Ask-A-Pro: The Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) Wipedown
by Todd CooperiderHi Gang, I see several references to an IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol) wipedown. I know WHEN its needed – as another way to remove any remaining sealant/wax. But I don’t know the proper technique HOW to do it. (e.g., 1:1 dilution? 1 small bucket & a microfiber rag? Single light-pressure swipe? Water rinse/wash after?) Can you advise? Thanks! -Eric H.
This is a great question that was submitted from my fellow Columbus, OH resident Eric H…thanks for sending it in!
First let me address the “why” for those unfamiliar with using Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) in detailing.
There are actually a couple of reasons for the IPA wipedown. The first would be for stripping the surface from any remaining waxes, sealants, or polishing residue. If you want to make sure that any previous wax or sealant layers are stripped from the surface, then do an IPA wipedown to remove them. If you’ve finished your polishing process, and want to make sure all of the carrier oils in the polish is removed to ensure that you get a better bond for your wax or sealant, then do an IPA wipedown. Isopropyl Alcohol will safely and effectively break down and remove residue from the surface to prepare it for your next step.
The second reason behind the IPA wipedown is for inspection during the polishing process. Some polishes may fill-in the fine defects, and give you the false impression that they have been removed. When we use IPA to thoroughly clean the surface from any remaining polishing residue, we’re making sure that what we see is what we get!
OK, so how do we use it?
Actually it’s quite simple to use. First you’ll want to take a trip to your favorite grocery or drug store, and pick up a bottle of Isopropyl Alcohol and some distilled water. You’ll typically find a few different types of IPA (either in 70%, or in the 90-99% range), but in my experience I don’t think it matters too much for what we’re using it for. You can use it straight, or you can dilute it 50/50 with distilled water. You obviously get more stripping ability with it in full strength, but it also dries more quickly and leaves more of a residue/streaking. If you’re using it after polishing or inspecting, you may want to use it full strength. If you’re just doing a wipedown and want to go straight to a wax or sealant application, then you may want to use it 50/50 to reduce the chances of streaking.
In either ratio, get yourself an empty spray bottle to put your solution in (or you can just put a trigger sprayer right onto the IPA bottle that it came in). Now that you’ve got your IPA solution in a bottle with a trigger sprayer, arm yourslef with some soft, clean microfiber towels and you’re ready to go!
Now lightly spray down a panel at a time and gently wipe it off with your microfiber towel. Always use extremely light pressure just as you would if you were using a quick detailer or a spray wax. If you use too much, then you risk marring or scratching the paint that you just finished polishing! Also be sure to continually use a fresh side of the towel, and don’t be afraid to go through 3 or 4 different towels during the process. It’s just laundry, right? Once you’ve wiped down the surface, then you’re ready to go to your next step of applying your favorite wax or sealant. There’s no need to re-wash the car after you’ve used IPA.
That’s really all there is to it!
If you have any additional questions about how and/or when to use IPA, please put them in the comment box below.
Thanks!
I recently started using the IPA wipedown in my process.
The simplest thing i can say about it is. I would like to shake the hand of the man who thought of this.
Hey Todd, I’ve been following you’re work ever since I have bought my first detailed image product. I highly look up to you’re work. I wanted to know if it would benefit to use the IPA wipe down method before I apply CG EZ-Creme Glaze. The last polish I usually use is Menzerna Micro polish, then EZ-Creme Glaze, BFWD, and last CG 50/50 wax.
Thank you Alberto!
While EZ Creme has cleaners in it and does a great job of removing residue from Menzerna polishes, it definitely couldn’t hurt to wipe it down first with IPA.
Nice write up. I’ve always used 91% IPA.
One question Todd, is there any way to minimize possibly micromarring because of the lack of lubricity with IPA/Water solution?
-Andrew
Thanks Andrew.
I’ve never had a problem with this myself. I think if you’re using a high quality, clean microfiber with very light and even pressure, you shouldn’t have any issues with micromarring when doing an IPA wipedown. The only exception to this would be a handful of cars out there with crazy-soft paints. And if this is the case, it’s not because of a lubrication issue with IPA…just that the paint is so soft that touching it in any way, shape, or form will cause problems.
Todd,
I am always thankful for your input and dedication to doing things the right way. One quick question regarding health concerns and IPA. Is there any sort of worry in regards to ingesting the IPA solution through the lungs? I understand that our faces should not be buried an inch from the panel(s) but exposure should be abundant while doing an entire car (depending on size). I know that our intentions are always good but just wanted to see if you have any concern regarding this in terms of exposure and health? Thanks again!
JGJR
John,
Health concerns are always important to me when dealing with detailing products. I think people need to be cautious when dealing with all of them really, and common sense safety practices should prevail. While I’m not a health expert, I do think there are more detailing products out there that have higher health risks if vapors got into the lungs. Some of the wheel cleaners, degreasers, tar removers, etc that detailers use on a daily basis can be quite potent…and should be handled with care for sure.
As a former Biomedical Sciences major (lots of chem classes), I can say that there are definitely health risks associated with inhalation of the vapors from IPA. However, that being said, the risk is low, usually sitting at mild respiratory irritation, dizziness, or a little nausea. If those should occur, consult a MSDS (official answer), or just go outside into a well ventilated area until the side effects cease (everyday answer). Oh, but if you actually concentrate and intentionally inhale the fumes, it can be much more serious.
Hope it helps,
Garrett
Todd,
What is the main difference between IPA wipe down and CG Vertua Bond?
Regards,
Art
Well they sort of accomplish the same basic task in the end, but do it in different ways. Some polishes can be very difficult to remove from the surface and leave behind a lot of residue. In this case I would definitely use IPA to remove them instead of Vertua Bond or EZ Creme. Also if you need to inspect the finish to make sure you’re getting a true correction, then you would use IPA instead. If you just need to do a thorough cleaning of the paint after polishing (when not much residue is obviously present), then you could either do an IPA wipedown, or use something like Vertua Bond or EZ Creme to clean the surface and prep it for your sealant or wax application.
Would you do a IPA wipedown before or after P21 Paintwork Cleanser?
Also when should paintwork cleanser be used? (everytime you wax or at some other interval)
Thanks
There shouldn’t be a need to use IPA prior to Paintwork Cleanser, so you could just use it afterwards. You should only need to use a product like P21S Paintwork Cleanser 2-3 times per year as needed to freshen up the paint. You don’t need to use it every time you wax…
Bringing this back from the dead. When doing an IPA wipe down, are there areas that should not be exposed to the alcohol? I’m wondering if headlights in particular would be affected from the alcohol. Or maybe things like trim or other porous plastics?
Thanks for any input!
Chris,
While there may be some parts that may not get along well with Isopropyl Alcohol, you should be pretty safe. The reason I sound vague is because there’s simply no way to know every part of every car made. The best method is simply to be cautious around any areas that you may have concern for. If you don’t want to get alcohol on an area, then spray it directly onto your towel first, and then wipe the area around it so that you don’t have a problem with overspray. I hope this helps.
Wow! I needed to check this sooner! This is the response I was hoping for. I figured the best way was to simply spray the towel then wipe avoiding any questionable areas. Thank you for the input. Now I will feel better when I do my wipe down on my car. I am doing an overhaul on the car using techniques that I’ve read from your posts. The car is a black MR2 Spyder. I will submit pictures at some point.
Thanks again!!
hi
could you help me please as i am starting out detailing my car when using ipa is it better to dilute it say 50/50 or 20%ipa to 80% water and is it better to use distilled
best regards
steve
Should I do the IPA wipe down before doing the glaze or would it remove the glaze if I wipe on top of the glaze?
Does IPA remove all of the wax and grime build up? I have a 15 year old car that hs years of carwash wash and waxing.
There is a recommendation going around on Facebook for a diy de-icing your car’s windshield. They recommend 2/3 alcohol to 1/3 water. Is this too strong for your car’s finish/paint?
What do you recommend for a cheap de-icer?
Thank you.
What does indian pale ale (IPA) have anything to do with waxing a car?
I find my car looks so much better after 3 or 4 pints of India Pale Ale. Wears off the next day though. Thanks for all the great advice though.
I TRIED MAKING MY OWN CAR SPRAY ON WAX USING WAX AND IPA AS SOME OF THE INGREDIENTS..IT SEEMS TO CLEAN AND POLISH THE CAR WELL….DO YOU THINK USING THE IPA WITH THE WAX IS A GOOD IDEA LONG TERM?
UB – I would not recommend using IPA and Wax together. We generally use IPA to remove any wax, sealant, coating, polishing oils, etc. to get the paint clean and ready to apply a new layer of protection. My fear of using the two together is that you are spraying a substance onto the surface, however the IPA will be removing the wax you are spraying on. If it is not removing all of the wax, at the very least it will most likely cut down the effectiveness of the wax.
Can I use isopropyl alcohol for cleaning my car engine to remove dirt and odor?
I just did a polish on an old 1984 bmw with metallic paint (two stage). After polishing each panel, I was sure to wipe off the excess polishing compound off with a clean microfiber. However when I go to do the IPA wipedown with 70% IPA, I keep on getting excessive white powdery residue after the alcohol dries. However, I would wipe the powder off only to see more and more upon repeating the IPA wipedown 3-4 times. I’m quite sure the residue is the excess polishing compound but it doesn’t make sense that there is so much of it and that there could be so much residue on the paint when it looks so shiny. When I go to wipe it down with quick detailer, the car seems extremely clean. What could be the case? I never had this happen before and there is no way the powder could be coming from the IPA or clearcoat.
Perhaps the clear coat is gone and you’re down to base layer, which is oxidized and will continue wiping off indefinitely?
Hello Todd,
I recently read an article about filling a spray bottle with 1/3 water and 2/3 isopropyl alcohol to use as a de-icing spray for frozen windshields. Would there be any drawbacks to an application like this, since the liberally applied spray would not be wiped away?
Thanks,
Jaye
Why distilled water…when using IPA?
Can we use IPA for cleaning /washing vegetables and fruits to eliminate pesticide residue?
Unfortunately we do not have any experience with using IPA for cleaning fruits and vegetables. I am sure it would clean it really well, but I do not think it would be okay to ingest. I would highly recommend contacting your heath care professional for the best answer possible.
Hi
Recently i used Methylated spirit (99%) as a ipa wipedown with 50% water dilution (50/50%) on one solid black Toyota Prado (jdm ) to strip down any residue left by polishing to apply my silica based glass coating.
After applying glass coating i noticed glass coat taking longer time in drying as it also making paint dull after touching seems like glass coating not bonding to paint.
i am very worried and ur expert responce can make things clear and how to rectify this pls
Tks
Another great “cheap” way of prepping the paint Before a proper polish.
Thanx for the idea
Hi,
I straight used IPA onto carpaint without diluting as preparing for glass coating.
Unfortunately, there are some light white marks on the surface all over and can’t be removed eventhough i washed my car again with no shampoo.
This case, how should i fix it as i personally think the surface should be shiny before applying glass coat.
Thanks
From these comments it sounds like an IPA wipedown would always be preferred before waxing?
John – It can only help protection adhere best, but it is certainly not necessary when waxing or using a sealant. A coating however needs an IPA wipedown before applying.
I clay bar my vehicle after washing and then I used a swirl remover then a polish and wax, 2 weeks ago. My car is black, I saw that it turned out very nice in the daylight. At night you can see the wipe marks on it like a smear affect, after the cool air and condensation settles on it, and it looks AWFUL! What do you suggest I do ? Just rub down with IPA and then wash and clay bar polish then wax? Start all over? Thank you
Hello,
What is a safe cleaner/degreaser to use on a Ceramic Coating such as cQuartz uk? I have a client that wants vinyl put on the car and I would wipe down the panel first. how would I go about prepping or cleaning the ceramic coated surface?
Thanks!
Hello. Very helpfull article. I am new in the car detailing and i am afraid do not make any damage to the paint. I have an Opel Astra H. As i know it has soft paint. Would be safe to you 30% IPA and 70% water? Or to do it as test in a small section in my car paint in order to see if IPA make any damage to the paint?
Thank you for your time
Hi – I want to do an art project on my car. I would like the paint to wash off with soap and water or something that will not take the original paint job off or whatever clear coat is left. Its an older car so I know eventually it will need a professional paint job. So, for now I’d like to have some fun with people painting with temporary paint. I’d like it to last 2-3 months if possible. Do you have any suggestions on paint and how to take it off? Or someone I might be able to ask? I have searched the internet for weeks but I don’t think I’m asking the right questiins or in the right way.
Thank you
“Looks cool! Like this picture!”
It’s helpful that you point out that isopropyl alcohol can be used to clean wax remnants off of your car after having it detailed. I just detailed my car and I’m considering using isopropyl alcohol to clean the stubborn bits of wax that remain. I’m going to look for a good supplier of isopropyl alcohol from which to purchase some.
What do you get by mixing 99% isopropyl and 50% isopropyl alcohol?
How can u mix 99% with 50% and water to get 75%?
What if you are compounding/polishing just to prepare the car for quick sale to car max, can a wax or sealant like turtle wax ice go directly over the polish and wipe with towel stage…as I’m not concerned with longevity?
Edward – If longevity is no concern, you can apply a wax or sealant right after polishing.