Do you still use a sealant?

[Bert31]

FK1000p for me. Great bird and bug resistance. Easy on and off. Lasts all winter in the Midwest. And one tin lasts for years. It is, however, a SOB to get out of pads.

I will make up a strong bucket mix of warm water (not at the point of being hot but close, basically as hot as you thing the adhesive on the pad will tolerate) with a pretty good amount of Megs Super Degreaser (Super Clean may also work) and will dunk the applicator/pad in and squeeze and release several times while in the solution. Wear gloves or your hand will be so dry they crack. After that, I will let soak in the solution until the water goes back to room temperature. Generally the time frame while I am cleaning up/putting stuff away from the detail. When cool, dump out that solution and run the applicator/pad under hot water while squeezing and releasing several times. This will remove most of the FK1000p. Toss the applicator/pad in the wash machine. Set on small load, add an ounce or two of Rags to Rich and quite a bit more Super Degreaser and set the temperature to high, assuming your machine is not so high that the adhesive will give out, then use warm instead. This will create a ton of foam, do not use a level higher than small load or may foam out of your machine. At this point, FK1000P will be out of the applicator/pad but all will have a strong odor of Super Clean. So next I would prep my normal wash for all the other microfiber towels and such used in the detail and toss the Super Degreaser smelling applicators/pads in that wash too and the smell will be gone.

Sometimes you will need to do this process with the towels you buffed the FK1000P. So far the heat has never ruined a towel fortunately.

 

[Optimus Grime]

I find sealants to be the best product for most people. My business is about 80% coatings but only a handful of customers are actually willing to do the bare minimum to maintain a coating. I now actively encourage people to get an exterior detail with a good sealant and go from there. Saves me time and saves them a hell of a lot of money. Coatings are great but too many people think they are some magical solution that means no more maintenance.

 

[Coatingsarecrack]

I'll confess to being uninformed, though I am learning things here all the time. Is the Griot's 3 In 1 Ceramic considered a sealant then? Since it replaced their Poly Wax I am guessing so, in which case I am still using a sealant ..

Yeah I would put it under the Sio2 sealant category


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[PaulMys]

Yeah I would put it under the Sio2 sealant category


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Agreed, but not nearly as long-lasting.

I'm a Griot's fan and have tried 3-in-1 in several different trials.

My opinion is that it lasts 3 weeks, tops.

 

[Prange]

I will make up a strong bucket mix of warm water (not at the point of being hot but close, basically as hot as you thing the adhesive on the pad will tolerate) with a pretty good amount of Megs Super Degreaser (Super Clean may also work) and will dunk the applicator/pad in and squeeze and release several times while in the solution. Wear gloves or your hand will be so dry they crack. After that, I will let soak in the solution until the water goes back to room temperature. Generally the time frame while I am cleaning up/putting stuff away from the detail. When cool, dump out that solution and run the applicator/pad under hot water while squeezing and releasing several times. This will remove most of the FK1000p. Toss the applicator/pad in the wash machine. Set on small load, add an ounce or two of Rags to Rich and quite a bit more Super Degreaser and set the temperature to high, assuming your machine is not so high that the adhesive will give out, then use warm instead. This will create a ton of foam, do not use a level higher than small load or may foam out of your machine. At this point, FK1000P will be out of the applicator/pad but all will have a strong odor of Super Clean. So next I would prep my normal wash for all the other microfiber towels and such used in the detail and toss the Super Degreaser smelling applicators/pads in that wash too and the smell will be gone.

Sometimes you will need to do this process with the towels you buffed the FK1000P. So far the heat has never ruined a towel fortunately.

Interesting. I’m sure it would work. I have a new HE washer, so I’m leery of anything that foams. They’re sensitive to that.

Thanks for the info.

 

[MisterSnoop]

Agreed, but not nearly as long-lasting.

I'm a Griot's fan and have tried 3-in-1 in several different trials.

My opinion is that it lasts 3 weeks, tops.

I get more than that from Ceramic Speed Shine or Ceramic Wash & Coat. Neither of those last as long as 3-in-1. Maybe it's the salty air.

3-in-1 does have some carnauba in it so you could call it a wax/sealant but it's more sealant than wax.

 

[minerigger]

Been using seal n shine and top with bead maker or megs synthetic spray wax. So much easier to deal with no/less water spots.


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[willowcat11]

I was a WDGPS user for years....someone got me to try Jescar Ultra Lock Plus...and I've never looked back

Hey, thanks for sharing that. That’ll be my next buy!


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[Paul A.]

For my personal cars (family), no. Coatings only.

For client cars, yes. I have a few clients who simply won't pay my coating price and that's ok by me. They get Collonite 845 machine applied. Being honest here, they are kind of a nice break in the meticulous application routine of a coating.

One of those client's is a garage kept vehicle and driven lightly. He's getting damn near the durability of some of my Can Coat clients!

 

[van185]

Still use the Wolfgang and Blackfire Sealants. Have numersou customers that still just want a detail without a Coating. I find the Sealant much quicker and always leave a great finish. Sealants are my go to on most details.

 

[TTQ B4U]

Nope. 100% ceramic coatings for the past several years. Both on my personal vehicles and any vehicle I work on.

 

[Optimus Grime]

Nope. 100% ceramic coatings for the past several years. Both on my personal vehicles and any vehicle I work on.

Coatings only on my personal vehicles because I maintain them. Do you find that your customers maintain their coatings?

 

[Bert31]

I was a WDGPS user for years....someone got me to try Jescar Ultra Lock Plus...and I've never looked back

What type of durability are you getting with Jescar Ultra Lock Plus? I was just talking to a detailer who mentioned he uses Jescar Ultra Lock Plus as protection on all of his clients who chose not to get a coating. He said it is not quite at durable as Finish Kare 1000P but makes up for that in how quick and easy it is to apply.

 

[Danube]

I still use some sealant leftovers from the past.

 

[Paul A.]

Coatings only on my personal vehicles because I maintain them. Do you find that your customers maintain their coatings?

They don't however it's still good to have them coated because of that in my opinion.

They are easier to clean when they come back for a wash and tire dressing. Some come back once a month and others are once a year. And the latter have sometimes been through tunnel washes.

From my perspective I like having them coated because they're not maintained. The robust nature of a good coating serves to protect the paint longer in my opinion.

 

[Optimus Grime]

They don't however it's still good to have them coated because of that in my opinion.

They are easier to clean when they come back for a wash and tire dressing. Some come back once a month and others are once a year. And the latter have sometimes been through tunnel washes.

From my perspective I like having them coated because they're not maintained. The robust nature of a good coating serves to protect the paint longer in my opinion.

Yeah. It’s a bit of a catch 22. Those that maintain a coating the least are the ones that need it the most.

 

[CleanIT]

I was using sealants up until Can Coat. I never got around to doing a correction and reapplication of Can Coat. It's been a year and a half. Been topping CC with Wet Coat or Ech20. Beading is still decent. I'm back to debating on whether to just apply a good sealant (thinking of Kamikaze or Cosmic) or just going with Can Coat again. For how easy CC is to apply and how durable it is, it's hard to go back to a traditional sealant. Can Coat is just that good.

 

[Uncbrs]

I was using sealants up until Can Coat. I never got around to doing a correction and reapplication of Can Coat. It's been a year and a half. Been topping CC with Wet Coat or Ech20. Beading is still decent. I'm back to debating on whether to just apply a good sealant (thinking of Kamikaze or Cosmic) or just going with Can Coat again. For how easy CC is to apply and how durable it is, it's hard to go back to a traditional sealant. Can Coat is just that good.

It's a curse to find a good sealant/coating because it suddenly becomes don't break it off not broken! Yet, I see in the morning sun some spots that need correction... but just the thought of stripping and doing all that again makes me tired.

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[CleanIT]

It's a curse to find a good sealant/coating because it suddenly becomes don't break it off not broken! Yet, I see in the morning sun some spots that need correction... but just the thought of stripping and doing all that again makes me tired.

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I've considered grabbing that new Kamikaze Strip product that will actually remove all existing sealants and even prior coatings and just reapply Can Coat. Paint is in OK condition. Not great, but not terrible either.

 

[Uncbrs]

I've considered grabbing that new Kamikaze Strip product that will actually remove all existing sealants and even prior coatings and just reapply Can Coat. Paint is in OK condition. Not great, but not terrible either.

My head went there but I feel like a couple of strong strip washes and a clay will do as good and be quicker. I'm also using sealants only but I lay something down on each wash. I am about to do a year (I hope) of Cosmic V2 on one vehicle so I could see that Kamikaze strip soap being useful for a small area after the fact but otherwise it seems like overkill for my needs.

If you try it, I'll be curious to hear your thoughts.

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