Why and How?

I figure why kind of tells you "when".

Also curious about how. I figure its isopropyl alcohol and a good microfibre. But I wonder about dilution/strength.


Reason I ask is I'm detailing our new (to us) Mustang and used a towel dampend with water and alcohol to help remove polish residue. Wondering if that was the "right" "why" and "how".


(Sorry no pics. Maybe tomorrow.)

 

I use a 50/50 mix.

It helps to use after you are done polishing, but before applying your wax/sealant. It can remove any oils/fillers left behind by your polish. Sometimes the residue left behind by your polish can mask any swirls that you were trying to remove. This will let you know if you have removed all imperfections in your paint before applying your wax/sealant.

 

50/50 mixture in a spray bottle, wiped down with a mf towel...

 

OK, cool. I did OK, I guess.

Did not have the dilution quite right (close enough), but used it for at the right part of the process.

Thanks for the replies.

 

Dilution is just approximate ... 100% will do the job and 40% prolly will too.... 50/50 is just easier to say and 100% is a bit of a waste.

 

Well, the stuff I have is just a small drug store bottle and, I think, is already 70/30.

Just using a water damp rag then IPA I noticed that it tended to leave a little bit of water streaking, but using it straight onto a clean rag did not steak.

Anyhow, alls well that ends well and next time I'll have a better idea on how to proceed.

 

Ya thats the one you mix again at 50/50 ... but no harm done at all ..

I put the mix in a cheap sray bottle and mist the panel and wipe it off.

 

I also mix 50/50 but I use distilled water and instead of tap to minimize streaking.

 

I use IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol) to rid the paint of polishing oils prior to sealing the paint. This step is very important for sealants that bond to the paint surface. IPA is also good for inspecting the paint to make sure you have truly corrected the paint defects. Basic 70% IPA is perfectly OK. There is no need to dilute. I use a spray trigger that I mount to the larger IPA bottle sizes.

 

Good idea.

 

Often a 1:1 dilution is used as this avoids fast evaporation, allowing the solvent necessary dwell time to remove oils etc from the paint surface.

 

I use a 70/30 split of the IPA (which is 70/30 already) and distilled water...Works great for me...