Wax Removal

**CharlesW** · 10-13-2002, 06:02 PM

There seems to be a universal preference for Dawn to remove wax.

What puzzles me is why people don`t use a product made to remove wax from cars rather than a product made to wash dishes? There are lots of them available.

Charles

**Jngrbrdman** · 10-13-2002, 07:19 PM

Well, it doesn`t just remove wax. It also removes sealants that have been proven to be a little tougher. It is also the fastest way to do it. As long as you are only doing it once or twice a year then it isn`t going to do any damage to your paint. Sure there are other ways of doing it. There is definatly more than one way to skin a cat. If you want to spend the hour to do it the other way, then that is fine. There are a lot of people who prefer to do it that way. Lots of strokes for lots of folks. There`s nothing wrong with using Dawn and there`s nothing wrong with using a paint cleaner.

**Brodydog** · 10-13-2002, 08:19 PM

Originally posted by Jngrbrdman

It also removes sealants that have been proven to be a little tougher.

I always thought Dawn would not remove a sealant like Klasse SG. Am I wrong? :nixweiss

**shaf** · 10-13-2002, 08:28 PM

Originally posted by LowTech

I always thought Dawn would not remove a sealant like Klasse SG. Am I wrong? :nixweiss

Not in my experience... :nixweiss

I look at it this way since I like to top my Klasse: Dawn to strip off waxes only, leaving the Klasse behind. Paint cleaner/cleanser to strip off everything and start over fresh.

**Brodydog** · 10-13-2002, 08:31 PM

Thanks ... That`s what I thought...:xyxthumbs

**Jngrbrdman** · 10-13-2002, 09:12 PM

Well, Klasse beads. After a Dawn wash I get zero beading. I clay after that and the reaction of the water on the car doesn`t change. My experience tells me that the clay didn`t remove anything that the Dawn didn`t remove that affects the beading on the car. :nixweiss

**Brodydog** · 10-13-2002, 09:22 PM

Interesting observation ... Although Dawn itself imparts a sheeting action so as to be spotless. Most dishwashing liquids sheet the water. Could this be a rival hypothesis as to why you see the sheeting?

**Jngrbrdman** · 10-13-2002, 09:40 PM

Hmmmm..... That`s an interesting thought. I never thought about that. I`ll have to dive in and so some searching and see what I can come up with to explain that one....

**CRXSi90** · 10-13-2002, 10:48 PM

So did you find that it sheeted, or just left a thin layer of water covering the car. By sheeting, I mean have the water drip off the car in sheets :doh . am I confused?

**Jngrbrdman** · 10-13-2002, 10:51 PM

The water clung to the car in some areas and sheeted off in others. It definatly wasn`t beading though.

Isn`t the diswashing detergent that advertises the whole "sheeting action" thing for automatic dishwashers? That wouldn`t apply for the hand washing detergents would it?

**CRXSi90** · 10-13-2002, 11:09 PM

To me, it sounds like the dawn stripped most of your Klasse off. Apparently, polished surfaces bead water as well. Maybe the areas where the water clung were slightly damaged. :nixweiss

Maybe we should start using automatic dishwashing detergent as an experiment. :scared (on our beaters, atleast...):p

**Brodydog** · 10-14-2002, 08:01 AM

Originally posted by Jngrbrdman

Isn`t the diswashing detergent that advertises the whole "sheeting action" thing for automatic dishwashers? That wouldn`t apply for the hand washing detergents would it?

From personal observation, hand dishwashing detergents sheet also. Interesting question....

**Brodydog** · 10-14-2002, 01:39 PM

OK, Guys Ã¢â‚¬â€œ IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢m kinda bumping this. We got a serious life-and-death issue:

1. Jngrbrdman has noticed a sheeting effect after a dawn wash on a car with Klasse and Carnauba topper.

2. Klasse beads, not sheets

3. The implication is that Dawn was removing the Klasse

4. I always thought dawn just removed the carnauba

5. I also observed that Dawn sheets when used on dishes.

6. My implication is that what Jngrbrdman observed is a effect of Dawn not being fully rinsed, rather than Klasse being removed by Dawn.

So Ã¢â‚¬¦ Have I been wrong all this time? Does Dawn really remove Klasse? This has major implications for a major life premiseÃ¢â‚¬¦ :scared

**shaf** · 10-14-2002, 02:46 PM

Even if it causes it to sheet, I`m still not (personally) convinced or concerned that Dawn is stripping the Klasse. Why? While researching products I had read several posts that had said that Klasse tends to sheet water more, unlike other products like Z which bead water like crazy. Also, while I was doing some glaze experimentation on my Klasse SG I had to use some (Ivory Ultra actually) on the paint to strip off the glaze so I could re-SG the area. Since I had the 1000W halogens shining on it already I decided to see if it had any effect. I found even the strong detergent solution (ie, the water was noticably tinted the colour of the soap) wasn`t doing anything to the Klasse. I could tell if the SG was being stripped off or not because I was watching for the re-appearance of swirls in the harsh lighting as part of my experiment. The glaze stripped the SG, Dawn didn`t.

That`s my story and I`m sticking to it! :p

**imported_Intermezzo** · 10-14-2002, 02:56 PM

Originally posted by CharlesW

There seems to be a universal preference for Dawn to remove wax.

What puzzles me is why people don`t use a product made to remove wax from cars rather than a product made to wash dishes? There are lots of them available.

Charles

I`ve often wondered the same thing. Why not just use a good paint cleanser and then there`d be absolutely no question as to whether or not the sealant was being removed. Plus you`d get the added prepping effect of a product that was actually intended to improve your paint`s appearance instead of neutralizing your paint`s plasticizers (shine/beading elements in your clear).

Would a true Autopian switch sealants/waxes without doing any other type of prep to their car than a Dawn wash? Definitely not this Autopian.

:::Edit: I`ve used Dawn twice ...once on each car...both had multiple coats of KSG. IMO, whether or not Dawn removes KSG is highly dependent on 2 things:

1. How concentrated of a solution you use.

2. How long you leave the solution on your car.

Dawn easily stripped KSG from my wife`s bimmer using a highly concentrated solution, but did NOT remove it from my Civic using a more diluted solution and rinsing immediately after washing.:::

:::Edit#2: I think the only time I would ever consider using Dawn again is if I`m in 4DSC`s situation of wanting to add a layer of KSG to a car that`s been topped with carnauba. I`m sure that a mild solution would do the trick!:::