Newbie questions on ScratchX

[struts]

I bought a 5 year-old car whose paint was reasonably taken cared of by previous owners.
So far I only washed it and waxed it using
Meguiar Cleaner Wax.
I just bought the NXT and hoped to get a better surface prep before applying the NXT. So I bought the ScratchX as
there are some fine scratches on the paint.
Also, from the description of ScratchX, it
seems to act like a cleaner and polish. Is that true?
To save time, I wonder if I can use the ScratchX for both the cleaning and polishing steps.

Is it safe to apply ScratchX over the whole car?

How often can I use the ScratchX as it seems to be quite aggressive as I read from other posts.

I think I don' t need to wash after ScratchX, right?

So the steps will be like wash, dry, ScratchX, NXT. Right?

Does ScratchX stain plastic trim?

Any other newbie tips will be much
appreciated.

Thanks.

[6318]

Whew...lotsa questions!
Here we go...
Sure...
that's how I use it...though I clay first...
yes...but do it by hand
you shouldn't need to use it all that often, but quarterly should leave you a wide safety margin...
I don't
sure...I add clay between dry and ScratchX
hehe...don't they all?

[mopar]

scratch x works great.improved the colour of my car.if you are really worried about staining trim you should mask of areas that you are concerend about.depends on the colour of car whether you will want to ploish or not.i didnt say need because on some colours you cannot see the benefits of ploishing .i ahve a light coloured car but i still polish it on a regualr basis becuase inmy opinion it makes the srface a bit more slick and i think it does benefit the paint .a good consumer polish is deep crystal pure polish(step 2)easy to use and fairly cheap.you should only have to clean yuor paint about twice a yearand if you are going to wax all the time i think you would be better off useing a pure wax without any cleaners in it.nxt is great i think you will loveit .this is just my opinion some may think its wrong but it works great for me.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Newbie questions on ScratchX

Originally posted by struts
Also, from the description of ScratchX, it
seems to act like a cleaner and polish. Is that true?

ScratchX is a paint cleaner. Meguiar’s uses the term paint cleaner to describe products that simply put, clean the paint. They do this by removing fine scratches, oxidation, blemishes, stains, etc. Traditional methods for removing these kinds of defects mean using an old-fashioned compound where the abrasives were hard and sharp and did not break down. These products while removing the defects, would leave their own defects behind in the manner of a scoured looking finish.

ScratchX contains a special microscopic diminishing abrasive in a rich lotion style lubricating base. This specialized formula enables you to remove defects, while restoring color to single stage paints and clarity to clear coats paints without scratching the surface. So while it is a dedicated paint cleaner, it does have a polishing effect in that it restores color and clarity. For maximum brilliant high gloss you should follow the application of ScratchX with a pure polish like the Deep Crystal Polish.

To save time, I wonder if I can use the ScratchX for both the cleaning and polishing steps.

If you want, after applying ScratchX you can go right to the protection step and apply wax, but if you own a dark colored car and want the maximum beauty from you paint, polishing with a pure polish will take your results to a higher level.

Is it safe to apply ScratchX over the whole car?

Yes. Right on the back of the label it says,

”Use for quick touch-ups on one section, or revive your car’s look with an application to the entire vehicle”

How often can I use the ScratchX as it seems to be quite aggressive as I read from other posts.

ScratchX is very non-aggressive, it is for removing fine swirls and scratches by hand. If you own this product, squeeze some out into your hand and feel it between your fingers. You will notice it feels more like a moisturizing skin lotion than what most people would think of when they think of a product that is able to remove defects from paint. Part of Scratch’s ability to remove a defect comes from you in the form of elbow grease. This is not a wipe-on, wipe-off product. You must work it into the finish.

I think I don' t need to wash after ScratchX, right?

No.

So the steps will be like wash, dry, ScratchX, NXT. Right?

I would recommend claying after washing if this car is a daily driver and parked outside even for part of the day.

Does ScratchX stain plastic trim?

No. If you get ScratchX on plastic trim however, you should remove it just to make sure.

Any other Newbie tips will be much appreciated.

Always use a clean, foam applicator pad. Test your application method in one small area and inspect the results before applying to the entire car.

Thanks.

Your welcome, and thank you for trusting Meguiar’s.

Mike

[cydewaze]

If I may build upon this question with one of my own...

I assume that the order in most to least abrasive goes:

1) ScratchX
2) Swirl Remover 2.0
3) Deep Crystal Polish

Correct?

Now, I've also assumed that DACP is the best to use to "darken" the finish before waxing, and I've started using a random orbital buffer to apply it. Is there anything wrong with what I'm doing so far?

[Mike Phillips]

Originally posted by cydewaze
If I may build upon this question with one of my own...

I assume that the order in most to least abrasive goes:

1) ScratchX
2) Swirl Remover 2.0
3) Deep Crystal Polish

Correct?

Now, I've also assumed that DACP is the best to use to "darken" the finish before waxing, and I've started using a random orbital buffer to apply it. Is there anything wrong with what I'm doing so far?

If the above are all used by hand, then the above is correct. If you were to use the #9 with a rotary buffer, then depending upon the pad material, time and pressure, this combination could potential be more aggressive.

Mike

[cydewaze]

Thanks Mike!