Reapplying/renewing waxes and sealants

[bpricedo]

I have several questions. In the situation where you had a sealant applied and then did wax over that, I know that the wax protection would need to be renewed before the sealant. Do you just do a regular wash and reapply wax? Clay bar?

Then what would you do when it came time to renew the sealant coat? Do you worry about build up or is there something that removes the old sealant?

Or, I suppose another way to word this is, if I wanted to use a sealant, what is a good routine to follow as far as washing, detailing, reapplying, etc to maintain the sealant over time?

 

[Klasse Act]

Here's what I'd do, good wash, paint decontamination (clay or Speedy Prep towel) and then apply your LSP of choice.

Sent from my SPH-M930 using AG Online

 

[FUNX650]

Over time...

-Wash/dry
-"Baggie test": to determine claying need, or not
-Mild polish (more aggressive where/if deemed necessary)
-Sealant
-Allow for Sealant's recommended cure time
-Enjoy the ride.

Bob

 

[bpricedo]

Over time...

-Wash/dry
-"Baggie test": to determine claying need, or not
-Mild polish (more aggressive where/if deemed necessary)
-Sealant
-Allow for Sealant's recommended cure time
-Enjoy the ride.

Bob

And then? Once you notice beading of water going away or other signs of sealant needing to be redone, just go through the same steps again? I'm sure the polish will remove old sealant, what about clay bar?

 

[Kamakaz1961]

And then? Once you notice beading of water going away or other signs of sealant needing to be redone, just go through the same steps again? I'm sure the polish will remove old sealant, what about clay bar?

FUNX75 is correct on this procedure. I stripped my car down 2 times within a month. Make the long story short, I put on a wax that did not meet my expectations and made my car look dull (it was Zymol Concours Wax which really surprised me) So I stripped the car

Wash
Blue Nano Skin (car was clean so just used spots if the baggie test failed)
Polish with Menzerna SF4500 (for minor scratches) Used Flex 3401 VRG with White Lake Country CCS pad on setting 4 for removing the minor scratches.
Used Pinnacle Black Label Pre-wax cleaner to prep the car for the LSP
Menzerna Powerlock Sealant
and Final LSP: Dodo Juice Supernatural Wax

BTW: This procedure really did not take too much time as my car was 95% clean and really did not need much correcting. The pre-wax cleaner was the longest step before putting on the LSP

Now I did this procedure 2 times within a month. I know this took a little time, however, I know that doing this my ride would be awesome looking.

That is what I would do and ONLY do if I was in your situation. The only difference would be the products you prefer instead of my products. This will make sure your ride will look "PERFECT"

FYI: I will be doing the same procedure in about 2 months to try either Celeste Dettaglio or Pinnacle Black Label Synergy wax just for the heck of it!


Have an awesome day!


:buffing:

 

[FUNX650]

And then? Once you notice beading of water going away or other signs of sealant needing to be redone, just go through the same steps again? I'm sure the polish will remove old sealant, what about clay bar?

Depending on all of the "rigors" your vehicle may be faced with over a give time period:
A quality Sealant could last ~6 months.

IMO:
Twice yearly is not too heavy of a renewal-process-load to bear.

Of course, I realize you may think otherwise.

Bob

 

[Desertnate]

A mild polish a couple of times a year should be OK in the long run. There are also non abrasive paint cleaners, mild AIO/cleaner waxes, or in-between products like Blackfire GEP or Prima Amigo will knock out the old wax.

Over time, the surface needs a good "cleaning" to get rid of the old LSP remnants. Even if the water doesn't bead, it's not totally gone and will build up over time. Mike Phillips has some great articles here showing the difference this makes. The one that sticks out in my mind is the pictures of a yellow hot rod from one of his classes. The clarity and pop in the color are surprising.

 

[bpricedo]

Okay, so I get the car, wash, decon, clay, polish depending on swirls and then seal. Let sealant cure. Wash frequently with mild soap, detail spray when drying. Should I use a spray wax/sealant rejuvenator (such as sonax brilliant shine) after drying?

Baggy test will indicate need for claying, lack of beading will indicate need to renew sealant. I would assume if the sealant is needing renewal, might as well clay and the clay will remove old sealant. Polish only when swirls indicate as repeated polishing removes clear coat and could decrease life of paint if done too frequently?

Does this routine sound reasonable?

 

[cleanmycorolla]

Okay, so I get the car, wash, decon, clay, polish depending on swirls and then seal. Let sealant cure. Wash frequently with mild soap, detail spray when drying. Should I use a spray wax/sealant rejuvenator (such as sonax brilliant shine) after drying?

Baggy test will indicate need for claying, lack of beading will indicate need to renew sealant. I would assume if the sealant is needing renewal, might as well clay and the clay will remove old sealant. Polish only when swirls indicate as repeated polishing removes clear coat and could decrease life of paint if done too frequently?

Does this routine sound reasonable?

Sounds good. But my best advice is to not over think it so much. It's supposed to be fun too. :dblthumb2:

 

[bpricedo]

Sounds good. But my best advice is to not over think it so much. It's supposed to be fun too. :dblthumb2:

Ha, I get it! I have watched and read TONS of how-to articles on this stuff, and it always starts out with wash, decon, clay, polish, then wax, then sealant. Thats a lot of work and wear on your paint if you are doing that every 4-6 weeks. Its not well explained out there what a normal maintenance routine looks like and how to know just what you need to do and not do too much.

 

[Kamakaz1961]

Okay, so I get the car, wash, decon, clay, polish depending on swirls and then seal. Let sealant cure. Wash frequently with mild soap, detail spray when drying. Should I use a spray wax/sealant rejuvenator (such as sonax brilliant shine) after drying?

Baggy test will indicate need for claying, lack of beading will indicate need to renew sealant. I would assume if the sealant is needing renewal, might as well clay and the clay will remove old sealant. Polish only when swirls indicate as repeated polishing removes clear coat and could decrease life of paint if done too frequently?

Does this routine sound reasonable?

I would use only a very fine polish I use Menzerna's SF4500 there least aggressive polish or some Brand that is equivalent. If you keep your car maintained very well (I am assuming you do) the polishing part is very minor and should have no issues of removing the clearcoat. I would then pre-clean the entire car with a pre-wax cleaner just to be safe (in some people's eyes might be overkill).

And cleanmycorolla is right JUST HAVE FUN doing this. I know I take great pleasure doing this.

When you start stripping the car for a new sealant/wax you will see how easy this is. Have fun!!