guys, how do you clean your application pad which is soiled with sealant and wax? I heard someone says solvent, but what type of solvent specifically. Now I am using dish washing liquid, but I am looking for a faster way.

double post

This post has been edited by GreenJellyBean: Jan 13 2013, 07:45 PM

I am scrubbing with dish detergent now, alot of work. I want a scrubless solution. Something like a solvent which I can leave it for a few hours and watch a movie

Every time I polish, wax or seal my car, I have lots of foam applicator to wash

ok, let me try the el-cheapo clothes detergent first. Now my foam is like waterproof and beading better than my car after multiple usage with sealand and wax LOL.

Personally, I think it is a must to use paint cleaner on white car, I am using DuraGlos 501 and the white really pops out. But my hand refuse to move anymore after applying half a car LOL

after this gonna use Klasse high gloss sealand on it.

Nop, I did not do coating because I enjoy detailing my car myself regularly.

how can you say claying takes too much time and when you plan to do polishing o? claying is so much faster compare to polishing leh, unless you cincai wipe one wipe off polish la haha.

anyway, touch your paint with a plastic bag over your hand. If you feel alot of roughness, that means you need to clay, else you will risk causing scratches to the paint and the sponges get dirty fast, causing you to use more sponge.

yes, polishing will cut some clear coat. Imagine the dirt trap between your pad and the car paint, no where to go. Keep rubbing around the paint body until you change a new pad. This trapped dirt will introduce more swirl.

Some dirt get dissolved with the 'cleaner' properties in the polish, then you are fine. But if you are unlucky and picked up something more solid then you will wonder where all the swirl comes from later lol.

Claying is different, you clay and knead the clay which will push the dirt into the clay and renew the contact surface.

btw, how you clay for 3 hours. I clay whole car also less than 30 mins. You using some expired clay or being too kedekut, use a 20 cent coin size clay issit... haha

BaconBits, do you have a DA polisher? if you do not, I suggest you pay some professional to remove the scratches and you perform the maintenance from there onwards.

You can buy a polisher, but I do not think you know enough to DIY properly at this time.

If you insist on trying with hand, I hope you have strong arms lol.

Anyway, back to Scratch X. Have you try ACE Hardware in QB and Parkson in Gurney? this is the place that I know which carries Meg product. I bought my scratch x from Parkson in gurney for around RM65 I think.

junbecks: Read it with a happier mind, helps.

BaconBits: You can try polishing a small section and see how much effort you will need. Take a 6" by 6" section with some swirls and try to polish it off. After you successfully do it, multiply that to the whole car surface area and then you will decide if you need to buy a polisher. Haha.

Quazacolt: if you have time, please give this a read. http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog/de...ting-paint.html

FYI, i use even cheaper clay and lube but I suspect that you might not be tackling the contamination in the most effective manner, which cause you to take so much time. You can these:
1. Use a more abrasive clay.
2. Use a paint cleaner.
3. Use a better sealant or wax that last longer because if the contamination sits on a sealant or wax, it should be fairly easy to remove. I suspect you have already lost your protection layer when those things sticks, thats why it is so hard to remove.

btw, you do not have to do all of the above. You will need to try and error to see which one helps.

I agree with KrisMas, aggressive claying and heavy cut polishing is usually a once off event during the initial stage where you make everything perfect and then it is maintenance mode after that. That is provided you protect the perfection properly after you fix it. So my question it, what wax or sealant are you using after you clay?

KrisMas: I read from autogeek that aggressive clay doesn't cut but will introduce marring instead. However, I do think it is that visible or maybe my standard of acceptable gloss is lower. Haha..

Usually i only use mild clay because the aggressive clay is very soft and I find it very sticky.

I was using PG clay, so you know my level of acceptance la. haha

I am using pg clay number2. But changing to 3m when my stock arrive. For car detailing you will need to try a lot and experiment, that is part of the fun. I like reading autogeek and then trying those highly recommended product. There are stuff that works but take too much effort haha and I end up giving it to my gang to try.

Recently I used dura gloss 501 and it really make the metallic flakes in the paint pops. I feel a lot of satisfaction seeing all the dirt in the paint get picked up in the applicator pad

5 years with careful hand wash gua.

Actually for the price you are paying (RM60++) for a 2 in 1 combo in Malaysia, I think it is a good deal la, as it saved you lots of time from applying twice.

Just an advice, try not to buy a wax with cleaner properties. Sometimes you have sealant already and you just want to top up some wax, the cleaning properties will eat into the sealant. Its good to get a all in one with sealant or polish, but not wax.

Try to get a wax which is easy on and easy off which do not require buffing, saves you the time and you will be more motivated to apply it

lol, just let it be la. There are more important things in life that this.

Its the tree sap, bird droppings that you have to worry about.

With the method of preparation being equivalent, sealant will normally outlast wax but wax will always look add depth while sealant only offer gloss. So if I apply too much sealant, my white car looks like a very shiny plastic (haha) while apply many layer of wax will not have the same problem.

Here is my experience with different type of product, all applied after claying (without paint cleaners). I just checked visually for beading or sheeting effect.

Mothers cleaner wax = 2-3 weeks
Meg's NXT 2.0 = 1 month
Klasse AIO top up with Klasse SG sealant = 2 months
Duragloss 501 top up with Klasse SG sealant = still beading after 2 weeks ago.

Please remember this is only my experience and it is in no way scientifically tested. Sometimes its just the weather.

my advise for a lazy guy is to apply sealant then top up with wax regularly on the horizontal panel (bonnet etc). I usually leave the vertical panel (doors) alone because not much sheeting/beading needed.

next I am gonna get a 845 insulator wax to play with

did i hear big foot? wah... where do you plan to get the Rupes stuff?

Well the flex and big foot are both forced rotation DA which already retail for close to 400 in the UK.

I am more interested in DAS6Pro or G220v2, still undecided over this 2.

btw, how do you guys get most of your detailing product? Anyone selling Klasse, Poorboys or any other autogeek product in Malaysia? So far I only manage to order optimum and duragloss from local.

DAS6PRO is 800W and G220v2 is only 500W. I do not think they are the same machine. maybe DAS6 and G220v2 is, since both 500W but I am looking at both which is the same price range. I can get them from UK with sea shipping.

Local distributor thinks it takes so much effort to ship a 5kg metal that they can mark it up to RM1650..

I prefer to buy your second hand DA if you guys plan to dispose after owning bigfoot. lol. I am cheap haha.

KrisMas, nop. I am a new to detailing and just started few months back so do not know anyone. Do they have a penang detailing forum?