My toolbox is one of those orange, plastic ones, so Zaino won't help it, but you just gave me an idea- my central AC unit outside might benefit from Zaino. After I put the Z-6 on, my neighbors will have to close their blinds from the glare! LOL....
I just purchased a new 2000 Lexus and would like to find an auto detailer that can apply Zaino products per Zaino's instructions. I'm in northern California. Can anyone point me in the direction of such an auto detailer? Thank you.
DOI Auto detailing is the best place to start. Do it yourself detailing that is.
Not trying to be a smart a** or anything. I just know that from the posts here the greatest feeling is doing it yourself, the sense of pride in you SWEET LOOKING RIDE that you detailed. But sometimes time just doesn't work on ourside.
I would just find a detailer you like make arrangements to supply the materials and they supply the manpower to get the job done.
I applaud your desire to have your nice new car detailed with the best polish in the world, but I doubt that you will find a detailer that will do a Zaino job for you. Why?
1. It takes several days to put on all the layers, let them cure, put more on. Not much time, but several days or visits. You will not like paying their minimum charge several times, and the dealer will not do it several times for the same fee.
2. Any detailer with business sense will do their BEST to talk you out of Zaino. Why? Because you won't be back for a LONG time! They want you to keep coming back over and over every 2-3 months for more short-lasting wax!
It is SO EASY TO DO - You really should start taking care of your beautiful new car yourself. You will appreciate it more, and take better care of it in the long run. It will be worth a LOT more when you are ready to sell or trade. Perhaps you can find a car-crazy kid in your neighborhood that can help you? That's how I got started being a car fanatic (I was one of those kids).
After following this conference for some time, I purchased and applied Zaino(Z2,Z5,Z6) to my wife's 97 Sebring Convertible and WOW! (the claying made the biggest improvement) When I run my hand over the surface of the car it's sooo fine! I also applied Zaino to my 12 yr old Buick and it really brought out the darkness in the blue paint. On the Buick though, I have many waterspots on the windows that I can't get rid of. How do I get rid of those waterspots?
While going through some of the other message boards I came upon a site that is a bit anti-Zaino and the polymers in general.
Their reasoning is that, in the long run, the paint on your car may be more susceptible to cracking as the long term effects of the polymer on the paint is questionable. They go on to say that it is not really an issue for Corvettes (due to the fiberglass body) but it is a concern over metal.
I would try these in order until you got the results you want: 1. Bon Ami 2. Rubbing alcohol or white vinegar & water mix 3. Lime Away (yes the bathroom cleaner) 4. Glass polish
Cooker: rs_petty has some good ideas. I'd also consider Zaino's Glass Polish which has a slight abrasive. That should do the trick.
keys88: 'Just had to go to that site's FAQ. Their explaination is more than half wrong. They lump acrylics and polymers together as 'plastics'. Plastic is too generic of a term. Acrylics are rather rigid plastics which could exhibit the paint cracking behaivor mentioned in that site's FAQ. And their are several types of polymers too. But the type of polymer used by Zaino is NOT rigid plastic. It is softer than the waxes and it contracts and expands along with the car's paint.
Zaino will not cause your paint to crack or form 'spider legs'. But I find it funny that the FAQ section there claims that wax will expand along with the paint. Actually, it will but it won't contract later on. And the gaps left behind will be subject to dirt and water. And these gaps will also form the little pits which lessen the life span of a coat of wax. Zaino will last much longer and will not damage your paint. 'Nuff said.
Don't know if you took the time to check out the message board at site mentioned above. Apparently recently closed because of "flames'. There are two long threads re: removal of Zaino wherin it is advised to use bug,tar and wax removal, although, you understand, a polish "is not a "protectant" so one wonders why a wax remover must be used? Folks, check out Keys88 posted site, you'll be back in a hurry.
I have a CA Water Blade and use it sporadically. I use it to squegee my windows (before they dry with water spots). I tried it on the car itself with various results. It really depends on how many compound curves you have on your car.
On a totally flat surface, it works fine. When you get into the curves, however, it doesn't work so well. It really doesn't cut down on the amount of time it takes me to dry my car. I regularly use "the absorber" synthetic chamois with great results. The Absorber, IMHO, is the better investment of the two.
Waterspots - Car clay can also take off waterspots if none of the above good suggestions work.
waxdepot site - first - please note it is WAX depot, where do you think their bias is? And please note that the operative word in their statement about Zaino is "MAY". 'nuff said.
water blade - If you use Zaino, and if you use a "fan spray" nozzle to rinse your car, you can wet the whole panel, and then "push" a wave of water off the car with the fan spray. It will all flow off together, and there will be VERY little left to dry. This may be better than dragging a blade across your perfect paint, however soft it may be.
I bought one a couple of weeks ago and used it yesterday for the first time. I think it works great for the big surfaces - top of cab and hood (I've got a GMC xtnd cab pickup.) But will admit I only used it in those two places for a quick second, didn't use it at all on the rest of the truck. I've likewise heard that (as in post 543) that the absorber and like products do a great job.
What I actually ended up doing was just to use two large towels to dry with, the first a quick wipe to absorb most of the water, then a second drier towel to finish up with. Worked well for me.
1). Like a previous post, use clay on the spots on the window, it should work.
2). I have and use a Ca. Waterblade on my 2 Zainoed cars. Gets most of the water, still use cotton toweling to get the rest. The one warning with the blade is if you get a piece of dirt trapped on the blade you WILL scratch your car. The blade itself does not scratch. Make sure you wipe the blade before each pass.
Rec'd my Zaino order but the claybar was not shipped. I really need to get started on my vehicle 5/27 in order to take advantage of the long weekend so I was wondering if I should get the Maguires claybar at the local auto parts store to begin the process. Will this basically perform the same as the Zaino claybar? What exactly is the claybar anyway? The salesman at the store told me it is in a bottle like it's a liquid or something. I pictured some kind of solid that is lubricated with the Z7 to work. Any answer before I get going in the a.m. would be appreciated. Thank you.
I am certainly not a chemist or any form of expert, but I think you would be hard pressed to find any difference in most clay bars. I have read almost all of the posts in this and other similar boards and most people have seen little difference. I have used clay from two different sources (but I did not buy one from Zaino because I already had two) and saw no difference at all. Both the Meguiars and Mothers bars worked fine. They had the "disadvantage" of using their version of the gloss spray as a lubricant, so you would have to wash the car with Dawn AFTER claying, but since you probably have to wash it anyway, that is no biggie. Some people have used the Z car wash concentrate as a lubricant, but I didn't like it, maybe for that you do have to use Zaino's clay bar. The one I was using seemed to soften when I used it with that. In short, I think any clay bar is fine. I also think that it is easier to use the lubricant that is packaged with the Mothers or Meguiars (or probably any bar), but you could try a very diluted car wash concentrate in a spray bottle. Good luck.
Rec'd Z1,2,5&6 and wonder if any of these products should avoid contact with the black plastic trim on the grill and rooftop of my Odyssey. Can any of them be used on the alloy wheels? Thanks for all your help and thank you joe 166 for the above!
If your black grille and trim is smooth and shiny, then the polish can be used. It will make it more shiny! If it has a matte finish, then polishes and waxes should be avoided, as they cannot be gotten out of the "pores" in the matte finish and will turn white after a while.
I use a tire/rubber treatment on matte black plastic and rubber - such as Turtle Wax 2001 Gel. It dries hard, not sticky and has a good gloss.
I would say that all car waxes and polishes can be used on the wheels. Most have a clear coat on them anyway. Since Zaino is non-abrasive, it is a good candidate for this use, and will help keep them cleaner.
I received a e-mail message from someone very knowledgeable about Zaino products and was informed to NOT use Maguiers clay but Mother's or Magic is O.K.....does anyone know why? Of course that is the one I bought today and have already used Z1 and Z2 after washing the clay off with Dawn. The only thing that bugged me about Maguiers was some of the clay kind of stuck at times to the finish and was a real bear to remove.I hope I haven't wasted a whole days hard work by using some loser claybar. The white Odyssey looks great and had a ton of rail dust which came off with the clay. I hope to Z5 and Z2 tomorrow. Thanks to all who have taken time to answer my questions!
I doubt that you will ever get a straight answer. Much of this topic is most interesting, but every once in a while you get dogmatic statements that defy any effort to rationalize them. I am sure that "once upon a time" someone had a bad Maguiars experience. I have used both Maguiars and Mothers and there didn't seem to be a nickels worth of difference between them.
My favorite dogma is the word from the mount that Dawn dishwashing liquid will remove ALL other waxes, polishes and similar products but will not touch Zaino. So although it would be "all right" to wash with Dawn, after starting to use Zaino products it is not a good idea because it is too alkaline. One explanation is that Zaino is a polymer. Well, so are lots of other products on the market. If it can remove them, why can't it remove Zaino? I haven't heard that explanation. This is a good line of products that are easy to use and give good results, I don't understand why it has to be dealt with like a religion and anyone that asks too many questions, or says they are not satisfied for some reason (or no reason at all), or doesn't accept the WORD is a heretic who is to be shunned.
Well, I'm convinced. I used it and it works better then anything I've ever tried. Lottsa steps up front but the shine is like no other, "mirror-like". And the water beading... incredible.
Observations: Z5 does reduce the look of the 'spider webs' but doesn't remove them, at least not for me (2 coats) so far. Z6 seems to be a dust COLLECTOR. My wifes mini-van (un-zainoed) had much less dust on it after washing both of them the same day then my car. After I zainoed the van... more dust then before. I'm pretty sure I wiped it all off so I don't know what the deal is here.
I'm new to this forum but am impressed by the knowledge of the participants. I need some help. A few days ago I applied leather cleaner to my wife's Lexus LS400. I inadvertantly sprayed some of the cleaner on the "plastic" shield in front of the instrument gauges. The cleaner I was using was Lexus Genuine Leather Cleaner. The bottle doesn't state the contents. All it says is that the cleaner is PH balanced and contains lanolin. I think the shield in front of the gauges is some kind of plexiglass and not glass. Anyway, the cleaner either left spotted residue or may have etched spots into the plexiglass. I'm not sure which. Does anyone know if the shield is glass or plexiglass? Does anyone have any ideas on what will clean off the leather cleaner residue if that's what it is? I've tried Armor-All glass cleaner and windex and they don't even phase the spots.
I just found this topic suggested on the SUV board. I ordered a new 2000 chevy suburban and while waiting for delivery i found the zainobros.com site and ordered a boxful of stuff. I now have applied to a 97 dark green miata(clayed first) and the new suburban(not clayed) and could not be more pleased. I will use this fine product from now on. Our water is from our own well and while it tastes good it is terrible on spotting. Car and glass must be dried immediatly. I put aftermarker chrome alloys on the suburban and made the mistake of washing it after driving it while the wheels were warm from conducted heat from brakes and did i get spots. I found the clay bar did remove them though but took a lot of time. Our water is so bad that if left to build up on windows, it will actually ecth into the glass. I had to actually reglaze some large windows on the house where lawn sprinklers would hit them. Can't dare let the water hit the cars. I always try and wash early morning when cool and no breeze and then dry immediatly. If i were to drive and dry like others say they do, i get permanant spots on windows and a real chore to deal with on paint. I sold a 12 year old truck(giveaway price) that i used to wash and not dry because i could hardly see out the windows. Glass and paint felt like sand paper. Had a water softener guy come out and make a sample of our water treated and poured a puddle of treated and untreated water on a flat pane of glass and after they dried the treeted puddle was much better but you could still catch your fingernail on the edge of the deposit ring on the treated puddle. As a result i din't buy the thing. Has anyone used that think on the infomercials that spits out supposidly treated water for a spotfree rinse? I would be very skeptical about just buying one to try before hereing good reports from others. Some washing tips i use are: I wash tires and wheels and lower one foot of vehicle first as this area is grimy and takes a litthe time to do which cuts down the time the windows are wet and spotting. I then get fresh water and clean rag and do the rest. As soon as im done washing i squeggy the windows only and dry them with a towel first, then dry the rest then go back and catch any drops that got on the glass or mirrors. After that i get out a 50 foot air hose with a blow gun on it with a towel in the other hand and blow out all the "time release" water from the nooks and crannies. This works especially well if you are going to wax or zaino as the leftover water isnt going to smere all over when you go to wipe wax/polish off. In my case if i don't blow this water out it leaves a trail on paint that i need something abrasive to remove. Im curious how the zaino will help with this problem.Boy i am long winded, sorry MIke
Went to Macy's to get Charisma 100% Supima cotton towels on sale (down from $25 to $20 for bath sheet), and they had "imperfect seconds" on sale for $10! We had to ask if they had white, and the lady went in back and brought back an armful of white bath sheets. For $10 each, it was the perfect score! This was in Manhattan Village mall in Manhattan Beach, CA, but I'm sure any store would have imperfect seconds they'd be willing to unload for a song. I just had to deal with the funny looks when I told them what they were for....
Dawn is a detergent designed to remove grease. Wax is chemically very similar to grease. Zaino is a polymer, it is not grease. That's why Dawn doesn't remove Zaino.
That kind of begs the question. I knew that. My question is why does Dawn allegedly remove ALL the other stuff you might have used on your car other than Zaino? Is Zaino the only polymer on the market? I doubt it. If you previously used another brand polymer isn't using Dawn a waste of time? That issue is never addressed. That was the point of my post. (Or at least one of them.) Since I don't read all the advertisements faithfully, what other brands are polymers? It would seem to me that NuFinish might be but that is only because the way it is applied is so similar. It is obviously not a wax. I am sure there are many and although I like the complementary way the Zaino products are used, I think that Zaino over some other polymers might work as well. I just don't feel like experimenting as the results I have gotten have been most satisfactory.
You are very correct - I feel that it is assumed that MOST car owners, probably more than 90% are using a wax instead of a polymer and the posts are aimed at them.
Also, one would think that someone astute enough to try something new like a polymer will also know about getting it off!
I am not sure if Nu Finish is a polymer or not, The only other one I am familiar with is called "Finish First".
By the way, it seems that it is OK to use Zaino over wax, but you won't get the best shine since the waxes are not optically clear like the Z products. When in doubt, contact Sal at Zaino - he can answer your questions.
I remember someone posting a short while back that Zaino Bros. is looking to offer their products in a national retail chain. Has anyone heard anything further.
I am putting my order in the mail tommorow for my list. We should have our new '00 Solara SE V6 - Fairway Green - Gonna look real nice in ZAINO (my fiance's car) and my new '00 4RUNNER Millenium Silver Metalic.
I know my Mill. Silver won't be as noticeable BUT I want the other benefits that come from it. Besides it won't show the dirt as much )
Joe166 makes a very good point. Polymer protectants are very common. If you define a polymer protectant as having little or no carnauba or other type of wax, here are some polymer-based products:
Nu-finish Meguiar's Medallion Meguiars #20 Astroshield Prolong Klasse Finish First Duragloss Slick Shine by Auto Tech Liquid Glass
There are many others. Most of these contain no wax or silicone at all-same as Zaino.
In addition, many products are blends of different waxes and polymers, such as Meguiar's #26 High Tech Yellow Wax, which is mostly polymers and silicone, as I understand it.
In fact many car owners are using "waxes" that are high in polymer content, and have been for many years. So I'm not sure why Zaino advises using "Dawn" liquid to remove prior protectants.
As I understand it, to apply Zaino, you first apply a bonding agent, which I assume is a catalyst to get the protectant to bond with the paint-maybe that is why--although most of the polymer protectants claim to "bond" with the paint
Waxes that are high in carnauba content (25%+) are generally "high end" products, and there really aren't that many available: Blitz, P21s, Zymol, Pinnacle and a few others. Most "department store waxes contain parrafin wax-derived from petroleum-which is also the base for many polymer based products
Not sure why Automophile refers to carnauba based products as "grease". In fact carnauba, in its natural state is a very hard substance, with the consistency of hardened concrete. However various oils and other substances (including polymers) do have to be added to make carnauba soft enough to apply, maybe that is why.
I would assume the instrument panel on your Lexus is covered by a plexiglass-which is plastic.
What you want to use is a product specifically made for plastic. Meguiars makes a plastic polish. It comes in a small blue bottle, and is available at many auto parts and body shop supply stores. I believe that Eagle One also sells a similar product. There is also a product called Plexus that I have used, but I've never seen it in stores, plus I think Meguiar's is better, anyway.
Be careful what you use to clean plastic instrument panel covers. Use a soft cotton cloth when you clean it. I know from experience how easy that type of plastic gets scratches. Good luck.
I'm trying to decide if I want to go with Z as my protection for my new SUV. The SUV is a metallic silver, so it will not shine like a darker colored paint. My concern is protection for the car. I keep it in the garage and have wax on it at this time.
After reading the posts about Dawn not removing Z reminded me of when, a few years ago, I purchased a product at a home show called Telflon Polymer Sealant T.P.S. I was going to use it on a clear coat Volvo until I read the "fine print". The following statement is written on the plastic bottle "T.P.S. is bonded to the surface, but may be removed with DuPont's rubbing compound." It has a money back guarantee, but the thought of using rubbing compound to remove a product which might not work scared me from using the polymer sealant.
So, is the Z range of products the same as T.P.S, or is this a different product? Will it provide the highest level of protection for my new RX300?
I zainoed my ody about 1-2 months ago. I have washed the car once and then reapplied the Ultra gloss (forgot which z it is...z6?) anyways water was beading fine. I washed it about 3 weeks ago. Then just this past weekend, I just did a simple wash and noticed that the water doesn;t bead on the lower panels of the car, yet beads fine on the roof, hood and upper panels....
Any reason for that? anyone experiencing the same thing?
I suspect that there is more road dust, etcc.. gathering on the lower panels..more harsh on the lower panels from driving...
Background: new user of Z. Clayed, z1, z5, 2 x z2 about 3 months ago. z5 again approx 2 weeks ago due to fine scratches. Wash my car every 1.5 to 2 weeks using Z wash. So far, shine is still good and water beads great.
Waterspots: I began noticing waterspots recently. Bear with me..this is a bit confusing. Waterspots are not noticeable when car is dry. Rather when wiping the surface dry, and a damp towel or shamois passes over the surface, you can actually see the waterspots because they seem to attract the moisture and so are essentially "wet" when the surounding surface is dry. When the surface is dry however, they are not noticeable, at least not that I could tell. As my water comes from a large municipal source, it has little mineral deposits and is not hard. Any ideas why is this happening.....I don't recall this happening with previous products.
California Car Duster: Many, many posts ago, I mentioned that my paint had developed fine scratches. I thought it may have been my new duster. Well, as mentioned above, used z5 to get rid of the scratches. I tested the duster this weekend, and no scratches, so obviously, it was not the culprit, and quite frankly, I'm still puzzled as to the cause of the scratches. So my duster is being pulled back into service, and I can save time by dusting instead of washing.
Fastdriver, unfortunately I was unable to take advantage of the group purchase of Zaino. But that is okay, and I am ready to order my Zaino this week. We have (2) new cars entering the stable and they will need much care since they live outside.
Solara SE V6 - Fairway Green and 4RUNNER SR5 Highlander - Millenium Silver Metalic.
Not to ask for a complete refresher, but what shoud one get as a starter to this all?
Thanks and I look forward to hours of fun detailin the new cars.
Well, it has been 3 months since I Zaino'd our 3 year-old Accord. Altouth the superb gloss has diminished a little, the car still looks better than any around, and is still slick as ever - see for your self and note the sharpness of the reflection - this is what sets Zaino apart from waxes: Next week I will touch it up with a quick Z5/Z2 to keep it looking fabuluous through the summer
I'm a beginner on this Zaino stuff too but have become a convert. Rec'd my Z order last week for my white Odyssey 2000 and ordered the following: Z1,Z2,Z5,Z6,Z7,Z18. I washed van with blue Dawn and dried using recommended towels, clayed and washed it off with Dawn, dried, Z1 and Z2 on the same day, Z5 next day and ended with Z2 today. I removed any surface dust with Z6 between the Z2&5 coats. I also waited the recommended 24 hrs. b/t Z2&5 coats. The van really does look gorgeous and feels smooth as silk...a lot of work though. The products remove easily with the towels. I think the neighborhood cats will slide off so fast they won't have time to get their claws out to try to hang on!
I went ahead and just applied one coat of Z5 because I figured it wasn't that much more work to do and I did have just one scratch from one of the friendly neighborhood felines claws...I know it wasn't necessary to Z5 the whole van for this one scratch but I just did it anyway...my retentive nature raised it's ugly head! I had also e-mailed Sal (he answers promptly, by the way) and went over my afore-mentioned plan of action and he thought it would be a good idea too...maybe because he sells the stuff??? I think it is also mentioned at his web-site to Z5, so I just followed orders. I really used very little of any of the products...sometimes I could hardly see the "dried" powder on the finish but even with the small amount I used I got a great shine and smooth feel. I would also recommend polishing the smooth black areas on the roof rack, grill, etc. Good luck!
I am an avid Zaino user. Have done the whole clay, dawn, Z1, Z5, Z2 on both my autos (1999 Slate 300M and 2000 GG Ody EX). My personal impression is that Z5 has a better shine than Z2. On my Slate black 300 M, the Z5 seems to produce a deeper shine than Z2. I am interested in other folks opinions. Are there any advantages of Z2 over Z5? If not, I may just use the Z5 all the time and forget the Z2.
I remember a post way back that suggested using one of the Zaino products to remove/hide the fine scratches one gets on the plastic lens over top the gauges. Is it Z6? Appreciate advise.
That was me I think. I had posted that the plastic cover on the dash on my new 2000 I30 had fine scratches, most noticeable when the sun was shinning directly on the dash. I applied the Zanio "Leather in a bottle" (Z 10) two months ago and the scratches are still no longer visible!
Can some1 tell me when is the next group purchase? I WANT THE ZAINO, man. I can't wait to polish my car with Zaino after all the amazing demos. Please let me know, my email is chua888@hotmail.com Thank you.
Comments
My toolbox is one of those orange, plastic ones, so Zaino won't help it, but you just gave me an idea- my central AC unit outside might benefit from Zaino. After I put the Z-6 on, my neighbors will have to close their blinds from the glare! LOL....
fastdriver
Not trying to be a smart a** or anything. I just know that from the posts here the greatest feeling is doing it yourself, the sense of pride in you SWEET LOOKING RIDE that you detailed. But sometimes time just doesn't work on ourside.
I would just find a detailer you like make arrangements to supply the materials and they supply the manpower to get the job done.
1. It takes several days to put on all the layers, let them cure, put more on. Not much time, but several days or visits. You will not like paying their minimum charge several times, and the dealer will not do it several times for the same fee.
2. Any detailer with business sense will do their BEST to talk you out of Zaino. Why? Because you won't be back for a LONG time! They want you to keep coming back over and over every 2-3 months for more short-lasting wax!
It is SO EASY TO DO - You really should start taking care of your beautiful new car yourself. You will appreciate it more, and take better care of it in the long run. It will be worth a LOT more when you are ready to sell or trade. Perhaps you can find a car-crazy kid in your neighborhood that can help you? That's how I got started being a car fanatic (I was one of those kids).
Enjoy!
I also applied Zaino to my 12 yr old Buick and it really brought out the darkness in the blue paint.
On the Buick though, I have many waterspots on the windows that I can't get rid of.
How do I get rid of those waterspots?
and the polymers in general.
Their reasoning is that, in the long run, the paint on your car may be more susceptible to cracking as the long term effects of the polymer on the paint is questionable. They go on to say that it is not really an issue for Corvettes (due to the fiberglass body) but it is a concern over metal.
Feedback please.......
http://www.waxdepot.com/
Check out the Wax Talk section and you'll see a few posts that talk about the above.
Thanks again for any feedback you can provide.
1. Bon Ami
2. Rubbing alcohol or white vinegar & water mix
3. Lime Away (yes the bathroom cleaner)
4. Glass polish
keys88: 'Just had to go to that site's FAQ. Their explaination is more than half wrong. They lump acrylics and polymers together as 'plastics'. Plastic is too generic of a term. Acrylics are rather rigid plastics which could exhibit the paint cracking behaivor mentioned in that site's FAQ. And their are several types of polymers too. But the type of polymer used by Zaino is NOT rigid plastic. It is softer than the waxes and it contracts and expands along with the car's paint.
Zaino will not cause your paint to crack or form 'spider legs'. But I find it funny that the FAQ section there claims that wax will expand along with the paint. Actually, it will but it won't contract later on. And the gaps left behind will be subject to dirt and water. And these gaps will also form the little pits which lessen the life span of a coat of wax. Zaino will last much longer and will not damage your paint. 'Nuff said.
Folks, check out Keys88 posted site, you'll be back in a hurry.
Has anyone ever used the California Water Blade? Experiences?
On a totally flat surface, it works fine. When you get into the curves, however, it doesn't work so well. It really doesn't cut down on the amount of time it takes me to dry my car. I regularly use "the absorber" synthetic chamois with great results. The Absorber, IMHO, is the better investment of the two.
waxdepot site - first - please note it is WAX depot, where do you think their bias is? And please note that the operative word in their statement about Zaino is "MAY". 'nuff said.
water blade -
If you use Zaino, and if you use a "fan spray" nozzle to rinse your car, you can wet the whole panel, and then "push" a wave of water off the car with the fan spray. It will all flow off together, and there will be VERY little left to dry. This may be better than dragging a blade across your perfect paint, however soft it may be.
What I actually ended up doing was just to use two large towels to dry with, the first a quick wipe to absorb most of the water, then a second drier towel to finish up with. Worked well for me.
Greg
2). I have and use a Ca. Waterblade on my 2 Zainoed cars. Gets most of the water, still use cotton toweling to get the rest. The one warning with the blade is if you get a piece of dirt trapped on the blade you WILL scratch your car. The blade itself does not scratch. Make sure you wipe the blade before each pass.
I use a tire/rubber treatment on matte black plastic and rubber - such as Turtle Wax 2001 Gel. It dries hard, not sticky and has a good gloss.
I would say that all car waxes and polishes can be used on the wheels. Most have a clear coat on them anyway. Since Zaino is non-abrasive, it is a good candidate for this use, and will help keep them cleaner.
My favorite dogma is the word from the mount that Dawn dishwashing liquid will remove ALL other waxes, polishes and similar products but will not touch Zaino. So although it would be "all right" to wash with Dawn, after starting to use Zaino products it is not a good idea because it is too alkaline. One explanation is that Zaino is a polymer. Well, so are lots of other products on the market. If it can remove them, why can't it remove Zaino? I haven't heard that explanation. This is a good line of products that are easy to use and give good results, I don't understand why it has to be dealt with like a religion and anyone that asks too many questions, or says they are not satisfied for some reason (or no reason at all), or doesn't accept the WORD is a heretic who is to be shunned.
Observations:
Z5 does reduce the look of the 'spider webs' but doesn't remove them, at least not for me (2 coats) so far.
Z6 seems to be a dust COLLECTOR. My wifes mini-van (un-zainoed) had much less dust on it after washing both of them the same day then my car. After I zainoed the van... more dust then before. I'm pretty sure I wiped it all off so I don't know what the deal is here.
Anybody else have the dust problem?
Any advice appreciated.
Also, one would think that someone astute enough to try something new like a polymer will also know about getting it off!
I am not sure if Nu Finish is a polymer or not, The only other one I am familiar with is called "Finish First".
By the way, it seems that it is OK to use Zaino over wax, but you won't get the best shine since the waxes are not optically clear like the Z products. When in doubt, contact Sal at Zaino - he can answer your questions.
I am putting my order in the mail tommorow for my list. We should have our new '00 Solara SE V6 - Fairway Green - Gonna look real nice in ZAINO
(my fiance's car) and my new '00 4RUNNER Millenium Silver Metalic.
I know my Mill. Silver won't be as noticeable BUT I want the other benefits that come from it. Besides it won't show the dirt as much
Later,
Michael
Nu-finish
Meguiar's Medallion
Meguiars #20
Astroshield
Prolong
Klasse
Finish First
Duragloss
Slick Shine by Auto Tech
Liquid Glass
There are many others. Most of these contain no wax or silicone at all-same as Zaino.
In addition, many products are blends of different waxes and polymers, such as Meguiar's #26 High Tech Yellow Wax, which is mostly polymers and silicone, as I understand it.
In fact many car owners are using "waxes" that are high in polymer content, and have been for many years. So I'm not sure why Zaino advises using "Dawn" liquid to remove prior protectants.
As I understand it, to apply Zaino, you first apply a bonding agent, which I assume is a catalyst to get the protectant to bond with the paint-maybe that is why--although most of the polymer protectants claim to "bond" with the paint
Waxes that are high in carnauba content (25%+) are generally "high end" products, and there really aren't that many available: Blitz, P21s, Zymol, Pinnacle and a few others. Most "department store waxes contain parrafin wax-derived from petroleum-which is also the base for many polymer based products
Not sure why Automophile refers to carnauba based products as "grease". In fact carnauba, in its natural state is a very hard substance, with the consistency of hardened concrete. However various oils and other substances (including polymers) do have to be added to make carnauba soft enough to apply, maybe that is why.
What you want to use is a product specifically made for plastic. Meguiars makes a plastic polish. It comes in a small blue bottle, and is available at many auto parts and body shop supply stores. I believe that Eagle One also sells a similar product. There is also a product called Plexus that I have used, but I've never seen it in stores, plus I think Meguiar's is better, anyway.
Be careful what you use to clean plastic instrument panel covers. Use a soft cotton cloth when you clean it. I know from experience how easy that type of plastic gets scratches. Good luck.
Perhaps the high-alkali content of the Blue Dawn removes enough that Z1 can stick properly. Maybe we should ask Sal about this?
After reading the posts about Dawn not removing Z reminded me of when, a few years ago, I purchased a product at a home show called Telflon Polymer Sealant T.P.S. I was going to use it on a clear coat Volvo until I read the "fine print". The following statement is written on the plastic bottle "T.P.S. is bonded to the surface, but may be removed with DuPont's rubbing compound." It has a money back guarantee, but the thought of using rubbing compound to remove a product which might not work scared me from using the polymer sealant.
So, is the Z range of products the same as T.P.S, or is this a different product? Will it provide the highest level of protection for my new RX300?
Then just this past weekend, I just did a simple wash and noticed that the water doesn;t bead on the lower panels of the car, yet beads fine on the roof, hood and upper panels....
Any reason for that?
anyone experiencing the same thing?
I suspect that there is more road dust, etcc.. gathering on the lower panels..more harsh on the lower panels from driving...
Waterspots: I began noticing waterspots recently. Bear with me..this is a bit confusing. Waterspots are not noticeable when car is dry. Rather when wiping the surface dry, and a damp towel or shamois passes over the surface, you can actually see the waterspots because they seem to attract the moisture and so are essentially "wet" when the surounding surface is dry. When the surface is dry however, they are not noticeable, at least not that I could tell. As my water comes from a large municipal source, it has little mineral deposits and is not hard. Any ideas why is this happening.....I don't recall this happening with previous products.
California Car Duster: Many, many posts ago, I mentioned that my paint had developed fine scratches. I thought it may have been my new duster. Well, as mentioned above, used z5 to get rid of the scratches. I tested the duster this weekend, and no scratches, so obviously, it was not the culprit, and quite frankly, I'm still puzzled as to the cause of the scratches. So my duster is being pulled back into service, and I can save time by dusting instead of washing.
Zaino topic, and it's time to start anew and give
the server a break.
Here's the links to previous Wax & Polish topics:
Waxes and Polishes
Waxes and Polishes, Part II
Waxes and Polishes, Part III
Zaino Car Care Experiences
Your host, Bruce
Zaino Car Care Experiences - Part 2
See you over there.
Your host, Bruce
Fastdriver, unfortunately I was unable to take advantage of the group purchase of Zaino. But that is okay, and I am ready to order my Zaino this week. We have (2) new cars entering the stable and they will need much care since they live outside.
Solara SE V6 - Fairway Green and 4RUNNER SR5 Highlander - Millenium Silver Metalic.
Not to ask for a complete refresher, but what shoud one get as a starter to this all?
Thanks and I look forward to hours of fun detailin the new cars.
Next week I will touch it up with a quick Z5/Z2 to keep it looking fabuluous through the summer
Just curious, with a new vehicle you had scratches/swirl marks that you needed Z5 so soon? If not, I would save it and just use the Z2.
I am interested in other folks opinions. Are there any advantages of Z2 over Z5? If not, I may just use the Z5 all the time and forget the Z2.
STEVE
Chris