IPA Wipedown... How Do You Do Them?

[ShawnF350]

I've never done an IPA Wipe Down had a few questions:


1) What Type alcohol am I looking for and where is the best place to get it?
2)What percent is best to use and/or do I dilute it?
3) What media do I use for the wipe down. Microfiber towels?
4) Do most detailers do an IPA after polishing? When should an IPA be done?

Any help appreciated.
I usually just use Meguiar's Final Inspection after wiping off polish before applying the LSP.

 

[Jesse@Autopia]

IPA wipe downs are usually done before applying a coating, or if you want to have a completely clean surface before applying an LSP. There are a couple different ones to use, my favorite so far is the BLACKFIRE Crystal Coat Paint Prep. Also Mike Phillips has an in depth review on what you actually need to make an IPA solution yourself, here is the link: How to Mix IPA for Inspecting Correction Results

 

[Accumulator]

I've never done an IPA Wipe Down had a few questions:


1) What Type alcohol am I looking for and where is the best place to get it?

IPA = Rubbing Alcohol; buy the strongest you can find (though that's not critical) and buy it wherever it's cheapest.

2)What percent is best to use and/or do I dilute it?

I forget which I bought the last time..IMO it's not critical. I use it straight but others dilute it, presumably so it doesn't flash off as fast and thus dwells on the paint longer.

3) What media do I use for the wipe down. Microfiber towels?

Yes, MFs.

4) Do most detailers do an IPA after polishing? When should an IPA be done?

Beats me what others do

Noting that I found IPA to be only moderately effective at stripping polishing oils (I *vastly* products made for that like AkyraClean/PrepWash), I use it if/when a) I want to ensure that the next product bonds to bare paint and/or b) to remove polishing oils to aid in accurate inspection/assessment.

I usually just use Meguiar's Final Inspection after wiping off polish before applying the LSP.

M34 is one of the few QDs I *always* have on hand, but it doesn't work for this as a) it's far to gentle a cleaner to remove many/most Polishing Oils and b) it leaves a little bit of something behind. What I *DO* like using M34 for is helping remove non-diminishing abrasive compound (e.g., M105) residue; it makes it a little easier to get the residue off without more micro-marring (remember that those products *always* cut since they don't break down).

If you don't care about stripping the Polishing Oils, then there's nothing wrong with using the M34 for, well...wiping down for the Final Inspection. But to strip oils you need something else.

 

[TheMeanGreen]

I do an IPA wipe down after compound/polish removal and before glazing/LSP. I use 91% or whatever is the strongest, then dilute to 50/50 water:alcohol. I find that it works well and let's me see the actual paint without oils.

Oh, and I carefully mist the area I am working on, I do not apply the IPA right to the MF towel.

 

[Accumulator]

Oh, and I carefully mist the area I am working on, I do not apply the IPA right to the MF towel.

That's a good point! Spritzing it on the paint makes for a longer dwell-time and also helps minimize the chance of marring.

 

[RaysWay]

I like the Arctic White MF towels for an IPA wipedown. Super soft, no linting, low pile so it's not grabby. It's very "silky" and glides across the paint but still absorbs the IPA well.

 

[4u2nvinmtl]

I ended up going with Eraser because I saw a few posts about IPA causing the paint to "swell" and because of Accumulator (J/K), Really it was because Eraser is most commonly used after polishing before applying a coating to ensure the surface is clean.

- If it's good enough for certified coating installers it's good enough for me.