Best way to remove dried polish?

[bast525]

I polished my car yesterday using a PC and some Meg`s Ultimate Compound, wiped the whole car down afterwards, and THOUGHT I got all the dust off.....



Came out today and saw dried on compound dust on the doors. I tried to wipe it off with a microfiber and some quick detail spray, but the stuff is really on there. If I used a good amount of pressure I could wipe it off, but I feel like that`s doing more harm than good.



What is the best/easiest/safest way to get this stuff off?

[SpoolinNoMore]

IPA mix or I`ve heard of some people just waxing to remove old residue. However personally, I`d use nothing but an IPA wipedown to remove any excess/dried up polish.

[bast525]

What is IPA?

[SpoolinNoMore]

Isopropyl Alcohol. I do about a 1:4 mix with water in a spray bottle. It`s a commonly used solution to wipe off polishing oils in order to see if you cleared up whatever blemishes you were trying to clear up. I always IPA when compounding out scratches and just wipe off normal last step polishes when the surface is clear.

[bast525]

That will dissolve the dried on polish? I tried plain water and meg`s quick detail spray, but they don`t come off unless I rub hard. Alcohol will take them off easily? I`m assuming it will take off any wax too?

[SpoolinNoMore]

Well when you`re polishing, its usually over a wax stripped surface anyway and you wax afterwards. Just be careful to not hit your plastic trim with IPA because it`ll dry it out (just put a dressing on it afterwards).

[extrabolts]

Yeah people say IPA, although if you have Megs ultimate compound on overnight you will have to rub a bit. It can be a pain to get off. Make sure to use a clean, plush microfiber towel - you don`t want to rescratch your freshly polished paint!

[KnuckleBuckett]

In extreme cases, I have had really great luck with polishing pad cleaner diluted per the instructions and your removal tool of choice. Microfiber, paint brush, swab.



I use Detailer’s Pro Series Polishing Pad Rejuvenator. Be careful not to let the residue drip as you clean the residue off, it will only make the situation worse. I usually stuff a microfiber towel around the area I have to clean to protect against this.



Try a test spot first to make sure you won`t have any staining issues. Thus far I have not.



Hope this helps.

[Accumulator]

If you rub the polish residue into the paint you`re likely to get some micromarring (if you`re lucky it`s just be "micro" ).



IPA is OK but it doesn`t encapsulate and/or lubricate like some other things. I generally prefer "clean" QDs like Meguiar`s #34 or something like ONR. Or even just washing the car using some "super shampoo" like ValuGard`s "A" or OPC. Whatever cleaning solvent you use, be sure to let it dwell for a good long time so it has a chance to soften the residue; don`t just expect to spray it on and wipe the stuff off.



You might even have to clay it off, but I woudn`t be surprised if you had to repolish after that.



Big lesson here is to work meticulously, inspecting everything you`re working on so you can avoid such surprises.