[vancitymike]

I was ready to apply a Gtechniq coatings, I had just completed the decontamination wash and started to use my "surface prep mitt" (which is like a clay bar)

Turns out my mitt, or the 4 year old clay it was next to, have gone bad.
I'm not sure what its from, but I think the rubber from the mitt has broken down to the point where it rubbed off on to my paint. This was a very very bad surprise. It's so freaking difficult to remove....tougher than the worst tree sap... its like emblem glue

I did a bit of damage when I lost my patience, and now need to polish my fender (I hope that will fix the dull paint) luckily I have a dual action...

so here's the lesson - if you have old products, make sure you test them first.

(does anyone know if polishing compound goes bad? mine is a few years old and I'm thinking about replacing everything now)

I think from now on I'm sticking with the clay bar rather than the decontamination mit