The One to Prep — Water-Based Surface Cleaner & Degreaser

Adhesion is everything. You can choose the perfect colour and apply it beautifully, but if the surface underneath is greasy, waxy or grimy, the finish won't grip the way it should — and that's where chipping and peeling start.

The One to Prep is the bridge between a stripped or cleaned surface and a flawless paint finish. It's step two of our three-step system: strip, prep, paint — and it's the reason that, in most cases, all The One for Wood needs is a clean and degrease before you paint.

It lifts the things that stop paint adhering: grease, wax, oil, resins, tar, ink, old paint and varnish residues, stains, dirt and mould — cleaning the surface back to a genuinely paint-ready state. And because it dries after use, there's no after-clean: no rinsing, no waiting for water to dry off raw timber. Prep, let it dry, paint.

That means:

• It sets your paint up to last. A clean, degreased, residue-free surface is the single biggest factor in whether a finish holds.
• It's safe to use at home. Non-toxic, non-flammable, water-based, and not classified as hazardous.
• It won't harm your timber. pH neutral, so it cleans without bleaching or darkening the wood.
• It keeps you moving. No rinse-and-wait stage, so your workflow stays fast from one piece to the next.

Best for the essential cleaning step before painting any wooden piece, removing wax and polish build-up from antiques, and degreasing kitchen or dining furniture before a colour change.