Opti pro/guard already showing swirls in 1 month

[Shecki]

Question.. I had opti pro installed on my car about 4 weeks or so ago. Since then, the car has only seen a couple of foam cannon/pressure wash washes (no touch), and a couple of washes with a 2 bucket system, grit guards, and a perfectly clean Uber marino wool mitt. I'm showing some faint swirl marks already on the hood and in a couple of places. The paint was a full correction prior to the install...and was completely swirl free and perfect. I was hoping the coating was going to be a bit more resilient than this.

 

Is there anything to recommend in order to prevent this from swirling even more? I'm pretty careful with washes. Constantly wringing out the rinse water before putting it in the clean bucket and constantly inspecting the mitt for any pickup. Thanks guys!

[sydtoosic]

i second the Gary Dean Method. i've been using it for 5 months now and i have 1 scratch (maybe an inch long) which is in the coating and you have to get eye level with the trunk and squint out of 1 eye to see it . GD FTW...

[Guest Realistic Detailer]

I was reading this post, and felt that something needed to be addressed here. First, most car shampoos contain wax in them. By letting a foam sit on the Opti Coat surface is like waxing your car.When you wipe the car off you are smearing the wax in the shampoo which cause the swirl marks you see .

 

Here is some advice: First look at your shampoo, and see if it contains wax. If it does stop using it, and use Dawn instead. Second, stop looking at Opti Coat as wax. The object is to remove the bad things off the surface.

 

As I have said several times: i have NOT used Opti Coat , but I have never had swirl marks on my car ever. Scratching is NOT caused by improper drying methods, dirty wash mitts , touching the car, or using the wrong towel either IMO.

[toddj]

I was reading this post, and felt that something needed to be addressed here. First, most car shampoos contain wax in them. By letting a foam sit on the Opti Coat surface is like waxing your car.When you wipe the car off you are smearing the wax in the shampoo which cause the swirl marks you see .

 

Here is some advice: First look at your shampoo, and see if it contains wax. If it does stop using it, and use Dawn instead. Second, stop looking at Opti Coat as wax. The object is to remove the bad things off the surface.

 

As I have said several times: i have NOT used Opti Coat , but I have never had swirl marks on my car ever. Scratching is NOT caused by improper drying methods, dirty wash mitts , touching the car, or using the wrong towel either IMO.

 

So I have hear how your never get swirls by improper washing methods or mitts. Let me guess...using that foamy brush at the do-it-yourself washes does not induce swirls either?

 

What super powers do you have ?

[Guest Realistic Detailer]

 

So I have hear how your never get swirls by improper washing methods or mitts. Let me guess...using that foamy brush at the do-it-yourself washes does not induce swirls either?

 

What super powers do you have ?

It is not a super power by any means.but just years of experience. I realize many people on forums have waxed their cars for years, so I can understand the doubt by what I say.

 

To try and make this simple for you to understand consider what wax is. Whether organic or not, it does not bond to, or protect any surface. This is a fact that is not in question. What it does is two things: First, it beads waters, and shines paint. Many claim it provides protection from bugs, tree sap, bird crap , salt which is pure science fiction.

 

What a coating does is to bond to the clear coat ,and create an impenetrable shield. Not a barrier which traps bad things in it which will go thru to the clear coat and become trapped there, Imagine it was salt for example trapped between the bottom of the wax layer and the top of the clear coat.

 

Why swirls do not occur with coatings is simple. They do not break down like wax does. Many say, all the wax wears off over time, but that is just not true.Why? Many people use shampoos to wash their cars which are very weak soap, and use wax within to help remove the dirt without creating swirl marks.Also, hybrids are designed to take more heat than wax does which is worse which requires more correction time to remove.

 

 

 

The dirty brush at the car wash is not the reason for swirl marks by any means. If you used a coating instead of wax that brush would not cause swirl marks unless you applied wax over the coating which makes no sense to me