Having a big problem with my wax / sealent removal

[Chrisquickshine]

Mike,

My name is Chris. I'm an express detailer on the west coast of Florida. I've been detailing for two years now as a business. About six months ago or so I looked into changing my waxes and adding sealents. I wanted to purchase my products by the gallon to get a little bit more profit out of my details. I purchased a gallon of Meguires #66 and Meguires Sealent 2.0. I keep these on my enclosed utility trailer and generally pour them into 3 oz shampoo bottles for versatility reasons.

At first both the products worked fantastic. After a while they've both begun to leave, what I think are called, holograms. When I remove the products I'm seeing my buff marks from where I lay the product on. It ends up leaving these deep dark marks all in the paint. This is , for the most part, only a problem with dark colored cars. What could be the possible causes of this?

As I said I store the gallons in my enclosed trailer. I shake the product weel before dispensing it. I apply it with either a microfiber bonnet ( orbital buffer) or with a microfiber applicator pad. I've even tried letting the product sit for different periods of time. Still the same results. Since I live in Florida could the humidity being doing something to the product while it sits in the trailer / sits on the car? I really appreciate your help Mike with any suggestions you may have.


Chris Fahey
Chris' Quick Shine

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

At first both the products worked fantastic. After a while they've both begun to leave, what I think are called, holograms.

When I remove the products I'm seeing my buff marks from where I lay the product on.

It ends up leaving these deep dark marks all in the paint. This is , for the most part, only a problem with dark colored cars. What could be the possible causes of this?

Sorry for not getting back to you sooner today, I was working on an offline project.

Holograms are another name for swirls instilled by predominantly a rotary buffer. So you're not seeing holograms.

Sounds like streaks or patches of residue to me. Streaks or these lighter, darker areas are usually just residue not removed, as in trace residues still on the surface.

Sometimes a slow wipe will remove them, see this article,

The Final Wipe – Tips for creating a streak-free, show car finish



Other times a mist of a spray detailer will remove them. They won't hurt anything, they're usually just unsightly especially when returning a car to your customer.

They'll be gone after the first wash and sometimes be unnoticeable after a day or two. Sometimes it's a polymer or protection ingredient, sometimes it's probably polishing oils. The surface of paint can only hold so much product before any more product is just sitting on top of the surface and this sounds like what you're seeing.

Since I live in Florida could the humidity being doing something to the product while it sits in the trailer / sits on the car? I really appreciate your help Mike with any suggestions you may have.

Humidity won't affect a product in a sealed container but temperature can and it's very hot on some days here in Florida.

Humidity will affect drying time, high humidity will increase drying time to the point of aggravation, thus it's really important to apply a very thin coating if you're using a WODWO LSP

As a general rule of thumb, if you shake a product up and then when you pour it out it has a uniform look and consistency, then it's probably fine to use. It's not a good practice to store products where it's cold or hot in extremes and storage location, like an enclosed trailer can exaggerate the problem when it comes to heat.

There is no simple answer for working in a hot climate, maybe pour off just enough product for your job and leave the gallons at home?

 

[Chrisquickshine]

Mike,

Thanks for your response. No worries on how long it took to get back lol I've often tried the quick detailer and it only works on occasions. The swirls seem to be extremely deep sometimes and thus very difficult to rub out. Its just difficult, if a customer does notice the swirls, to explain them. In the meantime Ill take your advoice and store my products at home! Thanks

Chris

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Mike,

Thanks for your response. No worries on how long it took to get back lol I've often tried the quick detailer and it only works on occasions. The swirls seem to be extremely deep sometimes and thus very difficult to rub out. Its just difficult, if a customer does notice the swirls, to explain them. In the meantime Ill take your advoice and store my products at home! Thanks

Chris

I'm confused?

Are you talking about scratches? Swirls are scratches.

Or are you talking about streaks? Streaks are an uneven appearance due to excess product residue in an isolated area.


If you're talking about actual, physical scratches in the paint, swirls or holograms, and you're not putting them in, then this means they're already in the paint before you work on the car. If this is the case, then when you wash, clay, clean, polish and the seal the paint it cold be you're making it easier for the human eye to see which happens when you remove all the light or shallow swirls and scratches and leave just the deeper swirls and scratches in the paint.

If that's the case then just educate your customer on the fact that the remaining swirls and scratches are deeper and in some cases may be too deep to safely remove and in other cases they can safely be removed but it will require more time because it will take more correction work and you're happy to do this for them but it means a higher rate for the job.

 

[Chrisquickshine]

I'm confused?

Are you talking about scratches? Swirls are scratches.

Or are you talking about streaks? Streaks are an uneven appearance due to excess product residue in an isolated area.


If you're talking about actual, physical scratches in the paint, swirls or holograms, and you're not putting them in, then this means they're already in the paint before you work on the car. If this is the case, then when you wash, clay, clean, polish and the seal the paint it cold be you're making it easier for the human eye to see which happens when you remove all the light or shallow swirls and scratches and leave just the deeper swirls and scratches in the paint.

If that's the case then just educate your customer on the fact that the remaining swirls and scratches are deeper and in some cases may be too deep to safely remove and in other cases they can safely be removed but it will require more time because it will take more correction work and you're happy to do this for them but it means a higher rate for the job.

Sorry Mike, I was actually talking about streaks. :doh: It had been a long day by the time I replied back.

 

[sullysdetailing]

Chris I had the same problem detailing in South Florida. It is caused by the heat and sun. If I wax a dark color car in the sun they will appear but using the same wax in the shade or garage they will not appear. If they appear and you have not shade avalible you can re wash the car or uses something like DP final gloss spray.

 

[Chrisquickshine]

Chris I had the same problem detailign in South Florida. It is caused by the heat and sun. If I wax a dark color car in the sun they will appear but using the same wax in the shade or garage they will not appear. If they appear and you have not shade avalible you can re wash the car or uses something like DP final gloss spray.

Thanks for your input Sully. This is a problem in the sun as well as the shade
. I've even had it show up on a fire engine red car. I'm beggining to think it's not only the heat, but the storage of my gallon containers in my trailer. It's much hotter in their when it sits in the sun. The thing is when I use a product, such as Meguires Cleaners wax, I don't have this problem.

Anyone know of a wax that meguire might have by the gallon that compares to their Cleaners wax?

 

[sullysdetailing]

Thanks for your input Sully. This is a problem in the sun as well as the shade
. I've even had it show up on a fire engine red car. I'm beggining to think it's not only the heat, but the storage of my gallon containers in my trailer. It's much hotter in their when it sits in the sun. The thing is when I use a product, such as Meguires Cleaners wax, I don't have this problem.

Anyone know of a wax that meguire might have by the gallon that compares to their Cleaners wax?

Is it a liquid wax? If so the heat might of messed upplies under mybed coverit up. I store all my supplies in the bed of my truck its covered. It gettign pretty hot in there but i never had this problem just when waxing in the sun, so to solve that i got a 20x20 tent