Zaino doesn't use solvents either. "Works better" depends on your definition of works better. Since you prefer Auto Derm, and you have every right to, why are on this forum and not the non Zaino one? :confuse:
The way I judge my car's cleanliness is by whether rain leaves watermarks. I've been using a very low-end polish - a Turtle Wax product, and have found that rain leaves no water-marks on my car for 3 months. Will Zaino stop the watermarks for a longer period of time? How much longer?
Pretty slick website. A few too many typos IMO but I guess y'all are still working on it.
Most serious enthusiasts have already heard the "car paint is like human skin" story and know it's pretty much bunk. Modern automotive paint does not breath and does not have pores like human skin does. You can't feed a modern clearcoat paint job. We've also heard the spiel about "all natural ingredients" like avocado oil and grape seed oil and whatnot. Thing is, Zymol has been pimping this message for decades. So, a bigger, better known company has sorta got AutoDerm (is it AutoDerm? or is it autoderm? or Auto/Derm????) behind the eight ball when it comes to selling "car wax derived from nature" thing.
So, let's see.... what do we have on the menu......
A tube of car wax for $20.00. A quick detail spray for $13.00. That's it?? Two products?? Dude, you ain't gonna compete with two little products! What else is in the pipeline?
Oh, one more question - What is the relationship between AutoDerm-autoderm-Auto/Derm and Vortex Backpacks? Seems a little odd that a backpack mfr is selling car wax, doesn't it?
The way I judge my car's cleanliness is by whether rain leaves watermarks. I've been using a very low-end polish - a Turtle Wax product, and have found that rain leaves no water-marks on my car for 3 months. Will Zaino stop the watermarks for a longer period of time? How much longer?
I presume you mean water spots. To be perfectly honest, I've never noticed water spots on my vehicles. Then again, they are both light colors and it wouldn't be as noticeable as on dark colors.
I think that once a month you could use just about anything. 6 months to a year is more like it.
That's absolutely true. I may Zaino once a month in the temperate months but that's because I want to - not because I have too. And I don't dread doing it like I used to with waxes.
I go from the beginning of November to the beginning of April without any applications. The Z isn't beading anymore at that time but the surface is still pretty smooth. That's my test.
I guess now my question to you would be, Nov. to Apr. and Z isn't beading anymore, how can you be sure that your paint is really being protected? Feels smooth is subjective. A painted surface could feel smooth, but when you clay a finish it really feels smooth. I thought that if water beads up you are sure that you have some protection from the elements. I hope that you get the point that I am trying to make here.
No matter what I use on my cars, if I use it often enough the water will keep beading, go longer and the water stops beading. Thanks for giving me your results.
Nov. to Apr. and Z isn't beading anymore, how can you be sure that your paint is really being protected?
I'm sure that in that time frame I'm not getting 100% protection and I'm also sure I wouldn't with any other protectant. But at least with the layers of Zaino I've put on over the other months, I feel that I'm getting better protection than wax. My vehicles are outside 24/7 and are driven through Boston winters with barely a rinsing. No protectant will stand up to that.
I don't fully buy the "beading" argument. I've found that a dirty enough car can prevent beading - even with a recent coat of protectant. Further, wasn't there another brand of paint finish that touted that it didn't bead but sheeted in order to prevent water spots?
In any case, I really don't care what anyone uses or if they care what I use. I like Zaino, you like Brand X, porscheman likes his Autoderm. As I told my wife: "It's all snake oil. But I like it and that makes me happy."
Just to add some additional thoughts to the discussion -
Water beading is a result of surface tension. Lots of things can create surface tension, car wax is one of them. Ever seen a brand new car or a freshly painted car? Get it wet and it will bead like crazy, even without a drop of wax on it.
As a paint job ages it will get scratched, scuffed, oxidized and get covered in all kinds of airborne crud. Defects on the surface and below the surface will reduce surface tension and, therefore, beading. To restore surface tension you need to both remove the surface contamination (paint overspray, dirt, oil, tar specs, etc) and the below-surface defects (swirl marks, scratches, oxidation, etc).
The easiest thing to do is apply a quick cleaner wax that will clean the paint a little bit and add some wax and other ingredients to improve surface tension. This is a temporary solution but it does give the desire effect - paint is shiny and it beads water. If that's your criteria and you're happy with those results, almost any store bought wax will work fine.
Zaino is different than most car care products because not only is it designed to bead water, but it's also a pretty reliable sign of protection. Most other products will bead water for awhile but stops eventually. Is that a sign that their protective ability is gone? Who knows! The wax mfr's can't or won't tell you how to determine if their products are still protecting or not. An honest mfr will tell you there is no reliable, repeatable method of testing the durability of car waxes. The amount of car wax on a paint job cannot be measured. The whole "beading is a sign of wax protection" has been a sales pitch for decades but is it true? With most car care products, I don't think so. Zaino is a rare exception.
I guess the bottom line is, if you're happy with what you're using and its doing what you want, keep using it. But trying to sell people on specious product performance claims will backfire most of the time.
Thanks for the info. Your post. Zaino is different than most car care products because not only is it designed to bead water, but it's also a pretty reliable sign of protection.
Robr2 post said that Zaino's ability to bead water is gone after 6 months. So, how often do you have to use Zaino to keep this water bead protection on your car? If you have to reapply often, what's the advantage over other products that will bead when put on often?
Good question. There is a two fold answer 1. Just before the water no longer beads. Given your example, just before or in and around the 6 mo mark. 2 Since you can apply multiple coats (that actually maintain their "separateness between coats", put on 2 up to (whatever) for a longer protection interval. So for example I started with 4 coats for a new Honda Civic I park outside 24/7. I hate to admit this but I haven't put another coat on for a years' time, even as I have been wanting to stay ahead of the power curve at the 6 mo interval marks.
Well, robo2 said that he puts Zaino on monthly in the nice weather and doesn't put it on again from Nov.-Apr. Six coats of Zaino in 6 months and it only lasts 6 months. Your saying that if he would do 4 coats (one after the other) it will last longer. What happened to all of the Zaino he put on? That's only one month between coats.
I have never put 4 coats of anything on, so I don't know how much added protection a person would get. I guess the question should be...How long does 1 coat of Zaino last i.e water beading, compared to 1 coat of most other stuff?
Actually, I like the Zaino is a "labor of laziness" portion. This goes a bit unsung! I was a Meguairs #26 (carnuba wax) user for many years. Under the same 24/7 conditions, the very MOST the beading lasted was 1 mo. Comparatively the Meguairs was a PITA to apply and remove vs Zaino.
Well, robo2 said that he puts Zaino on monthly in the nice weather and doesn't put it on again from Nov.-Apr. Six coats of Zaino in 6 months and it only lasts 6 months.
I think that any protectant lasting six months in my climate is great. When I say not beading, I'm not getting big, uniform water beads like when I first apply it. It's not sheeting. Rather, it's more like water piles.
Sounds like Zaino is a labor of love.
Zaino is so much easier IMHO than any other "wax" systems I've used in the past. Many will say that claying and dawning are extra steps. Yes they are and they are needed as the intial steps for any protectant if you want a good job. You can skip them if you want but you get out what you put in. I do that in that once in the spring.
Zaino with the ZFX accelerator eliminates the old Z1 step. That's all I use now. It takes about 3/4 of an ounce to do the Ody and less than 1/2 an ounce to do the Passat. Twenty minutes to apply, let dry for 30 minutes, 5 minutes to remove. You can then Z6 if you want - spray on, wipe off. 10 minutes tops.
I don't see any less work with wax and especially if you do the whole clean, glaze, wax process. It would be a 3 hour job for me.
Zaino is a labor of love, but, unlike waxes, Zaino can be layered. If you apply two coats of wax, the two actually become one coat, and the two won't last any longer than one by itself. When Zaino is layered, you get increased shine and protection, depth and "wetness". Folks apply multiple coats for that reason and each application is much easier than wax. One coat of Zaino will outlast most all waxes. The problem with Zaino is it's so easy to apply and take off that we use it more often, plus the added coats really look great. It just gets better and better looking, up to a point, depending on the color of your paint.
Well, I can't speak for ROBR2's experiences with Zaino. Product durabililty is dependent on many factors so it's likely that no two people are going to have the exact same experience from a given product.
One of Zaino's hallmarks is its durability. In almost 25 years of car detailing I have not used a product that lasts as long as Zaino. Unlike most car care products, Zaino Z2, 3, and 5 have no abrasives, no oils, no harsh solvents and are almost petroleum distillate free. This is pretty rare because most store bought car waxes uses silcone oils for a quick shine and slickness. Others have solvents and abrasives for paint cleaning ability.
Harsh solvents and abrasives deteriorate the clear coat. Silicone oils make for a nice slick shine but don't last very long. To keep your car looking sharp you have to reapply those products frequently. Why use solvents and abrasives any more than you have to? Zaino is a very sophisitcated polymer system and doesn't need all that stuff to make your car look great.
The amount of labor involved is the same whether you're using Zaino or a cheap wax or some product you bought at the parts store. Most inexpensive products last a few weeks to a couple months. Applied properly, you can get several months of protection from Zaino. Or you can apply Zaino as frequently as the other products, knowing its safer for your paint, delivers a great gloss, is super slick which makes washing and maintenance easier and lasts a long time.
I'm tracking the posts here and am confused at how Zaino enthusiasts are comparing it's 6-month barrier to wax' 1 month barrier. I know Zaino makes wax, but when you talk about the ZFX, aren't you talking "polish"? If so, how does Zaino's polish compare with other polishes?
I've been using a low-end Turtle Wax polish that I've been pretty happy with. I actually haven't noticed when water stops beading, but for at least 3-4 mos, rain leaves no water-marks on my vehicle. How would Zaino compare with that?
We're just discussing the topic that someone else started. All I'm trying to do is explain the differences between how a polymer sealant like Zaino performs to an inexpensive store-bought product. Someone else brought up the "paint beading" topic so I added to that.
Zaino does not make "wax". There are no wax ingredients in any Zaino product. When you think of "wax" its best to think of it as an ingredient with certain properties and characteristics.
Zaino is called a "polish" because its an easier to understand term than describing what it really is. Yeah, it's a bit of a misnomer but that is very common in the car care products industry. Regardless, Zaino Z2 and Z5 are last step products designed to protect your paint and provide a very high, long lasting gloss.
ZFX is a product that is mixed with either Z2 or Z5. It allow users to apply multiple layers of Zaino in one detailing session.
Zaino has been directly tested against several Turtle Wax products and has done very well.
You are touching on something that has been kind of a pet peeve of mine for awhile.
That is, that polymer sealants are called "synthetic waxes". The only thing polymer sealants have in common with waxes is that they allegedly protect your paint and that they make the paint shine.
However, waxes and polymer sealants protect in such different ways from one another and their chemical compositions are so much different that I think even the term "synthetic wax" when referring to polymer sealants is a misnomer. Even the quality of the shine differs significantly between the two.
Your post is yet another indication of the confusion caused by the industry's calling polymer sealants anything with "wax" in the name.
It is my understanding that polishes differ from the other two in that the purpose of a polish is to remove minor paint blemishes (such as fine swirl marks). In that sense, Zaino is NOT a polish. As such, polishes normally contain abrasives. These blemishes reduce the shine of the paint, so their removal allows the compound to be called a "polish". The abrasives in a polish actually remove a thin layer of paint/clear coat, so their misuse can actually reduce the shine of your car with long term use.
Waxes and sealants are applied over the paint to protect the paint from environmental issues (weather, sun, bird droppings,ec.) and to make the paint look good. They do not work by scraping away microscopic layers of the paint/clearcoat as polishes do.
Regardless of whether Zaino calls their product a "polish" or not, what it is is a polymer sealant.
A bretfraz states above, the industry is inconsistent in their terminology. I do know that any product I would use with "polish" in the title, I would check for abrasives.
A major component to how long Zaino lasts is how often one washes their car! Unfortunately, the more often you wash your car, the more quickly Zaino wears off.
This may explain how posters in the cold climates report Zaino's lasting for entire winters, well over 6 months.
If I wash my car every week or two, Zaino only lasts about 4 months. But it will definitley last a year + with no washing. I suppose it depends on how much rain you drive in, too.
Where I live there is virtually no rain, so frequency of washing really shows up in the results.
I notice that all posts - at least what I have seen - talk about vertical strokes on the sides and horizontal strokes on the hood and deck lid when applying the product(s). What happens if I use an orbital buffer (PC 7424)?
IF I can use the buffer, what Zaino products do I need to get started?
Most of us do it by hand because we can regulate the amount of product being used, minimizing waste. Since Zaino is pretty expensive stuff and applying it superthin is the trick, hand application works well. But I've used a PC to apply Zaino and there are no problems other than a little wasted product.
The products used by machine are exactly the same as by hand. Use the softest pad you have or buy a pad made to apply waxes and sealants. Keep the speed down at #3 or so and apply as thin a coat as you can. Should work just fine, especially if you are doing a large vehicle.
OK. Thanks for the info about the PC. I now know that if I use Zaino products using the buffer just shows my wife that I appreciate the Christmas gift. Now a problem that really bugs me .. The road film etc. that is left where the windshield wipers DON'T sweep. How do I get rid of it? I had one person tell me to use steel wool. I am not up to steel wool on my windshield. On my new rig I have been using Dawn and Bon-Ami and it is staying clean. But the 2004 looks like a raccoon. HELP!
Actually steel wool works great. I tested a large number of glass cleaners and polishes and they all performed better when used with steel wool. The only steel wool to use is #0000 super fine. It's available at hardware stores and similar places. #0000 has just a bit more bite than towels and helps with removing crud that you could not before.
Another idea is to use a glass polish. Glass cleaners only remove surface dirt and grime but do not remove contaminents in and on the glass surface. Glass polishes are like paint polishes in that they have chemical cleaners and light abrasives in them. You apply and remove them from the glass just as you would car wax. There aren't many on the market and most have to be mail ordered. Zaino makes a good glass polish, as does Autoglym, Duragloss, Detailers Pride and Diamondite. I've tested them all and they all work well.
I have not posted here for a while, just reading occasionally. I use Zaino on my MR2 spyder and could not be happier. Wash it every weekend (almost) and apply a new coat about every 3 months. It takes all of 20 minutes and I find it a relaxing expierence. After using "wax" on my other crs for the last 35 years I cant believe how easy and good this produce is. My Sequoia also has the Zaino treatment and is outside in the Sacramento sun 24/7 and the paint is as clear and shiny as the day I got it, maby better.
Don't care what you call it (wax, polish,late for dinner.....), just don't recall it???
There's an interesting chat tonight from a non-Zaino car care products company, if you'd like to see what else is on the market these days. Could be useful info even if you are faithful to Zaino!
Join the Eagle One team in a live chat to find out how nanotechnology is changing the future in car appearance products. Learn how to easily improve and protect the exterior and interior of your car or truck with this new and exciting technology. Discover why Eagle One nanotechnology can outperform the competition in performance, ease-of-use and superior results. Get all the answers, tips and secrets to improving your vehicle's appearance in a live chat on February 1, 2006, 9-10 p.m. EST. Don't miss out on the opportunity to talk LIVE with the Eagle One experts!
A special offer will be presented during the chat for chat attendees only!
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For more than half of the country, winter has kept us from washing/detailing our cars.
Can't wait for spring (50 degrees here in Wisconsin today), so I can liberate my GTO from storage and start the Zaino process again. Also need to clean up my Aurora for summer storage, then there's the matter of the wife's Envoy (which someone hit-and-ran the rear bumper cover in a parking lot, so it's going to need a new one + paint + Zaino, et. al.)...
I am trying to get to some detailed information about these products. FASTWAX is a division of Sherwin Williams but manufactured by Diversified Brands Inc For RnR Motorsports Inc. Doing some light reasearch I found out this product has a petroleum base and cleaning solvent combination that lift, surround and lubricate (emulsification) the dirt or dust ,and yellow #14 Carnauba Wax to protect. IMO, it must contain a good portion of petroleum distillites inorder to liquify Carnauba..LOL.if there is a flake or two in the batch.LOL Additionally, using this product without washing just means swirls and crazy scratches. Anyway, I have to work the weekend so I don't have much time to do any further research. I hope someone here can give me some details about FASTWAX and FUKKEN which I believe are the same just one using a licensing agreement. I would like to know how much petro-distillites, carnauba, etc. is in these cans. IMO these products may work for a short period but if used for long term, my guess the paint will eventually start to fade, transfer, or become caulky. People help me out here PLease !! I got a lady in my city that is killing me with her amazing wonder product.LOL Also, a MSDS would be helpful or personal experiences with use 12 months or more. Thanks. Rich
9 degrees (celcius), no rain, partly cloudy. Could finally have a day to Z my new Black '06 Impala LTZ. She's gone for almost 2 months with only touch-free washes. She desperately needs the TLC that only Zaino can give.
I had to pick up an entire new batch of Z products. Left them in the garage all winter and they froze. Damn! Oh well, at least I live where the Canadian distributor is based so it's always easy to get whatever I need.
I can't wait to see how my first black car looks with Z!
Another nice evening yesterday so I did a quick Z7 wash followed by Z6. Z6 has one of the best scents going. I find it absolutely intoxicating.
I also found a new "sponge" for tire dressing. It's contoured like a sidewall and works amazingly well. Really saves on the Z16. I'm sure these sponges are not a new thing on the market, but I hadn't owned one before now. Definitely a worthwhile cost.
Hi! I'm just wondering why only the Zaino folks use Dawn and not a regualr car wash soap. Most detailers in my area when asked say to never use Dawn for your car, but to keep inside for doing dishes as it will harm your paint in the long run. I also see on the Internet that the only people that use Dawn is people who use Zaino.
I'm currently using S100 and am extremely satisfied and I won't use anything else until this can is used up. But I am curious to know if I should be using Dawn to wash my car.
Dawn is only used as the intial wash in order to strip off whatever wax may be on the vehicle. I then switch to the Zaino car wash as the regular wash.
First, your car looks beautiful with the S100. :shades: Second, as mentioned in the prior post Dawn is ONLY used to remove the already applied wax ONCE. After that you can use Zaino's wash, or any automotive car wash. Definitely don't use Dawn as your regular wash.
The Zaino sealants do not bond properly if a wax is present on the paint, so you've gotta remove the wax first. Since few waxes are durable, a strong car wash will do the trick. Zaino customers kept asking for a specific recommendation to ensure the wax was removed prior to sealing and Sal knew that Dawn was a pretty strong detergent, so that's why it's recommended.
If you are planning on polishing your paint then the brand of shampoo doesn't matter; the polish is going to remove any remaining wax. But if you want to go from washing right to the sealant step, using Dawn is a good idea. Like the others have said, its use is mostly a one-time deal so no worries of long term damage.
Zaino'ed my Panoz Roadster [yellow] and Lotus Super Seven [black & silver] today for the first time ever. Results were outstanding starting with the Dawn wash, Z7 lubricated clay-bar, using the ZFX accelerator, and a Z2/Z5/Z2 series, with Z6 in between, and Z12 on the glass. The cars were pretty good looking to begin with, but afterward, the black hood of the Lotus is like a mirror, and even the yellow of the Panoz is pretty reflective. The guidance from this forum was incredibly useful, and I just wanted to thank everyone here for their contribution.
I have posted a query about maintaining a new black care in the other forum, and would like to get some opinions about Zaino too.
Question – is Zaino an easier product to use for a black car than other products? My family has decided to buy a black car (despite the many opinions on how difficult it is to keep it clean!). It is the wife decision and the son, a black 2007 Camry SE V6.
How do I maintain a black car with Zaino, what to use, frequency of use, avoiding swirls
We have not really bought the car yet, but looks like it will be black this time (need a lot of help here I guess!).
I bought a new black Impala LTZ earlier this year. It is my first black car as well. I've been using Zaino for many years now and I'm very pleased with the results on black. I'm not doing anything different with Zaino on the black car than I did with my previous cars.
I think the key is to religiously follow some basic rules. I'm EXTREMELY careful with the whole washing process (rinse first, two buckets, lots of 100% cotton white towels, never wash in the sun, yadda yadda). The ONLY things that ever touch the paint are Zaino, the white towels, a california water blade (carefully cleaned every use), and a california car duster.
So far I only have a few minor swirls that I blame on the dealer (I bought off-the-lot so they had already washed it once AAARRRRGGGHHHH!!). But Z5 does a really good job of hiding them.
I have realized that I need to lower my expectations a bit now that I have a black car. They really show every little stone chip, scratch, rub, or bit of dirt. It's a lot of work to keep it looking pristine. But when it's nicely cleaned up....OH BABY does it look amazing, particularly with that classic Zaino shine. It looks like you could dive right into the paint!
I am going to be cleaning up our 87 BMW 325i this weekend. It does not have clear coat paint. It is in need of some light polishing to freshen the finish. I am going to clay it also. Which should be done first; the polishing, or the claying? I may not use Zaino on this car, as it spends most of its time in a garage. I Zaino the daily drivers. Also, I do not have Z3 (for non clearcoat paint), I only have Z2. I'm not sure if there is still need for the two different formulas with ZFX. Thanks...
For those using the ZFX. How long do you wait before applying another coat of polish? And, the first application coat contains ZFX, but do you mix ZFX for the 2nd & 3rd coats as well, or just squirt the polish from the bottle for the other coats?
You can apply 3 coats of Z2 or Z5 with ZFX during one "session". As soon as you remove the 1st coat, you can apply the next. Depending on the size of the vehicle, you should be able to do 2-3 coats from a 1/2 oz mixture of Z2/Z5 and ZFX.
I'm going to have the dealership cut the swirls and fine scratches out. Is the clay bar even needed?? Then I will Zaino that puppy down. Do think I can get the Infiniti dealership to do the entire process in lieu of their basic wax detailing?? Anyone ever done it??
Comments
Thanks!
Most serious enthusiasts have already heard the "car paint is like human skin" story and know it's pretty much bunk. Modern automotive paint does not breath and does not have pores like human skin does. You can't feed a modern clearcoat paint job. We've also heard the spiel about "all natural ingredients" like avocado oil and grape seed oil and whatnot. Thing is, Zymol has been pimping this message for decades. So, a bigger, better known company has sorta got AutoDerm (is it AutoDerm? or is it autoderm? or Auto/Derm????) behind the eight ball when it comes to selling "car wax derived from nature" thing.
So, let's see.... what do we have on the menu......
A tube of car wax for $20.00. A quick detail spray for $13.00. That's it?? Two products?? Dude, you ain't gonna compete with two little products! What else is in the pipeline?
Oh, one more question - What is the relationship between AutoDerm-autoderm-Auto/Derm and Vortex Backpacks? Seems a little odd that a backpack mfr is selling car wax, doesn't it?
I presume you mean water spots. To be perfectly honest, I've never noticed water spots on my vehicles. Then again, they are both light colors and it wouldn't be as noticeable as on dark colors.
That's absolutely true. I may Zaino once a month in the temperate months but that's because I want to - not because I have too. And I don't dread doing it like I used to with waxes.
I go from the beginning of November to the beginning of April without any applications. The Z isn't beading anymore at that time but the surface is still pretty smooth. That's my test.
No matter what I use on my cars, if I use it often enough the water will keep beading, go longer and the water stops beading. Thanks for giving me your results.
I'm sure that in that time frame I'm not getting 100% protection and I'm also sure I wouldn't with any other protectant. But at least with the layers of Zaino I've put on over the other months, I feel that I'm getting better protection than wax. My vehicles are outside 24/7 and are driven through Boston winters with barely a rinsing. No protectant will stand up to that.
I don't fully buy the "beading" argument. I've found that a dirty enough car can prevent beading - even with a recent coat of protectant. Further, wasn't there another brand of paint finish that touted that it didn't bead but sheeted in order to prevent water spots?
In any case, I really don't care what anyone uses or if they care what I use. I like Zaino, you like Brand X, porscheman likes his Autoderm. As I told my wife: "It's all snake oil. But I like it and that makes me happy."
Water beading is a result of surface tension. Lots of things can create surface tension, car wax is one of them. Ever seen a brand new car or a freshly painted car? Get it wet and it will bead like crazy, even without a drop of wax on it.
As a paint job ages it will get scratched, scuffed, oxidized and get covered in all kinds of airborne crud. Defects on the surface and below the surface will reduce surface tension and, therefore, beading. To restore surface tension you need to both remove the surface contamination (paint overspray, dirt, oil, tar specs, etc) and the below-surface defects (swirl marks, scratches, oxidation, etc).
The easiest thing to do is apply a quick cleaner wax that will clean the paint a little bit and add some wax and other ingredients to improve surface tension. This is a temporary solution but it does give the desire effect - paint is shiny and it beads water. If that's your criteria and you're happy with those results, almost any store bought wax will work fine.
Zaino is different than most car care products because not only is it designed to bead water, but it's also a pretty reliable sign of protection. Most other products will bead water for awhile but stops eventually. Is that a sign that their protective ability is gone? Who knows! The wax mfr's can't or won't tell you how to determine if their products are still protecting or not. An honest mfr will tell you there is no reliable, repeatable method of testing the durability of car waxes. The amount of car wax on a paint job cannot be measured. The whole "beading is a sign of wax protection" has been a sales pitch for decades but is it true? With most car care products, I don't think so. Zaino is a rare exception.
I guess the bottom line is, if you're happy with what you're using and its doing what you want, keep using it. But trying to sell people on specious product performance claims will backfire most of the time.
Robr2 post said that Zaino's ability to bead water is gone after 6 months. So, how often do you have to use Zaino to keep this water bead protection on your car? If you have to reapply often, what's the advantage over other products that will bead when put on often?
I have never put 4 coats of anything on, so I don't know how much added protection a person would get. I guess the question should be...How long does 1 coat of Zaino last i.e water beading, compared to 1 coat of most other stuff?
Sounds like Zaino is a labor of love.
Thanks for your answer.
Comparatively the Meguairs was a PITA to apply and remove vs Zaino.
I think that any protectant lasting six months in my climate is great. When I say not beading, I'm not getting big, uniform water beads like when I first apply it. It's not sheeting. Rather, it's more like water piles.
Sounds like Zaino is a labor of love.
Zaino is so much easier IMHO than any other "wax" systems I've used in the past. Many will say that claying and dawning are extra steps. Yes they are and they are needed as the intial steps for any protectant if you want a good job. You can skip them if you want but you get out what you put in. I do that in that once in the spring.
Zaino with the ZFX accelerator eliminates the old Z1 step. That's all I use now. It takes about 3/4 of an ounce to do the Ody and less than 1/2 an ounce to do the Passat. Twenty minutes to apply, let dry for 30 minutes, 5 minutes to remove. You can then Z6 if you want - spray on, wipe off. 10 minutes tops.
I don't see any less work with wax and especially if you do the whole clean, glaze, wax process. It would be a 3 hour job for me.
One of Zaino's hallmarks is its durability. In almost 25 years of car detailing I have not used a product that lasts as long as Zaino. Unlike most car care products, Zaino Z2, 3, and 5 have no abrasives, no oils, no harsh solvents and are almost petroleum distillate free. This is pretty rare because most store bought car waxes uses silcone oils for a quick shine and slickness. Others have solvents and abrasives for paint cleaning ability.
Harsh solvents and abrasives deteriorate the clear coat. Silicone oils make for a nice slick shine but don't last very long. To keep your car looking sharp you have to reapply those products frequently. Why use solvents and abrasives any more than you have to? Zaino is a very sophisitcated polymer system and doesn't need all that stuff to make your car look great.
The amount of labor involved is the same whether you're using Zaino or a cheap wax or some product you bought at the parts store. Most inexpensive products last a few weeks to a couple months. Applied properly, you can get several months of protection from Zaino. Or you can apply Zaino as frequently as the other products, knowing its safer for your paint, delivers a great gloss, is super slick which makes washing and maintenance easier and lasts a long time.
I've been using a low-end Turtle Wax polish that I've been pretty happy with. I actually haven't noticed when water stops beading, but for at least 3-4 mos, rain leaves no water-marks on my vehicle. How would Zaino compare with that?
Zaino does not make "wax". There are no wax ingredients in any Zaino product. When you think of "wax" its best to think of it as an ingredient with certain properties and characteristics.
Zaino is called a "polish" because its an easier to understand term than describing what it really is. Yeah, it's a bit of a misnomer but that is very common in the car care products industry. Regardless, Zaino Z2 and Z5 are last step products designed to protect your paint and provide a very high, long lasting gloss.
ZFX is a product that is mixed with either Z2 or Z5. It allow users to apply multiple layers of Zaino in one detailing session.
Zaino has been directly tested against several Turtle Wax products and has done very well.
That is, that polymer sealants are called "synthetic waxes". The only thing polymer sealants have in common with waxes is that they allegedly protect your paint and that they make the paint shine.
However, waxes and polymer sealants protect in such different ways from one another and their chemical compositions are so much different that I think even the term "synthetic wax" when referring to polymer sealants is a misnomer. Even the quality of the shine differs significantly between the two.
Your post is yet another indication of the confusion caused by the industry's calling polymer sealants anything with "wax" in the name.
1. Wax
2. Polish
3. Polymer Sealant (sometimes called "synthetic wax")
It is my understanding that polishes differ from the other two in that the purpose of a polish is to remove minor paint blemishes (such as fine swirl marks). In that sense, Zaino is NOT a polish. As such, polishes normally contain abrasives. These blemishes reduce the shine of the paint, so their removal allows the compound to be called a "polish". The abrasives in a polish actually remove a thin layer of paint/clear coat, so their misuse can actually reduce the shine of your car with long term use.
Waxes and sealants are applied over the paint to protect the paint from environmental issues (weather, sun, bird droppings,ec.) and to make the paint look good. They do not work by scraping away microscopic layers of the paint/clearcoat as polishes do.
Regardless of whether Zaino calls their product a "polish" or not, what it is is a polymer sealant.
A bretfraz states above, the industry is inconsistent in their terminology. I do know that any product I would use with "polish" in the title, I would check for abrasives.
This may explain how posters in the cold climates report Zaino's lasting for entire winters, well over 6 months.
If I wash my car every week or two, Zaino only lasts about 4 months. But it will definitley last a year + with no washing. I suppose it depends on how much rain you drive in, too.
Where I live there is virtually no rain, so frequency of washing really shows up in the results.
IF I can use the buffer, what Zaino products do I need to get started?
The products used by machine are exactly the same as by hand. Use the softest pad you have or buy a pad made to apply waxes and sealants. Keep the speed down at #3 or so and apply as thin a coat as you can. Should work just fine, especially if you are doing a large vehicle.
The road film etc. that is left where the windshield wipers DON'T sweep. How do I get rid of it? I had one person tell me to use steel wool. I am not up to steel wool on my windshield. On my new rig I have been using Dawn and Bon-Ami and it is staying clean. But the 2004 looks like a raccoon. HELP!
Another idea is to use a glass polish. Glass cleaners only remove surface dirt and grime but do not remove contaminents in and on the glass surface. Glass polishes are like paint polishes in that they have chemical cleaners and light abrasives in them. You apply and remove them from the glass just as you would car wax. There aren't many on the market and most have to be mail ordered. Zaino makes a good glass polish, as does Autoglym, Duragloss, Detailers Pride and Diamondite. I've tested them all and they all work well.
Don't care what you call it (wax, polish,late for dinner.....), just don't recall it???
There's an interesting chat tonight from a non-Zaino car care products company, if you'd like to see what else is on the market these days. Could be useful info even if you are faithful to Zaino!
Join the Eagle One team in a live chat to find out how nanotechnology is changing the future in car appearance products. Learn how to easily improve and protect the exterior and interior of your car or truck with this new and exciting technology. Discover why Eagle One nanotechnology can outperform the competition in performance, ease-of-use and superior results. Get all the answers, tips and secrets to improving your vehicle's appearance in a live chat on February 1, 2006, 9-10 p.m. EST. Don't miss out on the opportunity to talk LIVE with the Eagle One experts!
LINK TO JOIN THE CHAT:
http://www.edmunds.com/townhall/chat/eagle11106.html
A special offer will be presented during the chat for chat attendees only!
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Can't wait for spring (50 degrees here in Wisconsin today), so I can liberate my GTO from storage and start the Zaino process again. Also need to clean up my Aurora for summer storage, then there's the matter of the wife's Envoy (which someone hit-and-ran the rear bumper cover in a parking lot, so it's going to need a new one + paint + Zaino, et. al.)...
--Robert
I had to pick up an entire new batch of Z products. Left them in the garage all winter and they froze. Damn! Oh well, at least I live where the Canadian distributor is based so it's always easy to get whatever I need.
I can't wait to see how my first black car looks with Z!
I also found a new "sponge" for tire dressing. It's contoured like a sidewall and works amazingly well. Really saves on the Z16. I'm sure these sponges are not a new thing on the market, but I hadn't owned one before now. Definitely a worthwhile cost.
I'm currently using S100 and am extremely satisfied and I won't use anything else until this can is used up. But I am curious to know if I should be using Dawn to wash my car.
Here are some photos of my car using the S100.
If you are planning on polishing your paint then the brand of shampoo doesn't matter; the polish is going to remove any remaining wax. But if you want to go from washing right to the sealant step, using Dawn is a good idea. Like the others have said, its use is mostly a one-time deal so no worries of long term damage.
Question – is Zaino an easier product to use for a black car than other products? My family has decided to buy a black car (despite the many opinions on how difficult it is to keep it clean!). It is the wife decision and the son, a black 2007 Camry SE V6.
How do I maintain a black car with Zaino, what to use, frequency of use, avoiding swirls
We have not really bought the car yet, but looks like it will be black this time (need a lot of help here I guess!).
Thank you.
FiloD
I think the key is to religiously follow some basic rules. I'm EXTREMELY careful with the whole washing process (rinse first, two buckets, lots of 100% cotton white towels, never wash in the sun, yadda yadda). The ONLY things that ever touch the paint are Zaino, the white towels, a california water blade (carefully cleaned every use), and a california car duster.
So far I only have a few minor swirls that I blame on the dealer (I bought off-the-lot so they had already washed it once AAARRRRGGGHHHH!!). But Z5 does a really good job of hiding them.
I have realized that I need to lower my expectations a bit now that I have a black car. They really show every little stone chip, scratch, rub, or bit of dirt. It's a lot of work to keep it looking pristine. But when it's nicely cleaned up....OH BABY does it look amazing, particularly with that classic Zaino shine. It looks like you could dive right into the paint!
Good luck!
Brad
If not, can I just wipe-off the area w/ microfiber towels & Isopropyl Alcohol?
I may not use Zaino on this car, as it spends most of its time in a garage. I Zaino the daily drivers.
Also, I do not have Z3 (for non clearcoat paint), I only have Z2. I'm not sure if there is still need for the two different formulas with ZFX. Thanks...