Should I use a wax or polish to remove oxidized paint?

Should I use a wax/polish to remove oxidized paint?

Category: Exterior
Tags: car

Added Jan 11, 08 by mrwax

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Most people in the detailing industry refer to the surface contamination on paint as "Oxidation". Oxidation is a form of rust that forms on painted surfaces. It is caused by being exposed to a combination of UV rays emitting from the sun and oxygen. This baked on oxidation, dirt and grime needs to be cleaned off which will reveal the shine that is hidden underneath. A regular application of Hot Body Wax® will keep these contaminates from forming and adhering to paint.

In the paint manufacturing terminology, however, oxidation is the reaction of polymers in paint with oxygen. This process takes place on all surfaces continuously. Surface oxidation was a major issue with the older enamel paints that were not clear-coated, not because of paint oxidation, but because of the oxidation of colorants/pigments which affected their appearance by making them look dull.

By using a wax/polish that contain abrasives, the top oxidized layers of the colorants/pigments of enamel paints are removed, which exposed the fresh unoxidized colorants/pigments with the original gloss. This removal of paint is evident by the change in the color of the rag used in this process.

To keep the pigments/colorants from oxidizing and changing color, auto manufacturers add a thin clear paint system with UV protectants on top of the older enamel paints. Removal of clear-coat paint with polish/wax products containing abrasives reduces the thickness of clear-coat and its UV protection which leads to eventual failure of the paint system.

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Recent Comments (1 total):

coolrunning - Jan 12, 2008 7:05 am

If a clear coated paint job is oxidized to the point that you want to try to restore it with abrasive rubbing compounds or polishes keep these things in mind: 1. You are going to spend a tremendous amount of time and effort trying to make the damage look less severe, but it will still exist. The only reason I would even consider doing this is if I was going to trade the car off and did not want to spend the money to have it repainted. 2. No matter how much care you take trying to undo the damage caused by years of neglect, the fact is that once the clear coat is corrupted, you have exposed bare paint (usually acrylic enamel) that will not hold up for long after it is exposed to the sun minus UV protection. The bottom line is, a damaged paint job is exactly that - damaged. You may be able to make it look a little better, but you really should be considering a new paint job if not a new car. I take great care to avoid ever allowing any of my cars to get in this condition. The cost of car care products is much cheaper than a paint job!