Are meths ok to use on cars?

[Brian Little]

An excellent de waxer all round Doyle…never had any probs with it on vehicles. But if in dought try a bit on the vehicle where its not seen

Brian

[Paul Rollason]

We use Meths for most of our everyday cleaning, we also use panel wipe from a car body shop.

paul r

[Darryl Seager]

I use an industrial methyalated spirit..trade name ‘Imanol’, it has no colour like the usual stuff.

brilliant ,this can also be diluted with water.

darryl

[drogers4]

thanks! Just wanted to check before I started wiping down a customer’s truck with the stuff and strip off the paint.

Has anyone tried the rapidprep solution or know what it consists of?

[steve geary]

I use Denatured Alchohol to clean everything. It works very well on vehicles to remove wax. It will not harm Modern automotive paints (urethane). Any new vehicle after 86 or 87 has Clear urethane on it.
If it’s an old paint job or looks chalky I would test first.

To remove glue residue on vehicles, i use these in this order – as far as agressiveness:
Denatured alchohol
Automotive Wax and Silicone Remover (Pre-Kleeno)
Automotive Enamal Reducer
Laquer Thinner
Typically, none of these will harm Automotive finishes.

[Andrew Bennett]

Not that it helpsyour question per se.
I seem to remember that meths is the preferred spirit used by car valeters for cleaning the inside of smokers windscreens and other internal glass.
It’s something to do with it being a non smearing cleaner that evaporates.
regards
Andy

[drogers4]

Thanks for all the info. Steve, do you dillute the alcohol with water or do you use it straight? It seems pretty potent and at $12/gallon, it seems I could dillute, maybe half and half? Wish I could do the same with gasoline in my van! We are over $3 / gallon now in MI.

Doyle

[Iain Gordon]

$3 a gallon,,,,,,,That must really hurt the purse strings,,,,,,,,I am now playing a very small violin 😀

Iain

[Aaron & Chris]

becareful when working in strong sunlight on a dark colour vehicle we found out it can leave dull streaks.

Anyone else noticed this? 😕

Cheers

Chris 😀

[Paul Goodwin]

$3 ? thats what £1.75? a gallon

we are nearly £5 a gallon do the math ……………………

:banghead:

[John Singh]

Never had any problems with meths
Makes the surface ‘vinyl ready’
and if you have washed down panels it helps in the evaporation

John 😀

[steve geary]

quote drogers4:

Thanks for all the info. Steve, do you dillute the alcohol with water or do you use it straight? It seems pretty potent and at $12/gallon, it seems I could dillute, maybe half and half? Wish I could do the same with gasoline in my van! We are over $3 / gallon now in MI.

Doyle

Yeah, I wish I could dilute the gas as well.. We’re at 2.99 now and i’m sure it’ll go up. I only get 13mpg in my truck.
I don’t dilute the alchohol…. Use it straight on everything. If there’s wax on the car, you’ll need it full strength to get it off. A gallon usually lasts me about two months or so. My volume of work isn’t near my goal yet, but i’m sure at this point the alchohol is costing only nickels per job.
When Cleaning Vehicles, I use it like you’d use pre-Kleeno. Wipe with soaked towel, Then dry with a clean towel. I almost always use paper towels… On occasion they can scratch some surfaces but most the time they are fine.

[drogers4]

Thanks Steve. Iain and Aaron, I’m sure you folks are used to the gas prices as they have been high for some time right? Just in the past year we have jumped from an avg. of about $1.50 to over $3.30 a gallon. Most recent increase from the hurricane katrina, but before that it was hovering a little above $2.00 a gallon. It makes me wonder how you can even afford to drive at $5 a gallon. I am also in a rural area and have to drive 20 miles to the nearest city. thinking in investing in a moped, 100 mpg.

Thanks everyone

[Stephen Morriss]

quote drogers4:

It makes me wonder how you can even afford to drive at $5 a gallon. I am also in a rural area and have to drive 20 miles to the nearest city. thinking in investing in a moped, 100 mpg.

Thanks everyone

Not $5 a gallon £5.00 GBP.
Just filled my van on Tuesday and it cost £69.00 for 70 litres 😮 thats around $125 USd for 70lts (18.5 us gallons)

Thats why most of our large cars are a Compact to you yanks 😀

Back to subject, Meths is really good for cleaning windows etc but never tried it on paint work, ours in the UK has a dye in it to make it purple, I think this leaves a small residue.

Steve

[Robert Lambie]

quote Darryl Seager:

I use an industrial methyalated spirit..trade name ‘Imanol’, it has no colour like the usual stuff.

brilliant ,this can also be diluted with water.

darryl

this is the exact same stuff i use daily… the purple stuff is much the same but i have found on extreme cold weather the purple can stain the paintwork of a vehicle if put on in large amounts… i.e. splunging cloth.
also, when working with meths is better to use a white paper towel rather than blue or coloured as the meth can cause the paper towel dye to stain the vehicle.

[Aaron & Chris]

Dont suppose you know where to purchase Imanol.

Cant seem to find it anywhere on tinternet (?)

Chris 😀

[John Harding]

quote :

Has anyone tried the rapidprep solution or know what it consists of?

Yes I use it loads on vehicles, dont know what it consists of but never had a problem with it. Its a bit like t cut though in that it oxidises and leaves a thin powdery film after a few mins which needs wiping away.

john