newbie question ...is a paint cleaner necessary

[imported_pmdureska]

prior to application of a carnauba wax? i just bought a new car and i wanted to dip my toe into the detailing waters. i bought the "bare essentials kit" so i thought i would be putting the menzerna one step acrylic on first followed by a wax. many of the waxes suggest a paint cleaner first. is this necessary on a brand new finish and if so, would i do it before application of the acrylic sealant or after followed by the wax? would it be better to do more than one application of the acrylic prior to the wax? thank you

 

[Todd@RUPES]

prior to application of a carnauba wax? i just bought a new car and i wanted to dip my toe into the detailing waters. i bought the "bare essentials kit" so i thought i would be putting the menzerna one step acrylic on first followed by a wax. many of the waxes suggest a paint cleaner first. is this necessary on a brand new finish and if so, would i do it before application of the acrylic sealant or after followed by the wax? would it be better to do more than one application of the acrylic prior to the wax? thank you

Welcome to the forum PM dureska, it's great to have you here!!

When you buy a wax at the autoparts or convenience store it often has chemical or abrasive 'cleaners' built into the product. The reason is because the majority of people who buy waxes in stores are not interested in doing a multi-step process on their cars; they tend to view waxing their car as a chore instead of as a hobby.

Cleaners are remove any embedded dirt, oxidation, or staining that can impede the wax from functioning properly. So they work great for the general public but they have some draw backs for guys like us, who will invest the time to do it right. You can not 'layer' the product or put it on top of another product because it will clean the previous product from the paint. Also the cleaners take up space in the formulation, so you may not be able to put as much of the good stuff (the stuff that makes the wax shine) into the formula.

Beauty or boutique waxes are generally 'cleaner' free to avoid these short comings. On clean paint they tend to last longer then cleaner waxes (however on weathered paint a cleaner wax will tend to last longer because the boutique wax cannot adhere). So it is best to use a separate cleaner to make sure that beauty wax will adhere to the surface properly and to ensure the paint is clean and ready to accept the wax.

Keep in mind that you don't want to use a cleaner before applying every coat of wax, but rather periodically. IE- Clean paint, apply wax. Reapply wax every 6-8 weeks for 6 months. Re-clean paint at the six month mark and repeat.

many of the waxes suggest a paint cleaner first. is this necessary on a brand new finish and if so, would i do it before application of the acrylic sealant or after followed by the wax? would it be better to do more than one application of the acrylic prior to the wax?

Menzerna 1 Step Acrylic Jacket has built in cleaners that work amazingly well. Using a cleaner prior the Acrylic Jacket not have any additional benefit. The application of AJ will ensure the paint is clean and well protected.

Because AJ is a cleaner/sealant, one coat will provide all the benefit you will get: It has cleaners so applying a second coat will remove the first coat. One coat is perfect!

After applying the Acrylic Jacket and buffing it off, give the paint a couple of hours to 'cure' before applying the wax. In many way's using AJ instead of a dedicated cleaner is a benefit in your favor. You still get the cleaning action + plus a durable sealant that will add to the protection of your paint vs. just the wax itself.

Please post pics of your car when you are done and let us know how it turned out!

 

[imported_pmdureska]

thanks for the info. i'm almost as anxious waiting for the "kit" materials to come as i was for the car. just scanning the site i've come up with a lot of great tips. i can't wait to get started.