# Paint Cleaner Before Machining



## Apex (Aug 29, 2009)

In the near future I have got a white fairly oxidised VW Polo to machine. As far as I know it has single stage paint, I have read a couple of articles that suggest using a paint cleaner before the machine stage as it makes polishing easier and prevents pads clogging etc. I have Jeffs Prime and was thinking of trying this. Anybody else have a view or advice?


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## lowejackson (Feb 23, 2006)

I would consider using a paint cleaner before polishing if the paintwork is not great


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## bigslippy (Sep 19, 2010)

lowejackson said:


> I would consider using a paint cleaner before polishing if the paintwork is not great


+1:thumb:


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## DMH-01 (Mar 29, 2011)

Apex said:


> I have Jeffs Prime and was thinking of trying this. Anybody else have a view or advice?


Werkstat Prime is a very good cleanser :thumb:


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## s.bailey (Mar 2, 2012)

DMH-01 said:


> Werkstat Prime is a very good cleanser :thumb:


As said, yes if you have it use it Prime is a great cleanser and good base for an LSP on top, preferably Acrylic Jett but any sealant really.!


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## Mirror Finish Details (Aug 21, 2008)

Bit of a waste of time, you just need to keep cleaning your pads often, they will get knackered anyway. The polish will clean the paint anyway.


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## cheekymonkey (Mar 15, 2008)

I always use a paint cleaner before i machine polish, does make it easier and quicker, pads last longer and there is a lot less chance of marring.


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## cheekymonkey (Mar 15, 2008)

I remember a few years ago there was a thread on autogeeks where a guy used a paint cleaner after he had polished and the white pad was almost black. makes sence to remove it first


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## deegan1979 (Mar 6, 2012)

cheekymonkey said:


> I always use a paint cleaner before i machine polish, does make it easier and quicker, pads last longer and there is a lot less chance of marring.


Would I need to use a paint cleaner on 4 year old good condition paint after a full decon prior to correction using p1? Thanks


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## gally (May 25, 2008)

Me and Type-r had this discussion a good year ago.

Why would you want to get you polishing pad dirty? It's there to remove defects and clearcoat sort of, not dirt.


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## deegan1979 (Mar 6, 2012)

gally said:


> Me and Type-r had this discussion a good year ago.
> 
> Why would you want to get you polishing pad dirty? It's there to remove defects and clearcoat sort of, not dirt.


That's what I thought , after tar and fallout treatment then clay, surely the paint should be clean enough to go straight to polishing


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## cheekymonkey (Mar 15, 2008)

deegan1979 said:


> Would I need to use a paint cleaner on 4 year old good condition paint after a full decon prior to correction using p1? Thanks


yes i would it can collect a lot of crap in months no mind years.
if i had a brand new car to do i would still use a cleaner. I class it as my final part of the decon. I found a lake white polishing pad best plus you can see the dirt you have removed.


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## cheekymonkey (Mar 15, 2008)

gally said:


> Me and Type-r had this discussion a good year ago.
> 
> Why would you want to get you polishing pad dirty? It's there to remove defects and clearcoat sort of, not dirt.


Another point is some of that dirt can be of a abrasive type so can mar the paint. your better of starting with as clean as possible paint IMO.


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## Mirror Finish Details (Aug 21, 2008)

I give up, I wash my pad after every panel anyway, so a white pad would never be black.

Each to their own, but a paint cleaner is really a waste of time.

Or after 7 years doing this I have got it wrong??


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## cheekymonkey (Mar 15, 2008)

Mirror Finish Details said:


> I give up, I wash my pad after every panel anyway, so a white pad would never be black.
> 
> Each to their own, but a paint cleaner is really a waste of time.
> 
> Or after 7 years doing this I have got it wrong??


no ones said your wrong and 7 years isn't that long TBH. 
the white pad was left to get as black as it could to show all the dirt left after polishing. Now if you have tried it and can say it doesn't work then we are all willing to listen. the proof i have seen shows it does make a difference. :thumb:


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## Mirror Finish Details (Aug 21, 2008)

paint cleaners have no grunt, just a bit of abrasive, and most need the paint to be clean first, mainly door shuts etc.

If you wash the car well firstly, and I mean a good old fairy liquid wash, clay, de tarr and Iron X then the paint should be super clean. Yes Fairy liquid, you will only use it one but really cleans the car. Mike Phillips when he washes a car uses detergent and a brush to clena a car prior to machining, he does not faff about with the 2 bucket method. In his book he just gets stuck in and cleans the car.
Just get stuck in and clean the pad every panel as I do, I just spin it on the machine then till slightly damp then carry on.


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## cheekymonkey (Mar 15, 2008)

Mirror Finish Details said:


> paint cleaners have no grunt, just a bit of abrasive, and most need the paint to be clean first, mainly door shuts etc.
> 
> If you wash the car well firstly, and I mean a good old fairy liquid wash, clay, de tarr and Iron X then the paint should be super clean. Yes Fairy liquid, you will only use it one but really cleans the car. Mike Phillips when he washes a car uses detergent and a brush to clena a car prior to machining, he does not faff about with the 2 bucket method. In his book he just gets stuck in and cleans the car.
> Just get stuck in and clean the pad every panel as I do, I just spin it on the machine then till slightly damp then carry on.


nether fairy liquid, clay de tar or iron x remove the ground in dirt or stains the car paint quires through normal daily use. a paint cleaner does remove this sort of dirt and staining leaving a polish do do its job, which is removing defects not dirt. even if you wash your pads after every panel the gritty type dirt you pick up at the start of the next panel is there until you finish that panel. 
there are a lot better detergents to use on paint then fairy liquid. they clean better and are a lot kinder to the paint. And i dont care if the queen washes her car with 1 bucket, its wrong to me always use 2 buckets. you may run water over your pad after every panel but i change mine after every panel, then clean them properly after i've finished, but thats me


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## DavieB (Aug 14, 2009)

cheekymonkey said:


> yes i would it can collect a lot of crap in months no mind years.
> if i had a brand new car to do i would still use a cleaner. I class it as my final part of the decon. I found a lake white polishing pad best plus you can see the dirt you have removed.


So you machine polish your car with a white lake country pad to clean, before starting your polishing

That doesn't make sense to me as you are still polishing the car.


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## cheekymonkey (Mar 15, 2008)

DavieB said:


> So you machine polish your car with a white lake country pad to clean, before starting your polishing
> 
> That doesn't make sense to me as you are still polishing the car.


why bother de taring as polish will remove tar same with claying and de con. the polish will remove most of it if not all.
we de tar,clay and de con to leave the paint cleaner to polish, well there is still ground in dirt so why leave that, if you paint clense before you remove all the ground in dirt and stains leaving the paint perfectly clean to polish. it has been proven that polish wont remove all the ground in dirt. i have also tryed it myself and found dirt still on the paint after polishing.


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## Apex (Aug 29, 2009)

Thanks guys for the response's, I see there are differing points of view on this which is why I asked the question. I will try a with and without paint cleaner and see if it makes any difference and let you know the result. I will do a couple of test panels next weekend.:thumb:


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## great gonzo (Nov 4, 2010)

I can also see both sides here. 
On one hand I'm thinking polishing is removing a layer of clear coat so surly it's removing the dirt with it?
On the other hand tar and iron sticks like glue to the clear coat and doesn't always come off with a polish. 
I'm standing on the fence, but to be honest I would never use a paint cleaner before I machine polish.


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## cheekymonkey (Mar 15, 2008)

great gonzo said:


> I can also see both sides here.
> On one hand I'm thinking polishing is removing a layer of clear coat so surly it's removing the dirt with it?
> On the other hand tar and iron sticks like glue to the clear coat and doesn't always come off with a polish.
> I'm standing on the fence, but to be honest I would never use a paint cleaner before I machine polish.


try it you'll see the benefits if you dont you will never know


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## great gonzo (Nov 4, 2010)

I'm always up for trying new things, that's why i like detailing so much. A few years ago I would have said "wash mitts and drying towels"nahhh what's wrong with a sponge and an old leather.


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