Strip Tide

The reset wash. Strip Tide is a heavy-surfactant decontamination wash that strips old wax, sealant, oil, grease, and drying-aid film off gelcoat, paint, and trim — leaving a chemically clean surface ready for polish, correction, or a fresh coating.

Made by working detailers in the USA.

When to Strip

Every polish and coating bonds to whatever is underneath it. After years of product layering, that's old wax, sealant, oil, and grime — and new protection won't stick right. Strip Tide takes the surface back to clean so whatever you put on next actually bonds. If water beads unevenly or the gloss has gone flat no matter what you wax with, it's time to strip.

How to Use

Foam cannon

1. Pre-rinse top to bottom. Knock off loose grit.
2. Load 2–3 oz per 32 oz cannon bottle — stronger than a maintenance wash.
3. Foam top to bottom in panels. It foams less than a regular soap — that's normal.
4. Dwell 3–5 minutes. Longer dwell = deeper strip. Don't let it dry.
5. Agitate heavy buildup (waterline, drip lines, lower panels) with a stiff mitt or brush.
6. Rinse heavily — all panels, all crevices.
7. Check the water: a clean panel sheets evenly with no beading. Still beading? Hit it again.

Bucket

1. Pre-rinse top to bottom.
2. Mix 3–4 oz per gallon of water.
3. Two buckets with grit guards — wash and rinse.
4. Wash in panels with a stiff mitt, top to bottom.
5. Rinse the surface fully between sections — don't let suds dry.
6. Final flood rinse end to end.
7. Follow with Prep Potion before any coating, sealant, or wax.

Safe to Use On / Do Not Use On

✅ Safe on: cured marine gelcoat · painted fiberglass hulls · cured automotive paint · stainless steel · aluminum (raw, polished, anodized) · chrome · cured powder coat · glass · rigid hard plastics · painted wheels, outboard cowlings, and trailers

❌ Do not use on: any wax, sealant, or ceramic coating you want to keep · paint cured less than 30 days · soft vinyl interior trim · leather · fabric and carpet · tinted window film · polycarbonate headlight lenses · anti-fog or hydrophobic glass coatings · hot panels or direct sun

When in doubt, test in a hidden area first.

Pro Tips From the Field

• This is decon, not maintenance. For weekly washes, use Nano Wash or Wash & Wax.
• Water break test. Pour clean water over the panel. Even sheeting = clean. Beading = product still there.
• Shade only. Heavy surfactants flash and streak on a warm panel.
• Don't under-mix. Below 3 oz per gallon, it loses stripping power.
• Correction prep. Strip first — oils clog cutting pads and hide the defects you're trying to fix.
• Full decon order. Strip Tide → Prep Potion → your coating or wax.
• Never leave it bare. Reprotect within 24 hours. UV and salt move fast on stripped gelcoat.

Pairs With

• Prep Potion — final wipe before any coating
• Boost Coat — fast carnauba protection after the strip
• Boost Coat PRO — ceramic protection after the strip
• Water Spot Removal & Protection System — Zero Spot + Strip Tide + Boost Coat

Safety & SDS

Keep out of reach of children. Avoid contact with eyes; if contact occurs, rinse with water. Gloves recommended. Use the Download SDS button below for full safety information.