Defacto Zano prep, advise from Sal

Deanski

Deanski

STUTTGART'S FINEST
OK guys, it looks like we are missing one very important step in Zaino prep and application.



You MUST wash the cars finish AFTER ANY polish application prior to the application of Zaino!



All polishes, doen't matter who's it is contain some form of oil. Be aware of this when you get ready for your Zaino application, just wash the finish again.



Since Zaino cannot bond to finishes with oil, wash the car prior to applying your Zaino! Sounds simple enough now?



This information is per verbal with Sal Zaino!



I can say I'm guilty of this, as I went staight to Zaino after polishing. Once I polish again, I will wash the car prior to the application of Zaino.



Another item I found out is due to the nature of MF towels, rubbing them on a finish creates static! I proved this on my car this weekend. Therefore, when I remove products, I'm using the cotton towels I have first. I was wondering why I had dust attraction so soon, well, this was the answer! Once I removed the charge off the finish, no dust!



Thought I'd pass along the wisdom of Sal!!
 
Wow! Thanks for that work, Deanski.

BTW, anybody who's concerned about getting honest-to-goodness 100% cotton towels, I'd strongly recommend the Autopia Concours Buffing Towel. Awesome towel!
 
So I should purchase a bottle of the Zaino car shampoo and use it after any zaino application or does any car shampoo work?
 
Any shampoo would work but Z7 works the best. It actually contain some of the Zaino polishes' polymer and makes the finish look like you just applied a coat of Z2 or Z5. Fantastic car shampoo that I use on all my vehicle. Zaino protected or not.



I am not sure I agree with Sal about static creation by MF's. I have recently converted back to Zaino ( new formula :xyxthumbs) on my Z28 and used MF's ( PakShak, DF Towel and MicrofiberTech). My dust attraction was absolutely zero in my garage and work parking lot. Cotton towels are less likely to be statically charged than MF's but if you dry on low heat and allow to discharge after washing/drying static within the MF should be non-existent.
 
Lynn

What happened to the "Made in the U.S.A" 100% cotton, being the standard to follow when purchasing cotton towels?

Have you become an Autopian sales rep?
 
Well, I know Zaino swears by 100% made-in-USA cotton towels. But I just never had great results with them; fairly often got streaking when using the Zaino QD. Lots of folks use MFs happily, and I tried that too. When I bought the Klasse kit from Autopia, it included the CBT, and I used it for Z2 removal and QD. I was awed at its softness, absorbency, and streak-free performance. I understand that the DFTowel is about the same as the Autopia CBT, and I actually started to mention it in the above post; but I hesitated, since I haven't used one myself.



As for whom I'm hawking for: Well, definitely Autopia, Zaino, S100, EF, Meguiar's, Mothers, 1Z, Plexus, 303, PakShak, Poorboys, MF Tech, and .... hmmm ... I know there are more. I just can't think of them at the moment. When I find a product that works for me, I talk about it. Can't help myself. :D
 
I find Z7 not be strong enough to remove some of the oils and fillers left behind by polishes. That why I go with blue Ultra Dawn.
 
Your right about oil removal with Dawn!



Z7 is great between and after Zaino, but after polish, you MUST remove ALL oils so Zaino can bond properly.



MF towels seem fine, but I found a "natural" MF towel from DFTOWELS. I ordered one to test. Sal has been testing the towel as well as a replacement for cotton. Cotton towels if not the "high-end" brands tend to keep detergent in them more so than others. Detergent removal is paramount for use of cotton towels, and yes if you dry them in the dryer till they are really dry, more static than you can make with MF. But MF towels still have a static charge when you wipe. If they are used damp or used with a QD, no static.



Sal is just reminding people that prior to applying the product, you MUST have a oil-free finish for best results.



One other thing that he pointed out is the "topping" of Carnuba on Zaino. Problem is the silicon used in most carnuba as oils actually eat into the Zaino. The carnuba wax binders, mostly silicon or other oils try to make there way to the paint. In doing so, it will break the bond with Zaino. Think of Zaino as a chain-link fence. Although tough, it can be penetrated by the wax oils. Yes it looks good. An example, two people with jet-black hair, one natural, the other having grease in it. Yes it may look better, but more maintenance. Anyway, I'm not topping it anymore. If I want Souveran, I'll use it straight. Too bad, as it does look nice with it on, oh well, lesson learned.



It's up to you if you still want to top Zaino, but as Sal pointed out, it does have its drawbacks.



Those in doubt, ask Sal yourself!



Just remember, polish, wash, Zaino!



Regards,

Deanski
 
We may have an apples/oranges thing going here. Sal Zaino clearly wants you to use a high alkaline content detergent such as Dawn BEFORE the first Zaino layer, not Z7. After the first application of Zaino, he would be delighted if you would use Z7, but definitely NOT Dawn. From his website:



"I would definitely recommend you remove the wax buildup on your paint. Just use Liquid Dawn (hand dishwashing liquid) as a car wash. It has a high alkaline content which cuts right thru carnauba wax, paraffin, silicone oils, etc. This will get your paint finish squeeky clean and wax free....I don't advise making a habit of washing your car with Dawn. But for this scenario it's fine. High alkaline products like Dawn are tough on polishes. It will never harm the paint finish though...



"A car wash is made specifically to clean without removing durable polishes...Z-7â„¢ Show Car Wash gently cleans your car without using harsh detergents, alkali or acids."



At first I thought blkZ28Conv was suggesting Z7 instead of Dawn as a prep for Zaino, but he was actually answering WRXemALL's question about what to use after a Zaino application. A no-brainer, right? Maybe not.



The thing about this forum is that there is a lot of innovative thinking and experimenting going on. It has been suggested that if you use a car shampoo instead of Dawn before Zaino you might be able to preserve swirl-hiding fillers from your paint prep, without compromising the Zaino bond. You can imagine what Mr. Zaino would have to say about that.
 
Actually, I have experienced static electricity being generated when buffing off Zaino (Z-2 or Z-5) regardless of which towels I use (100% cotton or MF). Using Z-6 afterwards certainly reduces the amount of static electricity present, although it doesn't completely eliminate it. From Zaino's website:
Z-6....its antistatic formula will reduce dust and dirt pickup by 60%
Click to expand...
. It is unknown at this time, if the statement means reduction of dust and dirt pickup on Zaino Z-2 or Z-5 IF Z-6 is not used or when compared to other waxes or sealants or QD's.
 
Sci-Fi:



My suggestion would be to contact Sal Zaino directly for tips on this problem. He can be reached at wet@Zainobros.com. Or call M-F between hours of 8:30AM-11:30AM EST. @ 732-833-8800.



I've had this static problem with MF towels on the finish. I now ground the car to a known good earth ground to try to discharge all excess static.



I love the way Z6 looks on the car, just nice and shiny and finish feels so clean and slick w/o oils!



Send him an email, he's always willing to help!



Regards,

Deanski
 
I have spoken to Sal, Zaino distributors or sellers, and others about his products and application techniques, and haven't solved the static problem, at least in my area, with any combination of Zaino products without resorting to, what some may consider, unusual steps, like washing with Z-7 after buffing or even just rinsing the car with water, and then applying Z-6. This does eliminate any residue static electricity from the buffing. However, and this may upset the Zaino system only crowd, I find Clearkote's QuikShine does eliminate the static electricity after buffing Zaino and, IMHO, leaves a slicker, easier to clean surface without compromising, to my eyes, the Zaino shine. But that is my experience, ymmv. Zaino is an excellent product and one of my cars still gets the Zaino only treatment, while the other has Zaino as a base (over 18 coats) and P21S/S100 as a topper and for the monthly waxings.
 
I, personally, could never get the Z6 to completely wipe off, without streaking, when I used cotton towels.



I started using Micro-Fiber towels, and I will never go back. My Black Mustang sits in a garage and it attracts no more dust than anything else.



When I used cotton, I would see the car in the sun, and be horrified. The streaking looked like terrible swirl scratches.



Almost completely cured with micro-fiber.
 
Deanski said:


Those in doubt, ask Sal yourself!
Click to expand...



Of course he doesn't want you to top zaino. He doesn't sell any carnauba and once you top it you are done with zaino. ;)



I don't buy what he says about the carnauba eating through the zaino. People here have been topping lots of sealants with carnauba with no adverse effects to the sealant. Can't zaino handle my weak little carnauba:D
 
It's not the carnuba but the type of oils they use as binders for the wax to suspend it that will attempt to migrate to the paint.



Sal developed this product with great results, has been in the business for over 30 years dealing in painting and product development in finding the best sealant that also shines, so IMO, Sal has the expertise, and can inform why what works and what doesn't. He has no big gripe about carnuba, but can tell you what it does, what's in it, why it looks so good etc.



Also, he reads and follow other products, tests them as well. Some are great, some have really off-the-wall claims.



After all, since he makes and sells the product, the best thing one could do is at least listen to what he says, and make your own opinion later.



Regards,

Deanski
 
Deanski said:
One other thing that he pointed out is the "topping" of Carnuba on Zaino. Problem is the silicon used in most carnuba as oils actually eat into the Zaino. The carnuba wax binders, mostly silicon or other oils try to make there way to the paint. In doing so, it will break the bond with Zaino. Think of Zaino as a chain-link fence. Although tough, it can be penetrated by the wax oils. Yes it looks good. An example, two people with jet-black hair, one natural, the other having grease in it. Yes it may look better, but more maintenance. Anyway, I'm not topping it anymore. If I want Souveran, I'll use it straight. Too bad, as it does look nice with it on, oh well, lesson learned.





Regards,

Deanski
Click to expand...



Finally there's someone on the same page as me about this whole issue! It's not like your stacking pancakes. You're putting two completely different chemicals together and how they interact can be either positive or negative.



I mean, you guys can do what you want. But for me, if I want to try carnuba, then I'll just use carnuba. If I want to try a synthetic, then I will just stick with a synthetic.



Thank you for this thread Deanski. It sheds a lot of light on how to apply Zaino. I might be putting in an order in a few weeks. ;)
 
So I think I misworded my earlier question.



I meant to ask that after I use #9 and AIO to clean and deswirl my paint, I should then wash my car to prep it for zaino, right? At that point do I use Dawn again or will any car wash do? Will the dawn remove the fillers in #9 (if there are any, I forget?)



I understand about using Zaino's car wash after Zaino is on the car, but what about the intial stages?
 
Here is what I would do WRXemALL.

1. Wash car with Ultra Dawn Blue or Orange. Orange is the one with antibacterial agents added and seems to work just as well, in case you can't find the blue. This will help remove most paint contaminants, oils, waxes and sealants.

2. Clay vehicle if needed with a good lubricant to remove all embedded particles, like road tar, road paint, small rocks, glass, etc.

3. Polish with a good swirl removing polish(Meguiars #9). This helps round out the swirls and make them less noticeable in direct sunlight.

4. Wash with Dawn a second time. This will remove all oils and fillers from the polish and create a good bonding finish for Zaino.

5. Apply Zaino as directed.

6. Use Z-6 to remove any left over Zaino that you may have missed or had a hard time buffing out alone. This will add a little extra sealant and give you an awesome shine.

7. When a wash is needed after applying Zaino, use Z-7, do not use Dawn!!!! Dawn will remove most if not all of the Zaino you have applied to your vehicle. Only use Dawn in the preparatory phase before Zaino.
 
Dawn will remove a bit of the fillers etc. If you really want the fillers removed, then a 50/50 water / IPA will do the trick.



Basically, polish away until your happy. Give you're car a wash with what ever soap you choose and Zaino away. It's all pretty simple really.
 
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