Strip old wax

[Richard Anthony]

Hi Folks,

New to the forum as I recently got a new car and I'm trying to educate myself of on paint care.

Believe it or not I spent almost the entire weekend watching vids and searching the web and I couldn't find a definitive answer to my simple question.

So here it is:
I applied a coat of Meguiar's Ultimate Liquid Wax last fall to help protect the paint during the rough winter months here in southern Ontario (daily driver) When it comes time to do a re-application of the UL wax should I use a PH wax stripping wash with before I reapply?

FYI the car will have had serval touchless power washes and of course seen a winters worth of road salt and grime etc...

Thx!
Rich

[tomsteve]

Re: Strip old wax

personally i always claybar before waxing.

[Nick Winn]

Re: Strip old wax

Hi Rich,

You certainly can if you wish, but we do not require it for re-application for this product & most any of our waxes. If there is ever something required for application of a product it will be on the label within the direction FYI. Any wax that is left on the paint, you are essentially going to "re-activate" when you re-apply, and it will all work to become one "healthy" coat of wax again.

I personally would be more concerned in determining if there are any preparations steps which could benefit the paint like the use of Detailing Clay. Detailing Clay removes above surface contaminants which can build up if the vehicle is not washed weekly or other situations such as exposure to environmental contaminants like paint overspray or industrial fallout. To evaluate, simply feel the paint when it is clean & dry, especially the hood, top, & trunk lid, & inspect if the paint is completely smooth. If not, or it feels a bit rough, or not as smooth as the sides, this is an indication some contaminants have built up which should be removed at some point. Meguiar's Smooth Surface Clay Kit.

Regarding touchless automatic car washes, you want to keep in mind these will typically use a high alkaline cleaner in order to get the exterior clean since there is no physical agitation. This cleaner can actually remove most traditional waxes quite quickly. If this type of wash is something you are going to continue to use, you might consider looking into our Hybrid Paint Coating. This product requires a little more preparation than a traditional wax & the application is different than a traditional wax, and there are some considerations that need to be taken to allow the product to cure properly after the application, but with that said, it would be much more resilient to cleaners used in touchless car washes. Meguiar's Hybrid Paint Coating

[Richard Anthony]

Re: Strip old wax

Hey Nick, thanks for the info, lots of stuff to chew on, much appreciated!

Rich