# how to strip wax off car when polishing??



## vxrjust (Nov 8, 2010)

if a car is waxed and you want to strip it off to polish it how would you go about doing it? or can you polish over the wax?? :S


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## johnnyguitar (Mar 24, 2010)

Polishing will remove the wax.


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## -Kev- (Oct 30, 2007)

what johnny said. claying first to remove contaminents will remove a degree of the wax as well, but not all of it


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## vxrjust (Nov 8, 2010)

ah... im understanding it more now


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## stangalang (Nov 27, 2009)

vxrjust said:


> if a car is waxed and you want to strip it off to polish it how would you go about doing it? or can you polish over the wax?? :S


When you say polish, do you ACTUALLY mean polishing? As in machine polishing with abrassives? If so then as the boys said above, the clay and machining combined will sort it. If by polishing you mean glazing with something like blackhole it wont sit on the wax and is a waste of time, the wax must be dead first:thumb:


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## vxrjust (Nov 8, 2010)

so how would i go about stripping it totally


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## -Kev- (Oct 30, 2007)

vxrjust said:


> so how would i go about stripping it totally


clay and polish


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## stangalang (Nov 27, 2009)

vxrjust said:


> so how would i go about stripping it totally


a series of strong pre washes, with something like apc, then a contact wash with a very strong ahampoo then a very thorough claying will at least get rid of a lot of it. What wax is on it?


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## vxrjust (Nov 8, 2010)

ag HD wax...... could you give me examples of strong shampoos and pre cleansers to strip it off


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## stangalang (Nov 27, 2009)

Do you have a machine for polishing?


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## Avanti (Jan 17, 2006)

vxrjust said:


> ag HD wax...... could you give me examples of strong shampoos and pre cleansers to strip it off


heh heh , it will be interesting to learn the results, as AG HD is pretty damn robust and not sure why you are ignoring the good and correct advise already suggested to you in the thread


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## bigmc (Mar 22, 2010)

Daisy all purpose cleaner from tesco, then your normal shampoo at 3 or 4 times normal strength should strip it.


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## -Kev- (Oct 30, 2007)

you wont need a paint cleanser if your machine polishing. 
if your machine polishing, clay then polish. if your not machine polishing clay first then either paint cleanser (lots to pick from, all do the trick tbh), or polish by hand. most waxes will put up with a strong wash..


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## vxrjust (Nov 8, 2010)

stangalang said:


> Do you have a machine for polishing?


yes ive got a das6 pro which i got the other week  im new to this but am really enthusiastic and wanna get pretty good and maybe take it further


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## vxrjust (Nov 8, 2010)

thanks alot guys i hope im not annoying you all lol!


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## stangalang (Nov 27, 2009)

vxrjust said:


> yes ive got a das6 pro which i got the other week  im new to this but am really enthusiastic and wanna get pretty good and maybe take it further


Well then as stated claying then machining will be ok. My original point was if you were not machining THEN you may struggle removing the old wax:thumb:


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## vxrjust (Nov 8, 2010)

ah ok cheers


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## Avanti (Jan 17, 2006)

vxrjust said:


> thanks alot guys i hope im not annoying you all lol!


heh heh , I doubt you are annoying anybody, there are techniques that definately work and wives tales that don't (for those that care to try it) :thumb:
The wax you put on to protect your car from the elements and other factors of daily use, is simply not going to wash away without solvents like anti freeze , I have AG HD and is as robust as waxes come and will last many months :thumb:


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## vxrjust (Nov 8, 2010)

Avanti said:


> heh heh , I doubt you are annoying anybody, there are techniques that definately work and wives tales that don't (for those that care to try it) :thumb:
> The wax you put on to protect your car from the elements and other factors of daily use, is simply not going to wash away without solvents like anti freeze , I have AG HD and is as robust as waxes come and will last many months :thumb:


thanks alot mate youve been a great help! im still reading up and trying to take all of this onboard!  theres so much to know!! lmao


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## Avanti (Jan 17, 2006)

vxrjust said:


> thanks alot mate youve been a great help! im still reading up and trying to take all of this onboard!  theres so much to know!! lmao


As you are going to polish anyway, then you can try the experiment.
In 2011 I will buy some APC and a bottle of fairy liquid and video pouring both all over my bonnet (I can't do it this year as my new years resolution was to not buy any products as I have loads, there is only 6 weeks to go, I will video the event ) :thumb:


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## vxrjust (Nov 8, 2010)

so i pour them on and what do i look for??


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## Avanti (Jan 17, 2006)

vxrjust said:


> so i pour them on and what do i look for??


Well a product that will do it is halfords value wash cost a fiver for 5 litres (it is designed to strip wax in prep for polishing), what I have observed is that when wax is coming off from a solution is that it goes slimy and you can feel it as you dry the panels, the rinse water has a much higher viscosity.


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## RCZ (Aug 13, 2010)

I'm in a similar position to vxrjust except I DON'T have a machine polisher.

I got a new car in Sept (flat white). Initially I used AG HD Wax and then 6 weeks later added a coat of AB Addiction wax. I've been advised that a sealant would be better in winter for a white car so I've ordered some jett trigger.

My prep plan was going to be:
Snow foam
2BM with Washing up liquid
Clay 
AG SRP
Sealant

Two questions though. 
1. Is that a decent way of stripping the wax before applying the jett?
2. As the wax still seems to be causing beading, should I wait until the beading dissipates and then apply the sealant (following whatever pre-prep you guys advise). :wave:


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## youdsym3 (Aug 4, 2009)

use IPA to strip off existing LSP. that will def shift the old layer(s) of wax/sealant, leaving a good base to cleanse and then re-apply fresh LSP


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## RCZ (Aug 13, 2010)

Like this?


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## scoobyman (Jun 8, 2008)

washing up liquid:thumb:


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## Dixondmn (Oct 12, 2007)

scoobyman said:


> washing up liquid:thumb:


Doesnt washing up liquid contain salt?

I know youre planning to polish the car, but theres no point in putting more scratches on it.


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## bigmc (Mar 22, 2010)

dixon75 said:


> Doesnt washing up liquid contain salt?
> 
> I know youre planning to polish the car, but theres no point in putting more scratches on it.


:wall::wall: Again no it don't, it won't scratch either as it's not abrasive.


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## RCZ (Aug 13, 2010)

bigmc said:


> :wall::wall: Again no it don't, it won't scratch either as it's not abrasive.


So I'm ok to use it? I was thinking of leaving it a few weeks until I'm seeing less evidence of beading and then with the regime I've outlined, surely all the wax will be gone. Don't ask me why, I'm certainly not a chemist, but IPA seems potentially more aggressive to paintwork than Fairy liquid.


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## scoobyman (Jun 8, 2008)

RCZ said:


> So I'm ok to use it? I was thinking of leaving it a few weeks until I'm seeing less evidence of beading and then with the regime I've outlined, surely all the wax will be gone. Don't ask me why, I'm certainly not a chemist, but IPA seems potentially more aggressive to paintwork than Fairy liquid.


was it down with petrol:car::devil:


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## johnnyguitar (Mar 24, 2010)

Just replace all of the panels with brand new ones.


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## bigmc (Mar 22, 2010)

RCZ said:


> So I'm ok to use it? I was thinking of leaving it a few weeks until I'm seeing less evidence of beading and then with the regime I've outlined, surely all the wax will be gone. Don't ask me why, I'm certainly not a chemist, but IPA seems potentially more aggressive to paintwork than Fairy liquid.


Yes it's absolutely fine it just takes a bit of rinsing because it's oily, I use it on mine. IPA evaporates and is equally fine.


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## Dixondmn (Oct 12, 2007)

bigmc said:


> :wall::wall: Again no it don't, it won't scratch either as it's not abrasive.


err yes it does. you might have heard it called Sodium Chloride.

Your choice though dude, I wouldn't use it on my paintwork, its just unecessary.

its akin to treading dirt into your lounge carpet before you do the hoovering.


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## bigmc (Mar 22, 2010)

Err no it doesn't, it might be in the raw ingredients but not in the final product. NaCl (sodium chloride) is used to make Sodium laureth sulphate which breaks the NaCl bond into Na+Cl. It's then made into CH3(CH2)10CH2(OCH2CH2)nOSO3NaC11+nH23+4nNaO4+nS or sodium laurel sulphate.


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## johnnyguitar (Mar 24, 2010)

It also contains sodium laureth sulphate as well and I imagine that they are both in solution, so they should - in theory - not be abrasive.

There you go - beat me to it /\


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## jacob12_1993 (Nov 15, 2010)

Have you ever rubbed fairy liquid in your hands? If so it would be pretty obvious that there is no abrasives in it that will damage your paintwork.


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## RCZ (Aug 13, 2010)

Not sure it's an issue of abrasion (but polishes have abrasives in) or corrosion, but either way, I've asked a mate who has a chemistry degree and he says: 

"It does contain salt, but only to thicken the liquid. It is a complicated thickening process that involves maybe 2% salt."

So the question is, given it's safe to use as a one off, will natural wear/weathering + washing up liquid + clay + SRP remove the wax?


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## bigmc (Mar 22, 2010)

^^ yes


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## RCZ (Aug 13, 2010)

Funny that what I would have thought would be a common problem for people who like to try different LSPs , hasn't been definitively resolved. A search on Google throws up threads with the same discussions going on


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## details (May 13, 2009)

HD wax has massive amounts of silicone in hence the durable finish and it being difficult to remove. Id start with a foam bath containing a strong mix of snow foam and apc next the usual 2bm with normal shampoo, clay and then any remains removed by an ipa wipe down. If you have to use fairy liquid I would apply as a foam bath rather than adding to a wash bucket.


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## -Raven- (Aug 26, 2010)

vxrjust said:


> yes ive got a das6 pro which i got the other week  im new to this but am really enthusiastic and wanna get pretty good and maybe take it further


Now, for stripping wax..... as all others have mentioned! :thumb:

Depending on the condition of your paintwork, an abrasive polish for when you got swirls, or a paint cleanser for when the paint is good, both will remove all your old wax ready for another fresh coat of new wax.

Either way I choose to go, I like to use a good mix of CG citrus wash and gloss for the wash before polishing, this strips wax when mixed strong. Washing up liquid does the same. Claying will remove a bit too, as others have mentioned.


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## AFK_Matrix (Aug 27, 2010)

I am going to be using P1 by Getechniq soon by hand and will be doing a panel at a time. I have Megs 16 on it at the moment but it will be around 4-5 months old by the time I get to start polishing. So if I wash with a strong APC, clay it and then use P1 by hand I should get all the wax of ready for a nice coat of C2??


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## bigmc (Mar 22, 2010)

^^ Yes that will work.


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## Carshine (Nov 11, 2009)

I'd say you could go for a strong dillution with any kind of degreaser.
Like Bilt-Hamber Surfex HD.


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## RCZ (Aug 13, 2010)

Got some Asda liquid APC. How much do you shove in the bucket for wax removal?


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## gobrigavitch (Jun 21, 2011)

I have a similar question to the original. I am new to detailing and just put a sealant on my car a week ago or so. I want to clay bar then polish. Do I need to do anything to strip the sealant first? Will the clay still work if I don't remove the sealant first?


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## -Kev- (Oct 30, 2007)

claying and polishing will remove it anyway


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## gobrigavitch (Jun 21, 2011)

-Kev- said:


> claying and polishing will remove it anyway


I was just wondering if the sealant I applied last week would cover the impurities on the paint and prevent the clay from grabbing them. I guess I'm imagining trying to clean something under a layer of plastic wrap. From what I'm gathering the clay will work equally well even with a sealant on the paint.


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## Carshine (Nov 11, 2009)

The clay will remove any wax or sealant.


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## james_death (Aug 9, 2010)

Clay will not always remove any wax and sealant, a cleanser would or should remove it as stated a clay and a polishing (machine session should) clay will not as i have confirmed...

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=207075

And...

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=207069


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## Carshine (Nov 11, 2009)

If you use aggressive clay...there won't be much protection left. Just tested on my bonnet..


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## james_death (Aug 9, 2010)

Carshine said:


> If you use aggressive clay...there won't be much protection left. Just tested on my bonnet..


The one i use was Bilt Hamber Regular which is strong...:thumb:


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## Ninja59 (Feb 17, 2009)

APC with SF, rinse,SF, wash 2bm i dont find a need to be stupidly strong, usual rinse down, dry then tardis and Wolfs DI, (not together), clay job's a gooden the last three stages will almost defnitely kill any wax and polishing if doing it with abrasives will naturally kill the wa


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## John @ PB (Aug 25, 2010)

Tardis will strip pretty much any protection almost immediately. 

It won't strip nano-tech sealants but will, I believe, interfere with their operation.


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