Zaino Clear Seal
Every so often you run into what I call a "final product", one that is so good for the intended purpose you can't imagine how to improve it. In my experience you don't come across products like often, so it's probably worth blogging about the ones you find.
The last place you expect to come across a final product is in car waxes or sealants. Given that they're chemical potions it's no surprise there are discernible differences between them, but for the past 35 years or so I haven't found one wax or sealant that has kept me from considering the new latest and greatest product. Until now.
Zaino Clear Seal is a clear liquid spray-on. Using one of Zaino's cotton pads, you prime the pad with one spray, and use another spray applied directly to the paint for about every 3-4 square feet of surface. Go ahead, put it on black plastic and rubber too. It leaves no residue anywhere. As you're applying it you can see it makes the surface look a bit oily, reminiscent of applying Rain-X to a windshield. Don't apply too much - spread it very thinly.
You don't buff Clear Seal at all. You just let it dry and cure. Drying time depends on the ambient temperature and humidity, but in my 58F garage it took about 90 minutes. Due to the transparent nature of the product and how thinly you apply it, it is difficult to tell if you achieved perfect coverage, so I decided to put on two coats.
I'd show you some pictures of how the car looks after a Clear Seal application, but that would be a waste of time. It looks about like any really good wax or sealant job, but there's no residue anywhere. No worrying about gaps or edges or seams or plastic.
Clear Seal doesn't have much of an odor. I applied it in a closed garage and never felt the need for fresh air. Clear Seal is also one heck of a solvent; although the Cayman was meticulously washed my white pad came out pretty dirty after just one coat.
The tactile feel of Clear Seal after curing is slippery, but not "waxy", like P21S. Clear Seal has good but not great ability to hide swirls. My Cayman has been polished thoroughly, so it has no swirls marks, but my daily driver does and that's how I judged it.
Water beading is simply the best I've ever seen. More importantly, after six hand washes on my daily driver it hasn't diminished one bit. Considering all of the magnesium chloride and other junk on Oregon roads right now, that's amazing. A better performance than any wax or sealant I've ever tried, including Zaino's Z2 Pro.
Carnauba waxes still provide a different "look" than Clear Seal, which is probably some sort of pleasant optical distortion. If that's what you're looking for, wax on. For me, Clear Seal has proven to be the final wax / sealant product. I never thought I'd live to see the day...
The last place you expect to come across a final product is in car waxes or sealants. Given that they're chemical potions it's no surprise there are discernible differences between them, but for the past 35 years or so I haven't found one wax or sealant that has kept me from considering the new latest and greatest product. Until now.
Zaino Clear Seal is a clear liquid spray-on. Using one of Zaino's cotton pads, you prime the pad with one spray, and use another spray applied directly to the paint for about every 3-4 square feet of surface. Go ahead, put it on black plastic and rubber too. It leaves no residue anywhere. As you're applying it you can see it makes the surface look a bit oily, reminiscent of applying Rain-X to a windshield. Don't apply too much - spread it very thinly.
You don't buff Clear Seal at all. You just let it dry and cure. Drying time depends on the ambient temperature and humidity, but in my 58F garage it took about 90 minutes. Due to the transparent nature of the product and how thinly you apply it, it is difficult to tell if you achieved perfect coverage, so I decided to put on two coats.
I'd show you some pictures of how the car looks after a Clear Seal application, but that would be a waste of time. It looks about like any really good wax or sealant job, but there's no residue anywhere. No worrying about gaps or edges or seams or plastic.
Clear Seal doesn't have much of an odor. I applied it in a closed garage and never felt the need for fresh air. Clear Seal is also one heck of a solvent; although the Cayman was meticulously washed my white pad came out pretty dirty after just one coat.
The tactile feel of Clear Seal after curing is slippery, but not "waxy", like P21S. Clear Seal has good but not great ability to hide swirls. My Cayman has been polished thoroughly, so it has no swirls marks, but my daily driver does and that's how I judged it.
Water beading is simply the best I've ever seen. More importantly, after six hand washes on my daily driver it hasn't diminished one bit. Considering all of the magnesium chloride and other junk on Oregon roads right now, that's amazing. A better performance than any wax or sealant I've ever tried, including Zaino's Z2 Pro.
Carnauba waxes still provide a different "look" than Clear Seal, which is probably some sort of pleasant optical distortion. If that's what you're looking for, wax on. For me, Clear Seal has proven to be the final wax / sealant product. I never thought I'd live to see the day...
Total Comments 5
Comments
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Can you apply it over wax, or do you just apply it instead of wax after wash/clay?
I have seen one car that I know of close up with Zaino sealant on it, and it did look very nice; as I recall, the owner told me that the secret was applying several (3?) very thin coats with drying in between. Might have to give it a try myself . . .Posted 02-22-2009 at 07:20 PM by KS-CS
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For my daily driver I washed it with a strong detergent first. Some folks use Dawn dish soap, I used a strong solution of Chemical Guys Citrus wash. Either way, starting with a clean surface is a good thing for any product. I use paint clay every time before wax or sealant. The Cayman was polished, so previous sealant coats weren't an issue.Posted 02-22-2009 at 07:45 PM by blueone
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Mine still has the indoor cover on it, I like and use Zaino products and it was washed/waxed prior to putting her down for the season, 2 coats wax. I've started it 2-3 times thru the winter and am thinking of applying a coat or two of sealant before I put it out on the road, nother couple weeks. Never used sealant before and really didn't know of such a animal till I read this blog. Question is, car is still spotless from fall waxing, can I use a little Zaino Z6 detailing spray to ensure the finish is dust free before I apply the sealant, and what is the purpose of the sealant, another layer of paint protection?
Posted 03-13-2009 at 05:06 PM by shakeypics
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If you used Zaino you used a sealant. They don't make a wax. There's really no advantage to using Clear Seal if you already have a Zaino product, like Z2, applied. If, on the hand, if you used a carnauba product over the Zaino or instead of it, like P21S, I'd say enjoy the wax until it is mostly worn off, then wash the car with a dish soap (like Dawn) to get all of the old products off, and then apply Clear Seal, if that's what you want to use. Dish soap has a very high ph, and it'll wash off any wax or sealant I'm aware of.
Z6, or any high quality spray detailer, is fine for removing dust. I like Griots Speed Shine myself.Posted 03-13-2009 at 05:58 PM by blueone
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Did not know that, Z2 with the ZFX Accelerator is a sealant, guess I'm good to go. Used Dawn once or twice to strip what may have been left behind from an earlier Z2 polish, thanks, it's all my car has seen, is Zaino.Posted 03-13-2009 at 06:14 PM by shakeypics
Updated 03-13-2009 at 07:42 PM by shakeypics
