drfous

I've read on other forums that Lemon Pledge and Plexus are very similar. Anyone know if there's any truth in that?

Deanski

AH yes, this thread can go on and on.

Mo, no need to worry, not fully bashing Zymol. Just wish they would change the marketing of the products. Look, they even license a product for sales in big-box stores (Target, Wal-Mart etc). Howeverf, the high-end products are nice, but way to much $$ for wax and oil. They now have a shop in Branford, CT which makes some of the high-end waxes. The others, well I'm not at liberty to say where they are made.

Most people in general have no clue, nor care what went into getting it that "shinny" as long as it lasts a good long time. Only a select few will care and those get a kit from us to take home with instructions on maintenance all depending on what was the LSP. Wax, Sealant, Glaze etc.

On another note, nothing wrong with Zymol products. Hell, I have the entire line, but seldom use it only for those that have a love for it. Besides most cannot tell one wax from another. Also, it's too time consuming for most detail work and only used again on those that want it. Some have more of a wetting agent (oils) to get that deep wet look, where others do not have enough oils and do not look as wet or deep. Some are a combo of sealant and wax (Poorboys).

Most waxes, polishes are made by large chemical companies, such as Dr O.K. Wack Chemie GmbH, Chemical Guys and a few more. Slap a label on it and call it what you want, it's quite easy now to make your very own wax or polish. Even Menzerna will license a polish to another company. The sealant FMJ was never really a Menzerna product, but licensed to be called "Menzerna FMJ".

It goes on and on.

Use what you're happy with, stick with it and don't run out to change untill you see one finish that you have try, but find out first what it is, how much prep, is it avalible to consumers etc. Try to get a sample first. Or have your local detail shop help you in obtaining the best look that you're happy with. Don't overlook small independant detailers. One of the best in my area has very good experience and talent along with a knowledge of products. His rotary has racked up more hours than I can count! He's independant, works mobile or at homes.

This is another reason why many shops are closing. I myself have a good client base and loyal customers, but overhead is killing all of us. Soon it may happen to my business as well. As a member of Professional Car Wash Assoc, many car wash shops are also looking into new ideas like self-serve dog washes along with the car wash site. EPA, OSHA all play a big roll now. Most polishes now all have to be VOC free. Same for cleaning agents etc. Who knows what's next?

Enjoy whatever works for you guys/gals!

Regards,
Deanski

Deanski

Pledge has oils and other agents for dust removal, but the oils leave a nice glow. Old trick for tires before a show or wheels as long as they are not chrome.

Plexus has no oils, but a cleaning agent to release dirt w/o scratching films or other plastics. That's all it does, clean. And it does it well.

For polish, Meguiars makes Plastix, Renova makes both a cleaner and a polish.

Regards,
Deanski

Anthony Orosco

Hey all,

First thanks for the kind words regarding Dean, Mo and myself. It's a joy to post up detailing information to help others but this leads to debates far too often about this wax vs. that wax, sealants over this and polishes that ot do the rest, yadda, yadda, yadda.....it's all subjective folks.

Zymol is some nice stuff and it works well but as Dean noted they tend to hype it up a bit in the marketing area....which almost ALL companies are guilty of! You can't feed the paint "oils" as was once popular and sadly still believed and touted by many.

As for Pledge....it's the silicones in it that give the shine and lots of car show guys spray their cars down with it, including interiors, just before judging as it gives the paint an extra zing. I personally hate the crap. It just makes a huge smeary mess in my eyes. I know guys that never wax their cars but swear by Pledge....again while I would never advise its use it's a matter of subjectivity....it's still crap though

Anthony

Anthony Orosco

Is this a 3M film? If so then it can be polished and waxed just as your paint for the 3M film has a coating on it. I would never get too aggressive with it but use a mild polish like Menzerna FPII and then wax it, I use Optimum spray wax as it has NO cleaners or solvents so no white residue to build up on the edge and it also contains UV absorbers....big plus there

If this is an Avery film, I don't believe they have a clear coat on their film so it makes polishing difficult. Microfiber towels want to stick to the film and can even cause more scratching. We stopped applying the Avery kits because of this.

Anthony

Pete Lech

I suggest you get some thin masking tape and tape the edge of the film to prevent wax residue from building up there. The residue is a PIA to remove - a lot easier to prevent first. I know first hand....

sharmat

Deanski...thx for the input on zymol
since you have good experience with zymol...
I have been using the pre-wax clener followed the blue "carbon wax" product applied by hand for my seal grey...like alot but i noticed streaking in the paint sometimes then goes away after some time.. more noticable on my other car which is red.
Why does this happen, it is ther any war to preven this? Can i use zymon on the clear guard. mine is Autobahnd Roadblock dont know if its by 3M

Deanski

Anthony,

Since when can a film be polished? 3M, Venture, or whatever, if you attempt to polish it, you'll get haze for one and damage and void any warranty.

If you are speaking of a "plastic polish" then you may try one small area not in view to make sure it will not harm the film. Due to these films being very soft, it's difficult to get any results. I normally would have the film changed-out. It's better for most people just to have it changed rather than possible issues later. I never will polish films with any plastic polish only if the customer signs a release waiver that it's at risk. Most will just go and get a change-out as some do have warranty.

Sure, people can wax films, some wax will work well, some will not.

Nice to see you over here! Didn't know you own a "P" car!

Regards,
Deanski

MoeMistry

The streaking is a result of moisture in the air. This can be eliminated during the HD-Cleanse stage. After you HD, wipe down the finish with Detail, or any other quick wipe spray that doesn't have silicone, then wax as usual. After waxing, let it sit in the sun for 45 minutes or so and give it a final wipe down with field glaze or detail spray.

sharmat

Thanks, MoeMistry. I actually like zymol but never could figure out the cause of the occasional streaks. I always thought it was poor technique. lll try it nextime.

mdrums

My .02 cent's....I have a clear bra and I have tried a few different waxes and protectors and so far I've found Plexus or Novus to work the best. Pledge works but leaves a oily smear that you must keep wiping to get off.
I do use pledge for a quick wipe down on my boat.

MoeMistry

You're welcome. Almost forgot; make sure the ambient temp is around 70 and the car feels warm when you're waxing. That helps keep the streaking down also.

mastiffdog

I'll start out by telling you all that I am biased because that is my car Mo is working on in his avatar!

Mo is an excellent professional detailer that takes his business very seriously. He is also a good guy too. Owners is Socal would be best to call him if they want their car detailed correctly.

As far as Zymol is concerned, I like the products so far and have achieved pleasing results on my cars. Before meeting Mo, I was a big fan of One Grand Blitz Wax and their Omega Glaze. I also used the Meguiar line for many years before that. Like deanski pointed out, alot of these products are distributed by only a few major houses (like Chemical Guys) and are re-labeled.

The truth is that you can achieve decent results with most all of these products. You need to try different ones to determine what is best for you.

Baggerdude

Actually .... the Pledge post I posted was mostly tongue in cheek. Mostly. I did use it on a couple Harleys for years with good luck. I think I used it on a truck once as well.

It does contain oily stuff that will smear, but can be sprayed on and wiped off fast.

I'm not really into WAX. My experience with all waxes is not good. They are volatile substances and won't last long. They evaporate in the sun and 'poof', the paint is unprotected. Also, there's this white residue in the cracks and crannies. Dusty stuff. Plus, wax can't be used on the windscreen, the rubber parts, the plastic stuff, mirrors, decals, protective films, yada, yada. And, it takes some time to apply and remove, too. Least wise my experience.

I've used Zaino with good success, but it is time consuming and temperature and humidity sensitive as well. But, it works very well. Smells great, too.

But, for the last half dozen years, I use BOM (http://badtothebom.com/) with good results. It's much like Zaino, but more "user friendly" IMO. Works on nearly everything and anything. No residue, no streaking, EZ on EZ off, quick like a bunny, nice shine, fairly inexpensive. I like it. No affiliation, of course.

BAGGER