Removing old wax

[Slats]

Hey guys,

The thing I like best about this site is giving and getting advise. This time I need some advise on removing old wax.

When I first began detailing I started waxing my car way too often, not knowing that was possible. The surface of my car began to get a wax buildup and was no longer really slick after I'd wax it. Anyway, my unlce who has a body shop told me that I was waxing too often. So I stripped the wax with a watered down degreaser, and re-waxed with Zymol. It turned out great.

Anyway, ever since then I've been paranoid about waxing too often although most people agree that 2-3 mo. is fine. Which is the best way to remove any old wax before rewaxing?

1. Using a paint cleaner like DC #1?
2. Washing with dawn? (I hate the idea, but a lot of pros on this site say that's what they use)
3. using clay

I always use clay before waxing, but does it really take the old wax off like some say? Waxing technically fills in the scratches and stuff in your paint making it smooth, while clay only removes above surface contanminates, so that is what confuses me.

Thanks for any help you guys can offer! Basically I want the smoothest, slickest surface I can get. That's how I rate any wax.

Slats

[jfelbab]

MPPC. This will remove the old wax and any dirt embedded in it.

Oh, and I don't think waxing once a month is too often but I always use MPPC and #7 prior to waxing.

[Tim Lingor]

Hey,

Firstly, I would avoid using Dawn to wash your car!

Secondly, any paint cleaner/swirl remover like Meguiar's #9 Swirl Remover will remove the old wax. It is pretty hard to get wax build up as your wax is acting as a protective barrier between the elements and your paint. As such, that protective layer is being worn down thanks to said elements.

Finally, while a glaze will help fill some of the microscopic fissures, to get the paint as smooth as possible will require first claying off any bonded contaminents. Follow this with a paint cleaner/swirl remover to clean/prep the paint. After the surface is properly prepped, now you can use a glaze like #7 or #81 and then top with 2 coats of Meguiar's NXT.

Tim

[Slats]

Thanks for the advise! Wow, that is a lot of steps, but if that is the key to a really slick surface I might have to try it when I get time. Lately I've just been claying and following that with the one-step cleaner wax. So its the glaze step that will make the surface extra smooth? Also, what is the benefit of two coats of NXT vs. only one? Thanks!

Slats

P.S. I'm still wondering about the clay. Will it really remove old wax like people say? Clay Magic says you can clay after every wash, so that's why I figured that it must not hurt the wax.