what's the best way to strip my wax before waxing again? my car is white and there are a lot of places where it's getting cloudy and it's driving me crazy.

 

Put some paint thinner on there itll take the wax off, and then some lol just playin. When you wash your car, the wax in time will come off. You should wax ur car about every 3-6 months, so you figure washin it once a week like i do for 3 months then its safe to wax. just make sure you wash it before you wax, just not go ahead and wax it. Wax doesnt stay on for that long especially if you drive in the rain, which im guessing from your pic you do. So go ahead and wax it, it wont hurt itll only make it shiny!! Oh yeah and if it gets cloudy and doesnt get better after washing it, you might need to buff the car out. Which you only need to do if the paint gets cloudy or becomes oxidized. Even if your car is a little older like a 2000 or 2001, i think it would be time for a buff...

 

Dawn is supposed to strip off wax.

 

Yeah, Dawn is supposed to be the best. Cheap and ez to find. Under the kitchen sink. LOL!! Be sure to rinse it off real well.

 

Dawn is the best for stripping the wax, it will also get alot of break dust off your rims. The best wax ive used is Rejex.

 

if you really want to get every bit of it off then you can rub your car down with lacquer thinner, but make sure you work in sections and wash it right after you rub it down, but if you are just gonna re-wax it then i would suggest using just dishwashing detergent, it works just as well.

 

Guys I am a part time detailer and you are really giving some bad advice here. BE VERY CAREFULL PUTTING ANY TYPE OF SOLVENT ON YOUR PAINT; this includes lacquer thinner, acetone, paint thinner and all sorts of other nasty chemicals. Contrary to what people think wax does not "build up" on a car, think about, when waxing a car you put on a thin layer of wax, let it dry and than wipe it off, it would take hundreds of repeated applications to form any sort of buildup. Yes Dawn (or any dish soap) will remove wax, it will also remove essential oils in the paint leaving it very dry, and I do not recommend using it. nathansmith50
What you have is oxidation in the clear coat; my advice is to go get the Meguires three step. This is a three step process that involves paint cleaner, a polish and then a wax, the stuff is very easy to use and you have a 0% chance of hurting your paint. If you try this and don't have the results you are looking for you may need to clay bar the car, Mothers makes a great product for this. Feel free to PM me with any questions. TO THE REST OF YOU GUYS quite telling people how take care of their paint until you have a clue as to the correct way to do it.

 

Link to a good site with a ton of detailing info
http://www.detailcity.com

 

i have a lot of little dark spots that look like water spots to me but no amount of washing will rid me of them. also some brownish discoloration. i've clay bared the car which did a great job of removing the dirt particles( i had a lot of individual spots that looked like butterfinger candy crumbs.) but nothing at all to the brownish discoloration or to the dark "water" spots. i took it to a detailer today and he allegedly buffed it and waxed it......it is certainly waxed because it looks fantastic from about 4-5 feet but if you look close(and i do) you can still see the spots. i've given thought to a paint job but i'm going to want to change the color if i do that so that'll run me about 4K so i can think of better things to do with 4K.....

 

If they are water spots mix a 50/50 white vinagar and water solution in a spray bottle and see if that removes them. They could be from acid rain in which case they may need to be wet sanded and buffed, this however needs to be done with extreme caution as factory clear is not very thick, if you sand through you are furbar'ed. Ask around and see who the best detailer is in your area and take the car to them, Mercedes and BMW owners are good ones to ask, studies show that they get their cars detailed more than any other brand.