Duel Autocare
Panel Prep
Panel Wipe
Panel Prep is our panel wipe — the invisible last step before you protect your paint. It strips away the oils, polishing residues and old product left on the surface so your wax, sealant or coating bonds to genuinely bare paint. Spray it on, buff it off with a microfibre, and you're left with a clean, residue-free surface. Skip it and your protection simply won't grip as well or last as long.
At A Glance
Why You'll Love It
Waxes, sealants and coatings only grip if the surface is truly clean. Panel Prep removes what's blocking that bond, so your protection keys in properly and lasts noticeably longer.
Polishing oils, filler glazes and old product leave an invisible film that a wash won't shift. Panel Prep clears it, revealing the true, bare finish underneath ready to protect.
Use it across paintwork and glass alike, wherever a coating is going on. It's the same simple spray-and-buff step whether you're prepping a bonnet or a windscreen.
A quick wipe uses very little product, so a bottle prepares a lot of cars — small effort and cost to protect the far bigger investment you've made in your wax, sealant or coating.
What Does Panel Prep Actually Do?
After polishing, or even after a normal detail, the paint isn't as clean as it looks. Machine polishes and glazes contain oils that fill and mask fine imperfections, and everyday products leave a thin film behind. That residue sits invisibly on top of the paint — and anything you apply over it is bonding to the film, not the paint.
Panel Prep is a solvent wipe. When you spray it on, the solvents dissolve those oils and residues and flash off quickly as you buff, carrying the film away with them and leaving nothing behind. What's left is a genuinely bare, residue-free surface — the clean foundation a wax, sealant or ceramic coating needs to key into properly.
It's the last step before protection, and it's the one most people skip. Doing it is the difference between a coating that beads and lasts its full life and one that fails early or goes patchy. A minute of prep protects the hours — and the money — you've put into the finish.
Is It Right For You?
- Prepping paint before a wax, sealant or ceramic coating
- Removing polishing oils to check your true correction results
- Anyone applying Element Hybrid Wax or Flex and wanting it to last
- Detailers who want their protection to perform to its full potential
- Prepping glass before a rain-repellent coating
- Clear-coated paintwork
- Glass and windscreens
- Freshly polished panels (before protecting)
- Letting it dry, or applying in direct sunlight
- Heat, sparks and open flames — it is flammable (see Safety)
- Plastic trim and rubber seals (keep to paint and glass)
How To Use Panel Prep
Panel Prep is the final step before protection, so wash, decontaminate and (if you're polishing) polish first. Work one panel at a time, on a cool surface away from sparks and flames.
Spray Panel Prep directly onto the surface, covering the panel evenly. A light, even application is all you need — there's no soaking or dwell time.
Spread it evenly across the surface with a clean coral fleece microfibre cloth. Don't let it dry on the panel as you work.
Flip to a dry side of the cloth and buff off until the panel is completely clear and streak-free. No rinsing needed — the solvent flashes off as you buff.
Apply your wax, sealant or coating to the freshly prepped panel while it's clean — Element Hybrid Wax and Flex both bond best on a panel-wiped surface.
H226 — Flammable liquid and vapour.H319 — Causes serious eye irritation.P210 — Keep away from heat, hot surfaces, sparks, open flames and other ignition sources. No smoking.P280 — Wear eye protection.P337+P313 — If eye irritation persists: Get medical advice/attention.| Product type | Panel Wipe (solvent-based) |
|---|---|
| Format | Ready-to-use spray |
| Size | 500ml |
| Application | Spray on, spread and buff with a microfibre |
| Rinse required | No — buff off; solvent flashes off |
| Use stage | Final preparation, immediately before wax / sealant / coating |
| Suitable for | Clear-coated paint and glass |
| Finish | Residue-free, streak-free |
| Physical state / colour | Liquid |
| Storage | Store in a well-ventilated place. Keep cool and away from ignition sources. |