Hi would like a bit of help in choosing a good gelcoat wash and wax..plenty on the market mcguires . thetford . mothers .! many of which have the same claims biodegradable et c wont strip off existing wax etc etc ....
Can anyone recommend one product they have used ? and are happy with .
Normal car wash and waxes not suitable for gel coats apparently ...
I use CT18. It's a truck wash and can be found in the likes of Super Cheap Auto as a concentrate in 1 or 5 lt containers. I add it to water in one of those 5lt pump up spray bottles. Great stuff. Use it on the car and van. It leaves a nice sheen. Wet the van with the hose, spray on the CT18, use a soft broom to scrub it down, and hose off. Cheers, Bob
CT 20 is OK but CT 18 is very acidic/alkaline whatever. Leave it on too long before you rinse it off as it can degrade your paint or Gelcoat. Never leave either in the spray bottle after use, rinse it out or it will eat your pump up spray bottle.
-- Edited by Yuglamron on Monday 8th of April 2019 06:04:34 PM
I don't know where you get this from Trevor, but I've been using it for years, same spray bottle, have used it on two vans, no problems. I will admit that I never leave it on overnight as they say you can do on the instructions. I reckon that there would be lots of irate folk if what you say is true.
Half a cup of Kero in washing water with car wash . What I use . The car wash is either Mothers or Supercheap special . I avoid the truck type as its very acid . Seems to wash off any oils, waxs in paint . The Kero cleans but leaves a nice layer on surface . Keeps water off .,
My goodness, CT18 acidic. Prompted me to go look at the label.
Says there "biodegradable, ph neutral, non caustic and inhibits rust and corrosion. Safe to use on any surface including modern finishes on all vehicles, fibreglass, All metal types, rubber, vinyl and glass".
Am I missing something?
-- Edited by Brownie2 on Tuesday 9th of April 2019 10:32:03 AM
-- Edited by Brownie2 on Tuesday 9th of April 2019 12:00:35 PM
All I can say is that when my mate used CT18 on his Leyland Bus and left it for a few hours on the Duco it etched into the paint. He also left the pump up spray bottle half full and it ate the plastic. That was a few weeks later not straight away.
Not hearsay I was staying at his place and helped hose the bus before he used the pump to cover the bus with CT 18. We were called away and when we returned the bus was totally dry. When we started to hose off the CT18 it had affected the paint and the surface had lost the gloss.
This was a couple of years ago.
I've stayed away from the stuff since.
Have they changed the formula since then? I have no idea. Maybe they have but I go from experience of the stuff on my mates Bus.
-- Edited by Yuglamron on Tuesday 9th of April 2019 10:36:32 AM
Bit of a minefield out there when it comes to a good gel coat wash and wax ... plenty that wash but strip off the wax that's on there ! anything that's bio degradable soft wash as they call it appears to be ok ..
Everyone has their own views on this and I appreciate your help ... maguires or mothers wash and wax will probably be the one for me .... bit pricey but u don't use that much per wash .
After paying big bucks for a motorhome I guess a good quality wash and wax product makes sense !
