Can Swirls be in wax/streaks only?

[mb911]

I used M105 with my DA polisher followed by M205 once again on the horizontal surfaces of my car last weekend.

The swirls were dramatically improved obviously.

However, when I backed into the sun, and I would wipe with a clean microfiber gently, it was like I was "streaking swirls," into the paint. The next day after a QD, everything looked good again.

Can you put swirl streaks into the wax/streak residue left behind from M105/M205/Gold Class?

I've seen this before on my car, and I just don't believe you can put a swirl in that easy, and they did seem to vanish the next day. It was also rather humid when I had applied the polishes and Gold Class, so perhaps on that first day, the streaks/swirls my microfiber was putting in, was purely in the left over product (that was perhaps not even removed sufficiently in the humidity) and not the paint, is that at all possible?

[nothelle]

Re: Can Swirls be in wax/streaks only?

Try swipe test, if you can remove that swirl/streaks easily by a gentle touch of a finger then its probably product residue

[Shawn T.]

Re: Can Swirls be in wax/streaks only?

If the wax does not dry sufficiently then it is possible to see streaks in the sun. You can tell the difference by wiping the streaks in a direction perpendicular to the direction they were going in before. If the direction of the supposed swirls change then it is only an issue with wax, not swirls.

[mb911]

Re: Can Swirls be in wax/streaks only?

If the wax does not dry sufficiently then it is possible to see streaks in the sun. You can tell the difference by wiping the streaks in a direction perpendicular to the direction they were going in before. If the direction of the supposed swirls change then it is only an issue with wax, not swirls.

Cool. Yep, thats what I saw. Great!

Also, I noticed this on the back of my black iPhone today when I was wiping it off. It looks like swirls, but they kept moving as I wiped. Finally I got whatever residue was on it off, and it looked good again.

[mb911]

Re: Can Swirls be in wax/streaks only?

If the wax does not dry sufficiently then it is possible to see streaks in the sun. You can tell the difference by wiping the streaks in a direction perpendicular to the direction they were going in before. If the direction of the supposed swirls change then it is only an issue with wax, not swirls.

Hey, sorry to ask yet another question in this thread.

However, it seems *every* time I wax my car, I end up with the streaking basically no matter which wax I use.

Is letting it sit even longer what I should do as you suggest?

I also wonder in the extreme heat, when you back it out into the sun, if it somehow even makes what was dry melt or something?

I just don't get how my car always looks streaky. ha.

[Markus Kleis]

Re: Can Swirls be in wax/streaks only?

Hey, sorry to ask yet another question in this thread.

However, it seems *every* time I wax my car, I end up with the streaking basically no matter which wax I use.

Is letting it sit even longer what I should do as you suggest?

I also wonder in the extreme heat, when you back it out into the sun, if it somehow even makes what was dry melt or something?

I just don't get how my car always looks streaky. ha.

Do you use a swipe test before you begin to remove the wax after application?

This will enable to to tell when the wax is dry enough for removal, and in turn should eliminate the streaking issue.

Also, I suspect you may be putting on too thick of a coat - you want your wax to be "whisper" think... so thin you may struggle to see it in some lighting. If you put it on too thick it makes it hard for the layer closest to the paint to actually dry/bond, and then creates streaking.

[john m.]

Re: Can Swirls be in wax/streaks only?

Mark just said exactly what I was going to

Always do a swipe test and apply a thin layer on the whole car. What most people I know think is thin is already to much.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Can Swirls be in wax/streaks only?

Most people tend to over use polishes and waxes, and they also tend to not let the wax dry sufficiently before wipe off.

Even a polish should be applied in a very thin coat and then wiped off fully before moving on to the wax step. An excess amount of product just sitting on the surface can lead to some streaking later on.

Wax application usually only requires two to three ounces of product, even on a full sized sedan (think Chrysler 300, Mercedes S Class, BMW 7 Series). If in doubt, head down to WalMart or Target and pick up an empty 3oz travel size squeeze bottle and pour some wax out of its container into this little travel bottle. That should be more than enough to cover the whole vehicle. By the way, these little travel size bottles should be plentiful in the health and beauty isle since 3oz is the max amount of any liquid product that the airlines allow in carry on bags these days.

Anyway, once you get this thin coat of wax applied, let it dry completely. This is even more important if you've got a coat of polish under it, or you're using a polish wax like NXT or Gold Class. If temps are low and/or humidity is high, drying time will be lengthened. Even with as dry as it is here in SoCal, once the sun starts to go down humidity can rise to over 70% this time of year, and that definitely slows down the drying time. Now, you don't necessarily want to let the wax sit overnight, but even if you let it dry for an hour or two it will still wipe off with ease. Under "normal" circumstances, however, you shouldn't have to wait that long.

[watson379]

Re: Can Swirls be in wax/streaks only?

I’m glad someone asked this question because I’m having the same problem. I’m in Florida so it is very humid here. I think I may have used a little too much wax the first time. It never seemed to dry. But I’m not sure on how clean it should be with the swipe test. I thought it might have been oils in my finger or something. But after about 1 1/2 hours I wiped it off. Later I applied a second coat so thin I was barely able to see it. This also did not seem to dry, but after 2 1/2 hours I wiped it off. Now I have the same problem as you with this residue left over. I started thinking that I must have done something wrong or the wax just doesn’t dry, and I also just thought that maybe this is from the polish? What if I left a residue behind from the polish? I did wait almost a full day before I waxed after polishing and did wipe the polish off instantly without letting it dry (maybe not good enough? maybe I put too much polish on?). And maybe wax couldn’t dry to it because of this? If this is left over wax it should have dried, right?

I think I’m going to try to use a damp microfiber to hopefully get rid of this residue, and re-wax. It has been about 20 hours now since I last waxed and does not seem to be getting any better. I’m worried though because if I use a damp microfiber and the wax did not take I could take off the polish that I put on if I already haven’t done that.

This is my first time and I have been working on my car By Hand for a few weeks now. I have clayed, used ultimate compound (that I used too aggressively causing more but lighter swirls and holograms), used SwirlX (to try to get rid of what I created, worked mostly), used Deep Crystal Polish, then NXT wax.

I have spent countless hours (sometimes 10-12 hours a day) of trial and error to find the right products (trying many more than what I have listed) and pad combinations for my car.

All is well except for this residue.

What are your thoughts?

Thanks.

[Fly Bye]

Re: Can Swirls be in wax/streaks only?


Sometimes the conditions are not "perfect" for a particular product. Some products work well at a particular temperature. A perfect temp could be anywhere in between 60-80 degree's, probably closer to around 70 degree's.

Working in the "perfect" temperature is not alway possible, therfore, with experience and good guidence, you can learn ways to best work a particular product in your environment.

Where I live, at the end of the day, the temps go waaay down, and the humidity goes waaay up. When this happens, I have to pay extra attention to make sure I am removing all of the excess residues, as when the humidity goes up, I can see residual product leaving streaks behind. I always use a freshly clean micro fiber during a final wipe. Sometimes you have to use a "like" product to remove a product.

If it is hot, I have experienced instant detailer drying, and subsequently leaving streaks on the paint. In this situation, I may spray distilled water on the finish, and then wipe with a clean mf. Worst case scenario, I'll simply just apply some caranuba wax to the finish, and the wax will remove residuals from other products almost every time.

To watson379: I don't think that a damp micro fiber will remove your wax/polish. I don't think that your wax just "didn't take". What you're seeing is residual leftover wax/chemicals. That doesn't mean the the wax didn't take. Try this; Go back over it with a damp micro fiber, and then go back over it with a 'freshly clean" micro fiber. Keep doing this. If that doesn't work, then as I already mentioned, "Sometimes you have to use a "like" product to remove a product." I realize you applied a 2nd coat, but if you have to, apply another thin coat to remove the residue. If that doesn't work, the residue may just evaporate after several days.

If you still have this residue...


x2

[watson379]

Re: Can Swirls be in wax/streaks only?

Well I started to wipe the car down to get this off then figured ill just try the hood. I wiped with the damp microfiber then dried about 3 times in order to remove this residue. After removed, I applied a thin layer of wax and let it dry for about 1 1/2 hours. This time it seemed to actually dry more. After I wiped the wax off.......Once again, I had the residue. So it’s got to be from the wax I guess. It’s been days for the rest of the car and it is still there. Doesn’t seem to want to evaporate for some reason. Guess ill be wiping my whole car down to get it off. I'd leave it on as it probably helps bead the water.. But with it on it really does look like I have a lot of swirls.

But since I can change the direction of these "swirls" maybe ill make some design with them ..........or not.



I would think this has to be happening to everyone else? Again, i used the NXT Generation Tech Wax 2.0.

Thanks

[THE BIG BUFFER]

Re: Can Swirls be in wax/streaks only?

The only time I really have this problem is when I get some "help" from somone that has not wax a car before or waxed a car 30 years ago and many since. What I'm tryig to say is most of the time this happens (to me) because they use way too much product. My solution (I don't usally have 2+ hours to allow more drying time) is i simply re -wipe the car, one panel at at time, till that the panel is clear of all residue. Some time I have to whipe the car down 3-4 times to get rid of it all. Only takes maybe 30 min more to complete but it works for me.

[Fly Bye]

Re: Can Swirls be in wax/streaks only?

it is still there.

[watson379]

Re: Can Swirls be in wax/streaks only?

For right now yes, it is still there. But like I said I was able to remove it with about 3 times wiping it with a damp microfiber and drying. After removing I applied another thin coat of wax and it came right back. So yes I still have it until tomorrow when I wipe the whole car down.


Thanks

[mb911]

Re: Can Swirls be in wax/streaks only?

I finally had this happen to me less today (knock on wood I wasn't not seeing it and it was there).

I applied my #5, removed it.

Then I applied a *VERY* thin coat of NXT paste. I think the paste does the left over/streaking less.

Plus, I left it on about 70 minutes, before I wiped it off.

The results were *much* better for me.

I had never had NXT come out this good on black. It normally disappoints me.