Honest guys, I did a search, but I seem to get hundreds of posts to sift through, I'm not very good with the search feature. How is this product? I'm looking for a good AIO that I would use following some light compounding/polishing on selected areas. Is this product suitable for cleaning and minor swirl removal I would appreciate any advice.
IMHO junk, thats why you dont hear much about it. Gums up too much, dusts, and just an overall pain to use. id try Menzerna, although a little pricey it works very well.
I use it as a nice one stepper, it will gum if you use too much. I hardly dust when I use it to clean up OP residue. Doesn't really remove swirls, but can if you use the right pad & setup. Results will vary, but I'm an optimum fan.
If Poli-Seal is gumming up or anything else that you are describing, it's because you are using TOO MUCH!!! With PS, a little goes a LONG way. PS should virtually disappear into the paint right away. But, as long as the pad is still gliding over the paint, PS is still there and working. When you're done with that section, there should be virtually nothing to buff off. When I first start out, I put 5 pea-sized drops of PS on my pad. After that, only 2 pea-sized drops per 2x2 section. I've never had gumming issues, dusting issues, or any other issues with PS. In fact, it works so well for me that I purchased an entire gallon of it. I use it all the time as a 1-stepper. Poli-Seal's cut is determined by the pad that you use. PS has 1/2 the cut of Optimum Polish (original version). Here's a Mini-Cooper that I did last February. I used Poli-Seal with a polishing pad on the Flex to remove swirls and marring. You can see the reflection of the PS bottle in the second pic:
I have to agree with Mike. It is one of my favorite products. I use it on almost every detail I do. It only gums up if you use too much, it's SUPER economical, buffs down to almost NO residue which wipes off with NO pressure. I have NEVER had it dust at all so IDK what Matrix is talking about. If you had a pad washer, and use it every few panels or just change the pad you will have no gumming issues. The chemical cleaning is pretty good (a little less than KAIO), and like Mike said, I love being able to tune the cut with the pad. I have mixed it 70/30 with Optimum Polish with great results too. My favorite combo (which is very fast BTW) is PoliSeal then Optimum Car Wax to buff off the residue...looks slick and wet every time.
I haven't used it all that much but from the times I have used it, it's almost like UF. A little truly goes a long way. I really like polishes that are like this since they are more economical.
I think the best result I have had with OPS is with an edge green. An LC white will be good too, but overall product is excellent. Great price and it protects pretty good
BIG BS!!! If you know how to use it it is a beautiful product - just listen to integrity and mShu7. As with all Optimum polishes, the proper amount are extremely important. Optimum uses a very effective lubrication, and if you overdose the polish, the lube film will be too thick for the abrasives to strike it through. Hence, the product won't produce the necessary results. And usually the brainless users don't spend time to figure it out how to make it work. Stigmatizing something as shitty is easier than finding the switch for the bulb overhead. So, with Optimum, use VERY little. 2-4 pea sized drops from the polishes. and 3-5 drops when you're using Poli-Seal. The process is very clever, simple. If you polish with the Optimum Polish, you determine its cut with the appropriate pad. You can start with wool, then switch to cutting/polishing/finishing foams. It won't dust, so there's no cleanup. When you're done with finishing, it is not necessary to wipe off the residue, as Poli-Seal can absorb it. And because Poli-Seal works basically without residue, you don't have to clean up anything at the end. If you used a BIT more than necessary, you can wipe off the (very minimal) residue with OCW/OID, but even with OOS - which are arguably the easiest products to apply. Properly applied OPS deepens and intensifies gloss and produces wonderful clarity. It won't be as mirror-like as the appearance of the Menzerna finishing polishes, because the carnauba in it adds depth. Physically, you can feel it under the pad as it glides very smoothly over the surface. You won't see it, so you have to trust it's there. It is designed to work that way. So, it WON'T gum up, and dust. Its removal is very easy too. You can use it alone, as an LSP with 1-3 months durability (depending on environmental conditions), but you can top it with carnaubas and synthetics as well. Its low carnauba content usually doesn't cause bonding issues.
^^^Nice in-depth explanation of the Optimum polishes, Bence! You touched on the fact that you don't have to wipe off the residue before going to the next step. I've actually had success using Poli-Seal and going straight to Opti-Seal without having to buff off any PS residue. After OS, I then give the entire vehicle a wipe-down with Optimum Instant Detailer. The look is INCREDIBLE! See for yourself:
i thought poliseal you spay on and that's it.. i never thought is was a polish.. just a sealant..why would a sealant have polish if it just seals? i am tottally confused,, i thought you just spray on poliseal and your all good to go.. like a spray sealant only it lasts as long as a cream based one..oh well..i am a js 109 and menz fan so i guess it doesn't really apply.
You are getting Poli-Seal and Opti-Seal confused. Poli-Seal: All-in-one product that cleans, cuts, and protects. 1-3 months of protection. Opti-Seal: A pure sealant (no cleaners) that is a "wax-on/wax-off" type of product. 4-6+ months of protection.
Purplewidow, I think you might be confusing Poli Seal with Opti Seal. OS is a spray and a sealant (and a darn good one IMO). Cheers I see mShu7 beat me too it.
what do you have to trade, I buy PoliSeal by the gallon. I send you some if you've got something I want to try. Hit me with a PM.
I quote myself just because a friend asked me about this particular step. He was wondering why it was *necessary* to wipe it off with a spray type product. I feel that it needs further clarification for those who don't have experience with the product. First of all, it is not necessary to wipe it off with a spray type anything. The wipeoff characteristics of Poli-Seal is wonderful, extremely easy. As it gives protection alone, you might stop here. Although most of us love to apply umpteen combination of LSP, so a layer of untopped OPS is a rare animal. Again, if you overdosed the product and managed to get some residue, you can just wipe it off with no effort or do a pseudo spit shine where you spray a spritz of the mentioned products (or insert your fave spray wax or QD here) over the residue and wipe it off - giving even more protection in one step. When you top OPS with a wax, it'll spread easier than usual. This is especially noticeable with harder paste waxes.
