Help choosing pre-sealant paint cleaner for use w/o machine

S

SF Space Grey

New member
Hi everyone,

I`m looking for a product to use periodically to deep clean paint prior to adding a new coat of sealant. I want something to reliably clean contamination in the paint and strip old sealant. I might use it before or after claying, or it might help me clay less frequently. I don`t have a machine polisher, so I want a product that works by hand. And I do all this in my garage without easy access to a hose, so I want something that can be rubbed on and wiped off (as opposed to a liquid chemical solution like ABC, which I know people swear by).

Previously, I`ve used P21s Gloss Enhancing Paintwork Cleaner for this. It creates a slick surface but I can tell it`s leaving a lot of oil or something else behind. That makes it hard for me to tell how much cleaning it`s doing... has it actually taken my previous coat of wax off if the surface doesn`t feel squeaky clean and still beads water? And I also worry that whatever it leaves behind might interfere with my new sealant bonding, which would defeat the purpose of the cleaning right? (I know it`s fine under wax).

So here are other products I`m considering for this purpose. Any first-hand experience with these or recommendations re other products I should be looking at?

Pinnacle Black Label Surface Cleansing Polish - says it`s a non-abrasive water-based polish that has no silicones or oils and can be used right before applying a coating. I wish it had some light abrasives just to ensure that it can take everything off the paint (including durable sealants like FK1000p), but maybe I`m being too skeptical.

McKee`s 37 Coating Prep Polish - looks similar to Pinnacle. Says it`s abrasive-free chemical polish that cleans and leaves nothing in the surface that would interfere with a sealant or coating.

Dodo Juice Lime Prime - abrasive and chemical cleaners but product description says best used with machine polisher. I don`t want my arm to fall off trying to break down abrasive particles meant for a machine. And it says it has oils that lubricate and rejuvenate paint... see above concerns re true cleaning and sealant bonding.

Dodo Juice Lime Prime Lite - non-abrasive version of the above. Is it strong enough to deep clean without the abrasives? Any benefit of this over the abrasive version if I`m only using it once or twice a year? See above re oils.

Sorry for the long post and thanks in advance for any tips!
 
Add Klasse All-In-One (KAIO) to your list as a "cleaner" for a sealant. Yes, it too does "leave something behind", but I assume you are not looking for something with abrasives to do some mild correcting.
If you are that concerned about cleaning and prepping your surface prior to using a sealant, are you considering using a prep solvent, like Klean-Strip Prep-All (KS-PA) or some other panel wipe??

What sealant are you using?? I ask because most better-quality sealants also have their own paint pre-cleaner to be used with their sealant. You can avoid "possible" non-compatibility problems (like hazing or cloudiness or long curing times) IF you use two different product manufacturers. Personally, if you have P21s Paintwork Cleaner on hand and it has worked for you in the past, I`d stick with that.

Any thoughts about getting a polisher/buffer machine in the (near) future to replace having to do this by hand??
 
Are you reapplying the same sealant as before? I`ve never once had a problem reapplying any sealant over an old layer.
 
SF Space Gray- Note that Fk1000P is not very finicky with regard to underlying products. Right offhand I can`t think of anything it hasn`t bonded to and I basically *never* apply it to bare paint. I`ve never used it over anything *really* oily as I simply despise such stuff, but I`ve sure used it over things that could cause issues with some of my other sealants and it`s *never* been a problem.

And echoing DetailZeus, I just reapply the FK over and over, sometimes for years on year-round daily drivers, without any real prep and it works fine for me. The FK just doesn`t retain contamination badly enough to need stripped off/etc. If necessary I`ll *VERY GENTLY* clay with something really mild (usually just spot-claying, and I use lots of lube), but that`s seldom required. I`m *VERY* surprised to hear that your car would need such frequent paint cleaning, if only because mine basically never do. But that`s just my vehicles and if your paint needs cleaned then it needs cleaned (what about doing the gentle claying?).

I do utterly despise the P21s GEPC (actually threw it away and I seldom do that).

I haven`t tried any of the products you mentioned, but I`d try to avoid anything functionally abrasive if at all possible (yeah, I know those abrasives are supposedly mild). But I wouldn`t automatically assume that the stuff they leave behind will cause issues unless you strip it.

JustJesus sent me a little sample of PoorBoy`s Polish with Sealant, supposedly non-abrasive and appears to be *functionally* so on my paints. I`ve only used it by hand; it was very user-friendly. It seems to clean well and does provide a nice base for the FK. I give it a thumbs-up, to the point that yeah I`d buy it, and FWIW I`m generally (unjustifiably :o ) prejudiced against PB`s stuff.

KAIO is OK but not superior to the PBs and I seldom use it as a base for FK10000 even though they are compatible (just like others better, but use the KAIO under KSG every time).

My usual (mildly) abrasive choice under the FK is Zaino`s AIO. Zero issues of any kind and it works fine by hand.

And, heh heh...that wasn`t any kind of "long post" compared to the bandwidth that some of us use up ;)
 
Thanks for the responses so far! I don`t know how to quote individual questions and reply so here are my answers and thoughts on your comments:

Lonnie and DetailZeus, I`m using FK1000p, which doesn`t have its own cleaner. Sometimes I switch up sealants though, and I also want to take stubborn film and embedded contaminants off the paint that my very gentle maintenance wash routine leaves behind.

I`ve thought about getting a buffer but I know polishing is a bit of an art and I`m not comfortable experimenting on my car.

AIOs are great and I use Klasse for some things, but I`d really like something that leaves a truly bare surface. That way I can also use it when I ceramic coat my wheels, in prep for doing touch-up work, etc. As far as panel wipe, I`ll sometimes use Eraser or Gtechniq (which seems stronger), but I don`t think those wipe on / wipe off liquid products reliably take off sealant or contaminants, do they? Seems like they`re more for polishing dust, oils, and sticky residue. I assume Klean Strip is similar to Gtechniq but let me know if it`s something else I should look at.

Accumulator, I don`t know that my car *needs* frequent deep cleaning, but I figure if I keep up with it and add in a deeper clean every once in awhile I can avoid the need to clay and really keep things from bonding. I`ll admit that I might be taking on an unnecessary step, but when has that ever stopped us, right? Claying is an alternative, but I find it almost impossible to do it effectively without adding some marring. If I choose a mild clay, I just end up doing more passes and creating some faint marks that way. You convinced me on avoiding abrasives though. I think if I find the right cleaner, the chemicals plus the agitation of application and removal should hopefully be enough. Because you mentioned ZAIO, I`ll say that I also looked at ZPC for this (no oils and leaves nothing behind) but I didn`t want to worry about breaking down abrasives by hand (see above re arm falling off).
 
SF Space Grey said:
I`ve thought about getting a buffer but I know polishing is a bit of an art and I`m not comfortable experimenting on my car...
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Eh, some of us would maintain that it`s merely a craft, and one that`s easily mastered if approached correctly. I`ve lent polishers to complete neophytes who did great the very first time. Just sayin`....
AIOs are great and I use Klasse for some things, but I`d really like something that leaves a truly bare surface. .. As far as panel wipe, I`ll sometimes use Eraser or Gtechniq (which seems stronger), but I don`t think those wipe on / wipe off liquid products reliably take off sealant or contaminants, do they?
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I haven`t used those, but the AkyraClean/PrepWash stuff that I do use strips LSPs, including FK1000P, just fine. Or you could use Mineral Spirits, as Ron Ketcham was explaining on another recent thread (no, it won`t hurt your paint any).

..Accumulator, I don`t know that my car *needs* frequent deep cleaning, but I figure if I keep up with it and add in a deeper clean every once in awhile I can avoid the need to clay and really keep things from bonding. I`ll admit that I might be taking on an unnecessary step, but when has that ever stopped us, right? ..
Click to expand...


Well, it stops *me* dead in my tracks :D I`m not spending one unnecessary *moment* on this stuff. I know, more of my Autopian Heresy, but it`s true.

Claying is an alternative, but I find it almost impossible to do it effectively without adding some marring. If I choose a mild clay, I just end up doing more passes and creating some faint marks that way...
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Maybe your paint is a lot softer than mine, but I clay as needed *all the time*, like...spotclaying at every wash..with *no* marring.

You convinced me on avoiding abrasives though. I think if I find the right cleaner, the chemicals plus the agitation of application and removal should hopefully be enough. Because you mentioned ZAIO, I`ll say that I also looked at ZPC for this (no oils and leaves nothing behind) but I didn`t want to worry about breaking down abrasives by hand (see above re arm falling off).
Click to expand...

Be careful that the "agitation of application and removal" doesn`t cause the exact same marring that the clay can ;)

Note that some products (including ZAIO) with abrasives break down *very* quickly/easily even by hand. I wouldn`t hesitate to do a Suburban by hand with ZAIO, in fact, I`ve done it (well, it was a Yukon XLD, but close..).

EDIT: maybe I`m feeling all sensitive today, but upon reflection the above sounds a lot more, uhm..argumentative..than I`d like :o Didn`t mean to sound like I`m trying to talk you into/out of any particular approach.
 
Mothers 07100 California Gold Pure Polish (Ultimate Wax System, Step 1) is my choice. Also works great by machine. Leaves paint squeaky clean, zero slickness. I’ve even used it for prep for a coating and no issues there.

It used to be cheap, like $8 but I guess Forrest and the crew are padding their 401ks. :-). Still worth the asking price.
 
Thanks again everyone! Dan, I ordered some McKees 37 coating prep polish before I saw your post but I`ll check out that Mothers product if I dont like the McKees. Accumulator, I didn`t get any bad attitude from your post so no worries. :)
 
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