swanicyouth
New member
- Mar 3, 2011
- 9,388
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So, I saw a few threads on the forum about people interested in paint cleaners and fine polishes that can be used as paint cleaners. I thought I would put something together regarding these products, my experience with them, and what I use. Ideally, you want to correct your car once. You don't want to compound your car frequently - or possibly even twice. A lot of times, if treated correctly, the paint is fine and healthy - you just want to strip off your old LSP to try something new - at least in the AGO universe.
Menzerna SF4500 / PO85RD
This is the gold standard "jeweling" polish. It has next to no cut, but does have enough oomph to remove your old LSP and make most swirl free dark paint look deep and wet. The work time is fairly long, and wipe off is pretty easy. I've had zero success using this polish to remove even the slightest of defects on a finishing pad.
There has been some chatter about this polish being "oily" and having the ability to hide fine defects. I don't find it to be excessively oily, but it does have a tendency to gum up pads a like all Menzerna polishes. This is the polish to use on the most delicate soft paints with a soft finishing pad. If your using this polish prior to a coating, I probably would recommend re-washing the vehicle, as polishing oils may be difficult to remove 100%.
PoorBoy's World Professional Polish
This stuff is a "pure polish". It has either no abrasives, or abrasives that are so fine that they are almost irrelevant. This fact seems to depend on who you ask. When I first bought this polish, I didn't know what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. PP buffs as smooth as any high dollar polish. Wipe off is as easy as it gets.
This is a very versatile polish. While it can have next to no cut on a finishing pad, you can use it with a more aggressive pad to fix some minor defects. Ease of use is high. PP can also be used on glass, chrome, plastic - pretty much any polishable surface. It's also useable in the sun and in the shade, but I don't buff in the sun - so, no experience there. It can be used as a paint cleaner by hand as well. Pro Polish also doesn't leave behind a lot of oils or glaze like some other paint cleaner type products. A top notch product, for a bottom basement price.
P21S Paintwork Cleanser
Old school and still good. This product is a great pre-wax or paint cleaner. It has a glaze component to it as well. P21S Paintwork Cleanser contains kaolin clay. I've heard 2 different reasons for the "clay". Reason one states it's used to "exfoliate" or clean the paint, as clay can be slightly abrasive. Reason two states the clay is in there to fill swirls or contribute to the glazing ability of this product
This is a lotion like product. It separates in the bottle into "oil" and "lotion" - so you have to shake it well. This stuff is best used by hand, but can be used by machine. It leaves paint nice and clean and ready for a wax - any wax. Like all P21S, I'd trust this stuff with my life on any paint. The glaze component leaves the surface semi-slick and glossy. Wipe off is pretty simple, and I find if you use this stuff by machine you want to use slow speeds and only a few passes, or the product will dry out. One of the best all around paint cleaners on the market - you can't go wrong here.
Rupes Diamond Ultra Fine Polish
All my experience with this product is as part of the Rupes' system: machine, polish, and pads. I think that is how it was designed to be used, so that's how I use it. The amazing thing about this ultra fine polish is it's ability (as part of the Rupes' system) to remove light defects, remove little paint, finish perfectly, and remain easy to use. This polish is best used sparingly, I don't prime pads when I use it - I just use a single spritz of pad priming spray or a QD.
This polish acts to me like it's "polymer heavy". What I mean by that is that it's concentrated and has a rather long work time. That's how I describe it, but I can't say for sure it has a single polymer in it. The pad never seems to want to become "dry" - which is a good thing. Another thing I like about it is that it doesn't gum up pads. This could be do to the fact that it requires so little polish to get the job done, or just a benefit of the Rupes' system in general.
Either way, this is a great ultra fine polish to remove your old LSP, correct some minor defects, and not remove a lot of paint with the Rupes' system. Some people have commented Rupes' polishes can be hard to wipe off. I don't find this an issue, I'm wondering if those that experience this are using too much polish or are priming their pads with polish. The pad for this polish is the Rupes' white pad. If you have a Rupes - it's a no brainer.
Prima Amigo
This stuff is worth it's weight in gold. Although it contains light abrasives, correction of even the lightest defects is not this product's strong point. The strong point of Amigo is it's mind numbing ease of use and the slick glazed finish it leaves behind. Use it light / use it heavy - wipe off is just as easy. It has enough power to remove your old LSP and leave behind a slick glazed surface behind - all in one step.
Amigo is equally as good by hand or machine - and just as easy to use either way. I know this stuff contains polymers, just by the slick surface it leaves behind. I always grab for Amigo when I'm not sure what to use or just want something I know works awesome and is super easy to use. It works great by hand to remove fresh water spots on your paint. Any splatter of this product is very easy to remove. It doesn't stain trim. Taping is unnecessary.
Another great thing about Amigo is the bottle - it's short and stout. I like this because it doesn't want to tip over every time I sit it down. This product can be used prior to waxes and sealants, and I trust the folks at Prima did their due diligence that it doesn't affect your sealant's life or bonding. Basically, I feel everyone should have a bottle of Amigo in their arsenal. I always keep 2 - just in case they stop making it.
Optimum Finish Polish
This is another polish, not a paint cleaner per-se. However, this stuff works great as a paint cleaner. It's a super fine polish that is both body shop and VOC compliant. This stuff reminds me of the Rupes' Diamond Ultra Fine Polish a lot. OFP does have polymers - along with a very long work time. The pad never seems to "run dry" and dust is non existent. It's a SMAT polish, so feel free to buff for as little or as long as you like. For whatever reason, this polish tends to fly under the radar. I would classify this polish as a hidden gem.
The beauty of this stuff is it's ease of use, price, and the fact you can use it with any buffer or by hand. This is the polish you want to use if a car requires a fine finishing polish prior to applying Opti Coat. Whatever polymers are in it, they are either removable with 15% IPA or don't interfere with the bonding of the OptiCoat. I know this to be true from Optimum's recommendations and my own personal experience.
Optimum Finish Polish wipes off super easy and leaves glossy glassy paint. It's quite thick and blue. This is another polish you use quite sparingly, although wipe off is always fairly easy unless your painting it on. This polish, like Optimum's other conventional polishes, work awesome for correcting plastic as well. I don't use "plastic polish", although I own a few, because this stuff just works better. For a bit more cut, use it with a polishing pad.
Don't believe me? Try it for yourself. A small bottle is only like twelve bucks.
Swissvax Cleaner Fluid Regular
No, they don't sell Swissvax at AG. However, I had to include this stuff because I think it's so awesome. Yes, it's expensive. $25+ shipping will get you only 100mls of it. However, you use it by hand and a little goes a long way. Basically, it's an oily glaze type hand paint cleaner with no abrasives. It leaves the glossiest looking glazed finish I've seen for any paint cleaner. Sometimes I will test these types of products out on my super soft black corrected tool box paint before I use them. I did this with Cleaner Fluid Regular when I first received it and took a picture of the results:
You can likely guess the CFR was applied to the left verticals strip of the black paint. You can see this product adds a substantial glossy glazing effect while cleaning the paint. Does it hid defects - YES! Do I hide defects? No. I just like it for the wet glossy look it gives and how far the product goes. Wipe off is fairly easy, but you use it sparingly. I probably wouldn't use this product before a sealant, just a wax, due to it's heavy glazing effect.
Menzerna SF4500 / PO85RD
This is the gold standard "jeweling" polish. It has next to no cut, but does have enough oomph to remove your old LSP and make most swirl free dark paint look deep and wet. The work time is fairly long, and wipe off is pretty easy. I've had zero success using this polish to remove even the slightest of defects on a finishing pad.
There has been some chatter about this polish being "oily" and having the ability to hide fine defects. I don't find it to be excessively oily, but it does have a tendency to gum up pads a like all Menzerna polishes. This is the polish to use on the most delicate soft paints with a soft finishing pad. If your using this polish prior to a coating, I probably would recommend re-washing the vehicle, as polishing oils may be difficult to remove 100%.
PoorBoy's World Professional Polish
This stuff is a "pure polish". It has either no abrasives, or abrasives that are so fine that they are almost irrelevant. This fact seems to depend on who you ask. When I first bought this polish, I didn't know what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. PP buffs as smooth as any high dollar polish. Wipe off is as easy as it gets.
This is a very versatile polish. While it can have next to no cut on a finishing pad, you can use it with a more aggressive pad to fix some minor defects. Ease of use is high. PP can also be used on glass, chrome, plastic - pretty much any polishable surface. It's also useable in the sun and in the shade, but I don't buff in the sun - so, no experience there. It can be used as a paint cleaner by hand as well. Pro Polish also doesn't leave behind a lot of oils or glaze like some other paint cleaner type products. A top notch product, for a bottom basement price.
P21S Paintwork Cleanser
Old school and still good. This product is a great pre-wax or paint cleaner. It has a glaze component to it as well. P21S Paintwork Cleanser contains kaolin clay. I've heard 2 different reasons for the "clay". Reason one states it's used to "exfoliate" or clean the paint, as clay can be slightly abrasive. Reason two states the clay is in there to fill swirls or contribute to the glazing ability of this product
This is a lotion like product. It separates in the bottle into "oil" and "lotion" - so you have to shake it well. This stuff is best used by hand, but can be used by machine. It leaves paint nice and clean and ready for a wax - any wax. Like all P21S, I'd trust this stuff with my life on any paint. The glaze component leaves the surface semi-slick and glossy. Wipe off is pretty simple, and I find if you use this stuff by machine you want to use slow speeds and only a few passes, or the product will dry out. One of the best all around paint cleaners on the market - you can't go wrong here.
Rupes Diamond Ultra Fine Polish
All my experience with this product is as part of the Rupes' system: machine, polish, and pads. I think that is how it was designed to be used, so that's how I use it. The amazing thing about this ultra fine polish is it's ability (as part of the Rupes' system) to remove light defects, remove little paint, finish perfectly, and remain easy to use. This polish is best used sparingly, I don't prime pads when I use it - I just use a single spritz of pad priming spray or a QD.
This polish acts to me like it's "polymer heavy". What I mean by that is that it's concentrated and has a rather long work time. That's how I describe it, but I can't say for sure it has a single polymer in it. The pad never seems to want to become "dry" - which is a good thing. Another thing I like about it is that it doesn't gum up pads. This could be do to the fact that it requires so little polish to get the job done, or just a benefit of the Rupes' system in general.
Either way, this is a great ultra fine polish to remove your old LSP, correct some minor defects, and not remove a lot of paint with the Rupes' system. Some people have commented Rupes' polishes can be hard to wipe off. I don't find this an issue, I'm wondering if those that experience this are using too much polish or are priming their pads with polish. The pad for this polish is the Rupes' white pad. If you have a Rupes - it's a no brainer.
Prima Amigo
This stuff is worth it's weight in gold. Although it contains light abrasives, correction of even the lightest defects is not this product's strong point. The strong point of Amigo is it's mind numbing ease of use and the slick glazed finish it leaves behind. Use it light / use it heavy - wipe off is just as easy. It has enough power to remove your old LSP and leave behind a slick glazed surface behind - all in one step.
Amigo is equally as good by hand or machine - and just as easy to use either way. I know this stuff contains polymers, just by the slick surface it leaves behind. I always grab for Amigo when I'm not sure what to use or just want something I know works awesome and is super easy to use. It works great by hand to remove fresh water spots on your paint. Any splatter of this product is very easy to remove. It doesn't stain trim. Taping is unnecessary.
Another great thing about Amigo is the bottle - it's short and stout. I like this because it doesn't want to tip over every time I sit it down. This product can be used prior to waxes and sealants, and I trust the folks at Prima did their due diligence that it doesn't affect your sealant's life or bonding. Basically, I feel everyone should have a bottle of Amigo in their arsenal. I always keep 2 - just in case they stop making it.
Optimum Finish Polish
This is another polish, not a paint cleaner per-se. However, this stuff works great as a paint cleaner. It's a super fine polish that is both body shop and VOC compliant. This stuff reminds me of the Rupes' Diamond Ultra Fine Polish a lot. OFP does have polymers - along with a very long work time. The pad never seems to "run dry" and dust is non existent. It's a SMAT polish, so feel free to buff for as little or as long as you like. For whatever reason, this polish tends to fly under the radar. I would classify this polish as a hidden gem.
The beauty of this stuff is it's ease of use, price, and the fact you can use it with any buffer or by hand. This is the polish you want to use if a car requires a fine finishing polish prior to applying Opti Coat. Whatever polymers are in it, they are either removable with 15% IPA or don't interfere with the bonding of the OptiCoat. I know this to be true from Optimum's recommendations and my own personal experience.
Optimum Finish Polish wipes off super easy and leaves glossy glassy paint. It's quite thick and blue. This is another polish you use quite sparingly, although wipe off is always fairly easy unless your painting it on. This polish, like Optimum's other conventional polishes, work awesome for correcting plastic as well. I don't use "plastic polish", although I own a few, because this stuff just works better. For a bit more cut, use it with a polishing pad.
Don't believe me? Try it for yourself. A small bottle is only like twelve bucks.
Swissvax Cleaner Fluid Regular
No, they don't sell Swissvax at AG. However, I had to include this stuff because I think it's so awesome. Yes, it's expensive. $25+ shipping will get you only 100mls of it. However, you use it by hand and a little goes a long way. Basically, it's an oily glaze type hand paint cleaner with no abrasives. It leaves the glossiest looking glazed finish I've seen for any paint cleaner. Sometimes I will test these types of products out on my super soft black corrected tool box paint before I use them. I did this with Cleaner Fluid Regular when I first received it and took a picture of the results:
You can likely guess the CFR was applied to the left verticals strip of the black paint. You can see this product adds a substantial glossy glazing effect while cleaning the paint. Does it hid defects - YES! Do I hide defects? No. I just like it for the wet glossy look it gives and how far the product goes. Wipe off is fairly easy, but you use it sparingly. I probably wouldn't use this product before a sealant, just a wax, due to it's heavy glazing effect.
