleaning.

There's always a debate about the effects on durability etc when glazing oils are added, but cant really be any doubt that a super clean paint finish will only lead to the best possible wax or sealant bond IMHO.

Just interested to see what people are using these days


----------



## swiftshine (Apr 17, 2008)

Epoch said:


> Alot also have glazing oils in that help to level the surface


So when does a cleaner become a glaze?

I have LP, swissvax cleaner fluid and #7.

#7 is a glaze but LP and SVCF are cleaners that leave glazing oils, but between SVCF and #7 hand applied I didn't notice much difference. LP is a bit different as I have only used with rotary and is part polish, but is a cleaner, and a glaze.

It's all a bit confusing


----------



## Epoch (Jul 30, 2006)

Think of it as a multi part component system

Chemical cleaner - uses an active cleaner to lift dirt from the pores of the surface

Glazing oils - an oil like substance that remains in the pores coating the surface

Abrasives - use a mechanical action to clean the surface

#7 contains only oils
SV contains chemical cleaners and oils
LP conains all three (like SRP although this has semi opaque particles that build in the subsurface holes)


----------



## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

^^ I guess when it leaves some glazing oils behind. Some do, some dont, so unless you know exactly for each product, I guess its hard to say. Most products I have looked at have said they leave a glossy finish etc so are glazing in some way as well.


----------



## Scotty Pro (Nov 12, 2008)

Epoch said:


> They help to remove ingrained dirt from the pores of the paint using chemical cleaners.
> 
> If you regularly clean your car and well, and it's not too old you may not see the difference as you car will not have built up much but it can help with wax bonding
> 
> Alot also have glazing oils in that help to level the surface


So, when I have done the Megs Step 1, it leaves the surface nice, clean and level, for the CKRMG, I then apply the CK over the top of the cleaner, now, will it bond OK to the "oils" that are left by the cleaner, or is there two distinctive layers? I then of course top off with Colly 845. :thumb:
Have I got a good method or is there a gap somewhere? or am I missing something. 

Excuse the level of questioning, I might not be explaining what I mean to say.


----------



## Epoch (Jul 30, 2006)

Scotty Pro said:


> So, when I have done the Megs Step 1, it leaves the surface nice, clean and level, for the CKRMG, I then apply the CK over the top of the cleaner, now, will it bond OK to the "oils" that are left by the cleaner, or is there two distinctive layers? I then of course top off with Colly 845. :thumb:
> Have I got a good method or is there a gap somewhere? or am I missing something.
> 
> Excuse the level of questioning, I might not be explaining what I mean to say.


Yep sort of although

Megs step one cleans and leave very little on the paint

CKRMG - contains some abrasive action and chemical action which would remove anything left on the paint (Nothing in this case) and it leaves behind glazing oils (good product especially by machine)


----------



## toods (Nov 2, 2008)

Epoch said:


> --- LP conains all three (like SRP although this has semi opaque particles that build in the subsurface holes)


My understanding is that SRP also puts on a layer of sealant, so doesn't that make 4 activities?:

a.) Chemical cleaner - uses an active cleaner to lift dirt from the pores of the surface

b.) Glazing oils - an oil like substance that remains in the pores coating the surface

c.) Abrasives - use a mechanical action to clean the surface

d.) Sealant - (such as acrylic)

An interesting topic this. It's quite important to know after applying a 'cleaner' what is being left on the surface as it has implications for application of subsequent LSP layers.

I wonder where Serious Performance Paint Cleanser fits into all this.

*Bill.*


----------



## Epoch (Jul 30, 2006)

^^^ sory yes SRP does have the fourth element which is why it would be an AIO product. I was only talking about the paint cleaning bit but confused it a little

Other AIO Carlack/Zaino/Jeffs/Klasse all only have three elements (no glazimg oils) 

SRP is as far as i'm aware fairly unique.

I'd suspect the SP cleaner would be a chemical cleaner and glaze but i've not used it so don't know if it has abrasives also.


----------



## Gleammachine (Sep 8, 2007)

For me it has to be good old fashioned Z hd-cleanse, 
I have the SV cleaner fluids but see little use for them if I'm correcting the paint, I would usually IPA then go to LSP.

Most modern paint cleansers now are designed as AIO products, ie Prime, Z-aio and to be honest if I wasn't applying a [email protected] wax then I probably wouldn't use hd-cleanse due to the time consumption, but still love the finish from it over many of the other cleaners.


----------



## Serious Performance (Oct 26, 2005)

Theres *no* abrasives or glaze element in the SP Paint Cleanser.

Given our system finishes with a sealant it is primarily set up to give the best possible bonding surface for sealants (and therefore any other LSP).

Cheers .


----------



## toods (Nov 2, 2008)

Serious Performance said:


> Theres *no* abrasives or glaze element in the SP Paint Cleanser.
> 
> Given our system finishes with a sealant it is primarily set up to give the best possible bonding surface for sealants (and therefore any other LSP).
> 
> Cheers .


Thanks for that clarification. Good product to try then.

*Bill.*


----------



## Rich (Oct 26, 2005)

The best chemical paint cleaner I have on the shelf is Meguiars Medallion Paint cleaner - think they stopped making it years ago though.


----------



## Porta (Jan 3, 2007)

Megs step 1 does contains some glazing oils. I have started to use paint cleaners _before_ polishing. When the paint is clean, you will discover that the polishing part will become much smoother.

Thanks Dream machines for the tips :thumb:


----------



## Schnorbitz (Aug 18, 2007)

No abrasives in Carlack NSC either, just chemical cleaning and probably a bit of sealant so can be used as an AIO or a cleaner. Leaves a lovely, smooth surface ready for the LSP or you could easily leave it at that if you didn't have time. When I've used it on a car that I didn't clay first, I noticed it pulled out quite a lot of 'dirt' from the paint. Easy to apply, requires a little bit of working in to get the most from it but nothing like using SRP.


----------



## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

Epoch said:


> CKRMG - contains some abrasive action and chemical action which would remove anything left on the paint (Nothing in this case) and it leaves behind glazing oils (good product especially by machine)


slight correction - RMG has NO abrasives but is a petroleum based glaze that will clean only slightly by hand, but more so with the help of a machine. I'd consider it a little more of a glaze than cleaner really 

VHMG has light abrasives as well as cleaners however...


----------



## Epoch (Jul 30, 2006)

Bigpikle said:


> slight correction - RMG has NO abrasives but is a petroleum based glaze that will clean only slightly by hand, but more so with the help of a machine. I'd consider it a little more of a glaze than cleaner really
> 
> VHMG has light abrasives as well as cleaners however...


On my phone at mo but if you find the ASTRA glaze test Steve and I did RMG dulled the gloss leading us to conclude it was a little abrasive hence needing to be machine worked.


----------



## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

Epoch said:


> On my phone at mo but if you find the ASTRA glaze test Steve and I did RMG dulled the gloss leading us to conclude it was a little abrasive hence needing to be machine worked.


thats a very interesting finding Jon - I have never seen any effect and my bottle has 'contains no abrasives' on the label???


----------



## swiftshine (Apr 17, 2008)

Epoch said:


> On my phone at mo but if you find the ASTRA glaze test Steve and I did RMG dulled the gloss leading us to conclude it was a little abrasive hence needing to be machine worked.





Bigpikle said:


> thats a very interesting finding Jon - I have never seen any effect and my bottle has 'contains no abrasives' on the label???


Could there be other factors at play that would reduce the gloss evidenced with the glossmeter other than abrasives?


----------



## Summit Detailing (Oct 9, 2006)

I'm working my way through a 2nd bottle of the RaceGlaze Paint Cleaner @ work...really good stuff, much easier to use than the HDC which went before it & leaves a nice finish prior to adding LSP of choice:thumb:


----------



## CleanYourCar (Jan 23, 2006)

Bigpikle said:


> thats a very interesting finding Jon - I have never seen any effect and my bottle has 'contains no abrasives' on the label???


It's a very oily glaze, so my guess is it's adding a true glaze to the paint which might not have the shine that a product such as Carlack NSC gives, but the oils give the effect through a paint gauge of dulling it. By dulling though, only in the sense of adding wetness which are the real characteristics of RMG in my opinion.


----------



## sal329 (Jun 27, 2008)

DG 501 and Prima Amigo


----------



## Epoch (Jul 30, 2006)

swiftshine said:


> Could there be other factors at play that would reduce the gloss evidenced with the glossmeter other than abrasives?





CleanYourCar said:


> It's a very oily glaze, so my guess is it's adding a true glaze to the paint which might not have the shine that a product such as Carlack NSC gives, but the oils give the effect through a paint gauge of dulling it. By dulling though, only in the sense of adding wetness which are the real characteristics of RMG in my opinion.


Could be filling oils as a property, as Tim says it's no bad thing just a finding


----------



## Bence (Dec 21, 2006)

Rich said:


> The best chemical paint cleaner I have on the shelf is Meguiars Medallion Paint cleaner - think they stopped making it years ago though.


It's still on Meg's UK site...


----------



## Gleammachine (Sep 8, 2007)

sal329 said:


> DG 501 and Prima Amigo


DG 501 is primarily an all in one polish/sealant, whilst it does have mild chemical cleaners it's main function is to protect gel coats or similar.:thumb:


----------



## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

sounds like loads of different opinions about paint cleaners in general, and what everyone uses as a paint cleaner 

Anyone used the P21s/R222 cleaner or the Sonus and Pinnacle cleaners?


----------



## drive 'n' shine (Apr 22, 2006)

Bigpikle said:


> Anyone used the P21s/R222 cleaner or the Sonus and Pinnacle cleaners?


I've used P21s (about 2 - 3 years ago) but TBH can't remember what it was like :lol: But I do know it went off so doesn't have a very long shelf life


----------



## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

thanks Bryan - thats interesting. I think I used a bit ay Jon's the other week but we tried a few and cant quite remember exactly which ones  All were very easy to use though and left a great finish.

Its time for a new one and I cant decide which to go for this time :lol:


----------



## Epoch (Jul 30, 2006)

You did like the P21s IIRC


----------



## MAXI-MILAN (Oct 26, 2008)

my favourite pre-wax
1-p21s pre-wax 
2-zym0l HD-cleans 
3-swissol CF pre-wax


----------



## dotnetdave (Aug 31, 2007)

I have the following in my collection damon

Duragloss pre-cleaner no2
LP - has abrasives and galzing oil
LPL - has glazing oil
Megs DC1
HD Cleanse

I use duragloss when i am putting down a complete dugragloss finish, LP by machine if i want a little correction doing, LPL if putting down a wax finish. I dont tend to use DC1 or HD Cleanse anymore.


----------



## MAXI-MILAN (Oct 26, 2008)

Bigpikle said:


> sounds like loads of different opinions about paint cleaners in general, and what everyone uses as a paint cleaner
> 
> Anyone used the P21s/R222 cleaner or the Sonus and Pinnacle cleaners?


yes, p21s cleaners very easy wipe on- wipe off , the result bright shine and wettnes and the car look like made from fiberglass!


----------



## hallett (May 22, 2008)

quick question, after i have fully corrected a car would there be any need to go over with a paint cleaner, wouldn't an IPA wipedown leave the suface perfect for applying the LSP


----------



## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

hallett said:


> quick question, after i have fully corrected a car would there be any need to go over with a paint cleaner, wouldn't an IPA wipedown leave the suface perfect for applying the LSP


some people like to add a paint cleaner step as many contain glazing oils so do add a little to the finish, ahead of waxing. Personal choice though, as many go straight from machining to wax.


----------



## Epoch (Jul 30, 2006)

I always liked to think of it as;

Polishes clean through abrasive action (this is good for surface cleaning)

Paint cleaners clean through chemical action (this is better for deep pore cleaning)


----------



## Schnorbitz (Aug 18, 2007)

Found a pic of Carlack NSC in action. Car in the picture was not clayed, but still it shows how much it pulls out of the paint...


----------



## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Carlack has to be in mine, as does SRP. The Finish Kare 215 is great too, but I struggled by hand with it. Via DA is amazing stuff!

I quite liked Cleaner Fluid too, when I was using BOS.


----------



## Bence (Dec 21, 2006)

Yes, the 215 is tuned for machine application. Excellent with a rotary or DA.


----------



## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

Bence said:


> Yes, the 215 is tuned for machine application. Excellent with a rotary or DA.


how does it compare to PS Bence? I have a sample bottle of 215 but havent used it yet...


----------



## Bence (Dec 21, 2006)

The 215 corrects more and has the FK trademark bright look. In fact, when I used it a Heather Mist metallic Accord (silver with a golden hue), the owner said it was far more silvery with the 215 than with the previous Zaino Z2Pro/Z8 combo. Talk about "optical clarity"...

OPS is deeper, thanks to the carnauba in it.


----------



## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

Bence said:


> The 215 corrects more and has the FK trademark bright look. In fact, when I used it a Heather Mist metallic Accord (silver with a golden hue), the owner said it was far more silvery with the 215 than with the previous Zaino Z2Pro/Z8 combo. Talk about "optical clarity"...
> 
> OPS is deeper, thanks to the carnauba in it.


thanks Bence - I can see that FK215-FK1000 would really suit silvers and similar colours :thumb:

I'm going to try PS on the deep red pearl of the Audi as I think it will suit that colour and try the 215-1000 on the grey/silver of the Saab. I like the brighter look on that colour so it looks a bit more silver than battleship grey :thumb:


----------



## -Kev- (Oct 30, 2007)

ive recently tried the serious performance paint cleanser in a comparason against lime prime lite, both gave great results however the lime prime prime lite gave a slightly wetter look IMO, whereas the sp paint cleanser seemed a little easier to apply/buff off. have a look here for my review and some pics:

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=104853

:thumb:


----------



## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

fiestadetailer said:


> ive recently tried the serious performance paint cleanser in a comparason against lime prime lite, both gave great results however the lime prime prime lite gave a slightly wetter look IMO, whereas the sp paint cleanser seemed a little easier to apply/buff off. have a look here for my review and some pics:
> 
> http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=104853
> 
> :thumb:


read the review - in it you say the SP cleaner is a little wetter though?


----------



## -Kev- (Oct 30, 2007)

Bigpikle said:


> read the review - in it you say the SP cleaner is a little wetter though?


did i? :wall: got that around the wrong way, its deffo the LPL that looks slightly better.


----------



## Nickos (Apr 27, 2006)

Bence said:


> The 215 corrects more and has the FK trademark bright look. In fact, when I used it a Heather Mist metallic Accord (silver with a golden hue), the owner said it was far more silvery with the 215 than with the previous Zaino Z2Pro/Z8 combo. Talk about "optical clarity"...
> 
> OPS is deeper, thanks to the carnauba in it.


Excellent, will bash out the flex next weekend and check it out! (got a bottle of the 215 when i ordered the 2685 and 425)

(bloomin eck, sounds like a take out order!)


----------



## -Kev- (Oct 30, 2007)

Nickos said:


> Excellent, will bash out the flex next weekend and check it out! (got a bottle of the 215 when i ordered the 2685 and 425)
> *
> (bloomin eck, sounds like a take out order!)[/*QUOTE]
> 
> :lol:


----------



## The Doctor (Sep 11, 2007)

Gotta say my favourite has to be Swissvax Cleaner Fluid. Seems to give the paint clarity and brightness although its pretty much like LSP's, theres not a huge difference in any of them looks wise.


----------



## CupraRcleanR (Sep 2, 2007)

The Doctor said:


> Gotta say my favourite has to be Swissvax Cleaner Fluid. Seems to give the paint clarity and brightness although its pretty much like LSP's, theres not a huge difference in any of them looks wise.


Same here. Find its easy of use great. Zym0l HD was a right pain for me tho.


----------



## m0bov (May 2, 2007)

CK RMG has chemical cleaners in.


----------



## RedCloudMC (Jul 19, 2008)

R222 Gloss enhancing paint cleaner? Still one of my faves.

Cheers :thumb:


----------

