Sal's suggestions for smeared Zaino (long) - Detailing and Car Care Forum

I'm sure Sal won't mind me repeating his advice to me about dealing with smearing. It's in his instructions and Web site anyway. Here it is:

First time Zaino users always tend to apply way too much Z-2
or Z-5.... This is very common problem and will dramatically increase
the
drying time of Zaino... Even when using ZFX. All Zaino products are
exremely concentrated and must be used sparingly.. Remember Less is
Better... :-).

Humidity and low temperatures also are killer on the drying time of Z-2 or Z-5. The moisture in the air hinders drying time up to four times longer than normal. Sorry but I can't help this. The smears you are seeing was the Z-2 that you didn't remove. When you try to remove Z-2 when it is still wet. All you're accomplishing is moving it around. Kinda like reapplying it.

Also you need to use a LARGE Bath size towel to remove Z-2. Smaller
towels will not work efficiently. I hope you weren't using a small
towel????

To test if Z-2 is dry and ready to be removed. Wipe your finger on a
hazed section of Z-2. It should immediately come off and leave a crytal clear finish. If it smears it is still wet. You can leave Z-2 on for hours or overnight if you desire. When it is not humid Z-2 will take
anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes to dry. Depending on how heavy you
applied it. I have applied Z-2 in the Arizona sun and it dried in about 3 minutes. I have also applied it in 38 degree temperature and it took about 2 to 3 hours to dry. Be patient. It's worth it.

Different situations affect drying times. Z-2, Z-5 does not contain any oils and once it's dry will never ever look smeary or feel greasy.

To get rid of any smears. Just wipe down the car with a damp towel. Or better yet just wash the car using Z-7. This will remove any smears. Don't use Z-6 until you wipe the car down.

[I RESPONDED WITH SOME QUESTIONS AND HERE ARE HIS REPLIES]

> Some questiops from John:

> 1) What will "deep clean" my paint to get rid of underlying water marks and > other blemishes that seem to be "layered" on it?

Most 'fresh' mineral deposits (water spotting, acid rain, etc.) can be removed with Z-7 Show Car Wash or Z-6 Gloss Enhancer spray. If they have been on the car for a while and Z-6 or Z-7 will not remove them. Use household white vinegar full strength. This is acetic acid and will loosen and remove the mineral deposits and not harm the paint surface. Most of the time, the water spot etching you see is simply the hardened mineral deposit, giving the illusion of etching into the paint. Believe me, when these mineral deposits harden. They become really tough and hard to remove. The trick is to not give them a chance to harden.

If the above fails, then use the Z-18 ClayBar to remove them....

If those water spots on your car have been there for a while. They might be already etched into the clear coat. If Z-18 ClayBar will not remove them. Then what you are seeing is an etched spot in the paint surface.

Although, I am totally against using an abrasive product on todays clear coated finishes. It seems like, in your specific situation, you don't have a choice. I would try 3M Foam Polishing Pad Glaze Swirl Mark Remover part #39009 by hand, not by machine, using very light pressure. This should do the trick. Be careful when doing this and only do the water spot areas, as the 3M is abrasive and will remove paint material. Don't forget to reapply Z-5 or Z-2 as the 3M products will remove any polish.

If you opt to go with the 3M Foam Polishing Pad Glaze... see following tips...

3M Foam Polishing Pad Glaze use By hand: Simply apply a small amount (about the size of a quarter) to a cotton diaper or piece of cotton towel and rub back and forth into about a 1' X 1' section using light to medium pressure until it starts to dry out. Then take a second towel and lightly rub back and forth until the polish residue disappears and the gloss comes up. If there are still some swirls visible you can repeat this step until they are minimal. I prefer using a less aggressive product a couple times instead of using a more aggressive product once. After you are done you can wash with Z-7 and apply Z-5.

> > > 2) Will your Z-1 product remove any excess Z2 smearing or any other > underlying crud,

No.....

> or is it yet another layer?

> > 3) I tried ZFX but it did not seem to speed drying -- probably because the layer of Z2 was too deep. But using ZFX means you shouldn't use Z-1 anyway, right?

Correct....

> > > 4) When you say use a large bath towel, you are referring to an ordinary cotton bath/beach towel and not some specialized terry cloth item? (Yea, I WAS using smaller terry cloth towels to buff the car -several of them.)

Can't use them too small... not enough surface area.... so instead of removing Zaino you are just moving it around... Kinda like reapplying it...

I prefer 100% Cotton Towels Large White Bath Size (only use Cannon or Fieldcrest name brands) for washing, drying and polishing.....

I don't like sponges natural or synthetic or any wash mits, they all can scratch...

Another great tip is to use a Toro 210mph Electric leaf blower. Dries your car in about 5 minutes.... without even touching the paint surface....

I prefer 100% Cotton Towels to dry the car. Chamois or the Absorber and especially the Water Blade are flat and could trap a piece of dirt and scratch the paint finish. Towels have nap and are much safer and forgiving. Even if it were to pickup a piece of dirt. The nap would cushion it.

Again Towels must be 100% Made in USA. Name Brand(Cannon or Fieldcrest Towels)

You must use only white. Not colored towels.....Colored towels are not to be used because the dye leaves a chemical residue on the paint finish. Always wash your towels first before using. Use Liquid detergent and rinse twice.

When washing your towels. Only use Liquid detergent such as All or Tide, etc. Do not use Bleach, Powdered Detergents or any kind of fabric softner. They will leave a chemical residue on the towels which will transfer to your paint finish. Make sure to run rinse cycle twice to remove all detergent.

You should cut the selvages(borders) off the perimeter of the towels. This selvage contains nylon and polyester stitching that could possibly scratch your paint finish. The towels will fray a little once this is done. But it's better to play it safe.

Drying the towels on high heat will make them hold a static charge. I use the regular heat setting and remove them a little damp and let them air dry. You can fluff the towel real good when it's dry to make it softer.

As the towels get older they will lose there nap and absorbency and will have to be replaced.

Where to buy towels........

Cannon & Fieldcrest make a lower quality version of their towels for K-Mart, Walmart and other big discount chains. These towels say 100% Cotton but that is not, totally true. The nap is 100% cotton but the backing material has polyester blend in it. So if you press a little to hard on the towel you can get some fine scratches or swirls. The point I'm trying to make is if a Cannon or Fieldcrest towel is selling in a discount store for $6.00 or less (approximately) it is not the good stuff.

I buy all my Cannon & Fieldcrest towels in the Bath & Linen shops in the bigger stores in the mall. I pay anywhere from $10 to $20 per towel.

These are the real deal. I buy about 3 or 4 towels and they usually last me about a year.

> > > 5) When I buff if should be gentle, right?

Yes...

>>> What about the idea of renting an orbital polisher to cut through the excess polish?

Not necesarry... I personnally do not recommend using an orbital buffer. The speed of it usually won't do any damage. But you can lose a pad and scratch the paint finish. Or I've seen guys slip with them and screw up the paint.

I've tried Zaino Show Car Polish with a orbital buffer and have found no benefit at all to using one. The polish is so easy to use I don't feel it's necessary. It's a matter of personal preference. An orbital buffer is designed to be used with a product that's a difficult to apply and remove by hand. But you can use an orbital buffer with a 100% Cotton or Foam pad if you want.

> > > 6) I've got really SERIOUS swirl marks. Should I leave them to a detailing > shop to remove?

Please Call me... at 732-833-8800 Monday or Tuesday and I'll gladly help you out... Best time to reach me is between 8:30 & 11:30 AM est.

--- END ---

John Mulvihill, technical writer, San Francisco Bay Area
1998 XJ8, Anthracite/Charcoal

Link:

John's anthracite 1998 Jaguar XJ8