– Is degreasing the paintwork before waxing enough? Can I use IPA instead of cleaner? Should I use IPA after using cleaner? –. The "Cleaner vs IPA" debate is a source of some of the most often asked questions we get, and a point of contention of many forums and groups. Let's set the record straight once and for all!
Let's clean things up
First of all, degreasing and using a cleaner are two different processes that have two different purposes.
Degreasing is only degreasing. The kind of dirt you're removing with degreasing agents is only a part of the general contamination that lands on our vehicles during everyday use. Whichever degreaser you choose, it will only help to remove the oily film from the surface of the paintwork, but will never remove the remaining contamination, which is often deeply embedded. For this task you should get yourself... you guessed it, a cleaner!
What's the deal with cleaners?
Cleaner is a rich formula additionally packed with fine abrasive particles. It removes everything that has accumulated on the paintwork over weeks or months of use. Road film, remains of old waxes and coatings, quick detailers, organic deposits, insect residues, oxidation, and so on. You will be very lucky to clean that many types of dirt with just a degreasing agent! That's why it's crucial to properly analyze your vehicle's condition, and choose the best possible products.
If we've got surface and deep dirt out of the way, it's now time to talk about the do's and don't of the decontamination process.
Great preparation yields great results
Cleaner to podstawa dobrego przygotowania lakieru pod wosk lub powłokę i nigdy z niego nie rezygnuj jeśli chcesz, by robota była wykonana solidnie! Jeśli nie lubisz ręcznej pracy, to pamiętaj, że Micro Liquid Compound możesz zastosować maszynowo z lekko ściernym padem lub na mokro, co znacznie ułatwi i przyspieszy działanie.
Treat degreasing as an option, and place in the order as a step that's always after the cleaner. If you want to be absolutely sure that the wax will bind to the paintwork with maximum strength, then use Silicone Off, our degreasing agent.
Someone might ask: why not IPA? Compared to Silicone Off, IPA is many times weaker, can make a mess in high concentrations, and is quite hard to work with, i.e. it does not provide proper slip.
To summarise: degreasing agents can't and shouldn't act as a substitution for high quality, multi-functional cleaners. There is no "either-or" option here, since the difference in cleaning power, especially of deep-embedded dirt, will be the most significant factor. So the rule to follow is simple: first the cleaner, then the degreasing!
