What do you use to clean before you apply

[Phill Fenton]

Soap and water works for me. If there are any glue residues I use a tar remover such as autoglym tar remover or similar petroleum based cleaner

[Ian Pople]

IPA ?

[Phill Fenton]

Iso propyl Alcohol is good – and cheaper than Stella :lol1: :lol1:

[Derek Heron]

just today used ipa as i have for years with some blue paper towling which i get from arco thet were out of the white at the time
and was left with a chalky residue at first looked like scratches 😮
i think it must be the wipe
so i think the wipe is just as important as the liquid
anybody recommend a good wipe and supplier
i am also with phil on the auto glym tar and glue remover

Derek

[Ian Pople]

Iv been told not to use it on the cars ect but with cola it ant too bad.

[Peter Normington]

I use overlay from Cherwell,
it is also an app fluid but dont use it as that.
it contains ipa I think but in some instances, to make sure I then use IPA
after.
Its an old saying, but does apply to our industry,

"CLEANLINESS IS NEXT TO GODLINESS"
A lot of the problems that people have with application is down to bad prep.

Peter

[Peter Normington]

I use "blue wipes"
but lint free, get them from a local company, very cheap and even washable if you are really tight!

Peter

[Alison Falzon]

quote Phill:

Soap and water works for me. If there are any glue residues I use a tar remover such as autoglym tar remover or similar petroleum based cleaner

Ditto!

[Robert Lambie]

i always used methylated spirits from a trade paint and decor supplier. [the purple stuff]

i later switched to clear industrial methylated spirits. [the clear stuff] bought in 25ltre drums.

i now use isopropanol alcohol in a 25ltre drum. [clear stuff again]

before i use any of the above we clean down with a powerful pressure washer with soap and water. but only if the vehicle is has allot of vinyls and its dirty.

other than that its soap and water followed by isopropanol alcohol.
if the vehicle is very clean, we just wipe down directly with paper towel and isopropanol alcohol.

on a side note. using any of the above cleaners. always use a "white" paper towel as it can activate the dye in the towel and pass it onto the vehicle.

[Richard Urquhart]

Rapid prep every time !!!!

[Graeme Harrold]

Meths and white roll wipe (beauty salon couch roll), Also use the blue "hydraulic grade" blue roll

Vinegar for glass :lol1:

[Robert Lambie]

rich do you use rapid-tac at all mate?
just looking for feedback on it from folk from the uk. i did some tests on it myself but thought ide ask if you had seeing you use the prep fluid.

sorry i know im sorta steering this thread off track but still on application as such. 😀

[John Childs]

Meths.

[Jason Xuereb]

IPA

[Andrew Blackett]

Depends on what it is but either;

IPA
Rapid Prep
Panel Wipe

Depends on the material and what comes to hand first.

Rob – I use rapid prep and the new rapid tac 2 both very good. The rapid tac 2 is designed for use on glass and is great!

Andy

[Gary Birch]

We use IPA here. Have used meths but prefer the smell of IPA.

Cheers

Gary

[Peter Normington]

quote Robert Lambie:

on a side note. using any of the above cleaners. always use a “white” paper towel as it can activate the dye in the towel and pass it onto the vehicle.

Rob, the "blue" wipes I use appear to be colour fast, I looked for ages for a lint free wipe at a reasonable price before finding these.

http://www.wipersupply.com/solvspirit.htm (free samples as well!)

They are just round the corner from us I did not know for years

Many tissues and paper rolls leave bits on the surface. not always visible on a light coloured van but more so on darker paints.
so I think lint free is more of a criteria for choice than colour

Peter

[Garry Blunt]

ISO 😎

[Robert Lambie]

quote Peter Normington:

quote Robert Lambie:

on a side note. using any of the above cleaners. always use a “white” paper towel as it can activate the dye in the towel and pass it onto the vehicle.

Rob, the “blue” wipes I use appear to be colour fast, I looked for ages for a lint free wipe at a reasonable price before finding these.

http://www.wipersupply.com/solvspirit.htm (free samples as well!)

They are just round the corner from us I did not know for years

Many tissues and paper rolls leave bits on the surface. not always visible on a light coloured van but more so on darker paints.
so I think lint free is more of a criteria for choice than colour

Peter

lint free is better yes, but lint free white!
wait till you have to deal with a customer that has blue blemishes stained into his paint surface of his new white van. 😕
also, purple meths can do the same in very cold weather. we got that t-shirt too about 12 years ago.

[Richard Urquhart]

Rob when there is a need for it i.e flood coating large windows I will use rapid tac, not the fast one as its to fast. The cloths I use are yellow lint free micro fiber finishing cloths £1 quid each but after I have used them they go in the washing machine and come out good as new, these cloths are better at absorbing the rapid prep and keep the dirt in the fibers, blue rolls Ok but I perfer these
Thanks Rich

[David Rowland]

meths.. we buy in cloth from another local company, but its white paper like and doesn’t leave dust.

[Peter Normington]

Rob I am aware that some blue paper will release the dye but the "atlas low lint" stuff doesnt. I have soaked the wipes in aps and not a hint of blue.
The thing is they are very cheap and do the job equally as well as wipes on a roll costing 4 times more

Ask for a free sample and see what you think? (I think they come in white also if it suits your complection better)

Peter

[Robert Lambie]

thanks for the feedback rich, much appreciated mate. i like to keep on tabs with other folks views when i go recommending things with limited knowledge myself. as you know i am all for dry, but if wet it is, then i push only rapid-tac. cheers mate.

peter i understand and trust what you say, but i prefer to play it safe after our expereinces. a respray can be costly, thankfully it didnt come just to that but did cost us regardless. when you have multiple staff you go through these wipes like nobodies business. they are neglected, tossed in a corner after a wipe or two… so cheap as chips white centre feed roll bought in, in boxes of 6 does us fine. no dye to worry about, no real expence to consider as its cheap. it also comes from the same supplier as our isoprop, tar and glue remover etc so keeps everything under one roof.
cameron at europoint came in with some excellent lint free light grey clothes that are also fed from a dispenser. lasted and worked a treat but our guys, like most staff, dont care and they get tossed after a single wipe regardless.

but yes, quality rags are better than the cheap, but you need control over the staff for that to be cost effective. but as for the coloured stuff, i still refer to play it safe and go with white mate.

[Paul S Martin]

quote John Childs:

Meths.

Hey John

Thats for after the Job has been finished 😀 😀

Paul