GYEON Q²M Prep Alcohol-Based Degreaser 1000ml

Strip paint of every residue with GYEON Q²M Prep before any coating

What is GYEON Q²M Prep? An alcohol-based paint degreaser from GYEON, built on isopropanol, that lifts polishing oils, wax residue and silicone leftovers without leaving a trace — the must-do prep before any ceramic coating. Not meant as an all-purpose cleaner or for shifting heavy grime like tar or bug splatter.

GYEON Q²M Prep is a paint degreaser from GYEON, built on a formula of 30–35% isopropanol, fat-dissolving anionic surfactants and antistatic additives. The active isopropyl alcohol chemically breaks polishing oils and wax residue off the paint, then flashes off without leaving a trace.

What's left is a dead-clean surface where a ceramic coating can build maximum grip. In the detailing workflow Q²M Prep is the last step before you lay down the coating: the IPA wipe that every coating maker calls a must-do step.

• Flashes off completely — zero residue between paint and coating. Water-based degreasers leave mineral traces on the surface once they dry. Q²M Prep evaporates fully thanks to its high IPA content. A residue layer of just 0.5 µm can cut coating grip by up to 40% — Q²M Prep wipes out that risk.
• Antistatic formula against instant re-dusting. After polishing the paint carries an electric charge and pulls dust in like a magnet. The antistatic additives in Q²M Prep neutralise that static charge. After the wipe you get a 10–15 minute window where the surface stays largely dust-free — enough to coat a whole panel. Without that antistatic part you'd have to wipe every panel down again right before the coating.
• Double duty: a clarity check between polishing stages. Polishing oils fill fine scratches optically and mask defects in the clearcoat. A wipe of Q²M Prep between polishing stages shows you whether the work so far is enough — or whether you need another pass with the compound. That check costs 30 seconds per panel and, worst case, saves you a full redo after coating. About 150 ml does a whole car.

Detailing1's tip from the shop: never spray Q²M Prep straight onto the paint — always onto a fresh short-pile microfibre. Spraying it on directly spreads the dissolved dirt across the surface instead of picking it up. Per panel use one cloth to apply and a second, dry one to wipe off. Swap the application cloth after 2–3 panels. If you use one cloth and wipe in circles, you just push polishing residue round in a loop — the opposite of degreasing.

Expose polishing oils instead of sealing them under the coating

Q²M Prep shows you the real state of the paint after polishing. Polishing oils from the compound and polish stages optically fill micro-scratches and faint holograms — under normal light the paint looks slick and flawless. A single wipe with Q²M Prep strips those optical fillers and reveals what really sits under the oil layer.

This check belongs in the workflow after every polishing stage: paint polish → prep wipe → check under LED light → finish polish → prep wipe → final check → coating. Skip this in-between step and you risk sealing defects under the coating.

A ceramic coating like Q² Mohs EVO lasts 36 months — and so do the trapped holograms for just as long. The fix means: sand the coating off, re-polish the lot, re-coat the lot. The check wipe with Prep takes 30 seconds per panel and reliably keeps you out of that worst case.

For the check you need an LED swan-neck lamp or a strong torch at a shallow angle of about 15–20 degrees to the surface. Spray Q²M Prep onto a short-pile microfibre and wipe in straight lines across the panel. Check it straight away under the light.

Straight lines matter — no circles. Circles spread the dissolved residue across the surface instead of pulling it into the cloth. If you still see dull patches or smears after the wipe, the surface isn't clean enough for the coating. A second wipe with a fresh cloth sorts it.

Finish degreaser for coatings. Not an all-purpose cleaner.

Q²M Prep is built for one job: the last cleaning stage before a coating. The mix of 30–35% isopropanol and anionic surfactants is dialled in for polishing oils, carnauba wax and silicone residue from spray sealants. The flash point sits above 65 °C — so Q²M Prep isn't a hazardous good in shipping and is easy to store.

The orange oil in the formula (under 1%) works as a fragrance — Q²M Prep smells pleasantly mild rather than like neat alcohol, which matters when you're working in a closed garage. The liquid is faintly pink, so you instantly see where you've already wiped and where you haven't.

Neat isopropanol (100% IPA) wouldn't be a like-for-like swap. It flashes off in seconds — too fast to reliably lift polishing residue. The surfactants in Q²M Prep do the real heavy lifting: they wrap around oil molecules (emulsifying) and break them off the paint.

The isopropanol acts as a solvent for waxes and silicones that surfactants alone can't break up. Together both mechanisms cover the full residue spectrum. The dialled-in formula gives you 15–30 seconds of working time on the surface before the product flashes off — enough to wipe, too little to harm the paint.

Where Q²M Prep isn't the right product: tar and bitumen spots need a solvent-based tar remover. Bug splatter needs alkaline cleaners. Heavy grease from the wash stage belongs to the Degrease Tabs, not the finish degreaser.

Q²M Prep doesn't replace a cleaner — it comes after the cleaning, after decontamination and after polishing. Its job is solely the final degreasing stage. On untreated, matte aluminium or anodised metal, test a hidden spot first: the surfactants can leave streaks on rough, open-pored surfaces that are hard to get off. On freshly waxed surfaces Q²M Prep is pointless too — if you wax, you're building a protective layer, not stripping it.

150 ml per car. Three sizes for every job.

For a full mid-size car you need about 150 ml of Q²M Prep — on an SUV or van up to 200 ml. So the 500 ml spray bottle does 2–3 full cars, the 1-litre bottle 5–6, and the 4-litre can around 25 cars in day-to-day detailing use. The price per litre drops from €32 on the 500 ml bottle to €20 on the can — if you coat regularly, grab the big size and decant into a spray bottle.

Q²M Prep isn't only for paint. Before ceramic coatings on paint it's the standard, but it works just the same before wheel coatings, glass coatings, leather coatings and PPF coatings. Anywhere a coating has to chemically bond with the surface, that surface has to be grease-free first.

As a full prep package you pair the Degrease Tabs in the wash stage as base degreasing with Q²M Prep as the final IPA wipe right before the coating — two stages that don't replace each other but complement each other. The Degrease Tabs lift heavy grease films water-based, Q²M Prep removes the last micro-residue alcohol-based. Together they guarantee a surface a coating has nothing to complain about.

For beginners laying down their first ceramic coating: buy Q²M Prep in the 500 ml spray bottle and add a pack of short-pile microfibres. Work panel by panel, don't skimp on cloths, and check under LED light after each panel.

The 500 ml bottle does the first two or three cars — after that you'll know whether you end up on the 4-litre can or whether the 1-litre bottle is your format. If you only coat once a year, the small bottle has you covered. Pros and detailers coating weekly grab the can straight away — at 25 cars per can and €20 a litre, that's the most economical option in day-to-day detailing.

Application of GYEON Q²M Prep

Panel by panel for a residue-free surface

Before degreasing, the paint must be washed, decontaminated, and polished — Q²M Prep is the very last step before coating. Prepare a clean, short-pile microfiber cloth like the Q²M BaldWipe EVO and a second, dry cloth for buffing.

Spray Q²M Prep onto the cloth — 2-3 sprays are sufficient per panel. Do not spray directly onto the paint: this spreads dissolved dirt on the surface instead of picking it up. Wipe over the panel in straight, overlapping passes from top to bottom. Immediately wipe with the dry cloth before the product completely evaporates.

After 2-3 panels, change the application cloth — a cloth that has already absorbed polish residues will transfer them to the next panel. Check the result under LED light at a shallow angle: the surface must reflect evenly, without dull spots or streaks. Apply the coating immediately afterwards — do not wait longer than 15 minutes, as dust and moisture will settle on the surface again.

Notes: Use Q²M Prep as a control wipe between polishing stages to uncover hidden scratches and holograms under the polishing oils. Do not use in direct sunlight or on hot paint — above 35 °C, the product evaporates too quickly for reliable degreasing. Store frost-free between 5 and 30 °C, protected from light. Use within 24 months after opening.