remove condensation marks
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Road Captain
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 512
Likes: 6
From: Minnesota
remove condensation marks
I bought a street glide dash from ebay which was listed as PERFECT!!,when I got it, it was covered in condensation marks. Any of my cleaners wouldn't take them off,so I thought what the hell and put some Dawn dishwashing soap on a wet micro fibre towel and with a little rubbing it was as shiny as new. Just thought I would let people know in case anyone has had problems removing the marks
The problem with using strong detergents is that they have a alkaline and will dull your paint and strip off wax/polymer protectants.
DawnŽ contains sodium hydroxide, which is highly alkaline the same ingredient used in engine degreasers to chemically burn hydrocarbon oils and grease from engine surfaces (sodium hydroxide) it will severely stain aluminium, magnesium, etc. It will emulsify, breakdown and leach out oils naturally found in your paint, and also any oils applied in the way of a glaze or polish.
Generally you should avoid the use of household cleaning products for automotive detailing as they are formulated for an entirely different type of cleaning. [Your car surface and the dirt that gets on it are a lot different from the food soils and dishes that dishwashing liquids clean effectively. We don't recommend them for cleaning your car] [Proctor and Gamble]
DawnŽ and similar type washing liquids chemistry relies primarily on detergent and surfactant technology. This type of chemistry has advanced to the point that it can be engineered to specific soils (i.e. organic grease) Detergent and soap chemistry and product formulation is a lot more complicated than this, suffice it to say; modern car wash formulations are soil specific.
Always use a good quality car washing soap.
At this point, now that it is stripped, I would highly reccomend doing clay bar then polish/sealant/wax to seal and protect the paint.
AGAIN NEVER USE DISH SOAP FOR WASHING YOUR PAINT!!!!
and don't use gear oil to wash your hair??
DawnŽ contains sodium hydroxide, which is highly alkaline the same ingredient used in engine degreasers to chemically burn hydrocarbon oils and grease from engine surfaces (sodium hydroxide) it will severely stain aluminium, magnesium, etc. It will emulsify, breakdown and leach out oils naturally found in your paint, and also any oils applied in the way of a glaze or polish.
Generally you should avoid the use of household cleaning products for automotive detailing as they are formulated for an entirely different type of cleaning. [Your car surface and the dirt that gets on it are a lot different from the food soils and dishes that dishwashing liquids clean effectively. We don't recommend them for cleaning your car] [Proctor and Gamble]
DawnŽ and similar type washing liquids chemistry relies primarily on detergent and surfactant technology. This type of chemistry has advanced to the point that it can be engineered to specific soils (i.e. organic grease) Detergent and soap chemistry and product formulation is a lot more complicated than this, suffice it to say; modern car wash formulations are soil specific.
Always use a good quality car washing soap.
At this point, now that it is stripped, I would highly reccomend doing clay bar then polish/sealant/wax to seal and protect the paint.
AGAIN NEVER USE DISH SOAP FOR WASHING YOUR PAINT!!!!
and don't use gear oil to wash your hair??
I'm glad to hear the spots came out you got it clean! I'm sure that made you happy!
I just thought I'd throw in a "heads up" on using DawnŽ. That stuff is brutal on paint.
Don't get me wrong, I use DawnŽ, but very rarely, NEVER more than once a year. I use it to STRIP off any and ALL prior wax or products to create a bare unprotected base paint surface. I figured I'd throw it out there so folks did not start using it on a regular basis. Using it just that one time should not hurt.
When you lightly rub the paint, with your hand in a Baggie, can you feel grit?
When you look at the paint in direct sunlight can you see fine scratches or swirls?
Now that the dash is DawnŽ stripped it is very important you finish the exposed paint. Here is the short version.
Finishing Process:
Clay - Removes contaminants embedded in the paint.
Polish - Removes fine scratches, swirl marks etc.
Glaze - optional step adds depth, gloss and pop!
Sealant - Seals and protects the paint.
Wax - Protects the paint and gives you a nice shine.
FYI - The terms polish, sealant and wax have many mixed meanings are very confusing in the detailing world.
I just thought I'd throw in a "heads up" on using DawnŽ. That stuff is brutal on paint.
Don't get me wrong, I use DawnŽ, but very rarely, NEVER more than once a year. I use it to STRIP off any and ALL prior wax or products to create a bare unprotected base paint surface. I figured I'd throw it out there so folks did not start using it on a regular basis. Using it just that one time should not hurt.
When you lightly rub the paint, with your hand in a Baggie, can you feel grit?
When you look at the paint in direct sunlight can you see fine scratches or swirls?
Now that the dash is DawnŽ stripped it is very important you finish the exposed paint. Here is the short version.
Finishing Process:
Clay - Removes contaminants embedded in the paint.
Polish - Removes fine scratches, swirl marks etc.
Glaze - optional step adds depth, gloss and pop!
Sealant - Seals and protects the paint.
Wax - Protects the paint and gives you a nice shine.
FYI - The terms polish, sealant and wax have many mixed meanings are very confusing in the detailing world.
Thread Starter
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Road Captain
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 512
Likes: 6
From: Minnesota
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This is THE stuff for chrome. It comes in a silver tin can and looks like cotton wads.
Tear off a small piece then rub it on your chrome. Let it sit about fifteen minutes then wipe it off.
You can get it at most auto parts stores.
Try it. You will fall in love with this stuff!
Tear off a small piece then rub it on your chrome. Let it sit about fifteen minutes then wipe it off.
You can get it at most auto parts stores.
Try it. You will fall in love with this stuff!
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