Clay question.

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stove937

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Hey Guys,
Have a question about using clay on cars with the softer paints (Honda).

I've seen around here the normal procedure for a day would be wash, clay, polish(if needed), wax.

On my black Element, I tend to just wash (with a concentrated dish soap and car soap mix) and then wax when I don't have the time to spend polishing it. The reason I say polish is because if I clay my car, I will get scratches in the finish. No matter how gentle I am. They're not deep scratches, but scratches that I can see (you all know how it is).

So do you have the same problems?
Is there some alternative to claying? (Concentrated soap wash works okay)
 
I think clay still works better than anything. But, you could see if Iron X takes off anything
 
Iron X will work, but only to take the Iron off. It will not be as effective as claying.
 
How often are you claying? You only need to do it once or twice a year, not every time you wash and wax...

Yes, you can cause marring during the claying process (especially on black), its generally used as a step to prep for polishing, which is also a once a year kind of thing.

Try a prewax cleanser or AIO prior to waxing, instead of claying all the time. If you need to polish after every few washes, you need to look at your wash technique and find where your causing the swirls. Maybe stop using dish soap...
 
I don't clay very often, probably only around twice a year like you said, but I get the urge to every time I wash her. I do use the WG paintwork polish enhancer every so often before I wax too. I just hate waxing over junk :( ya know?

The car should be silky smooth Everyday!

Stepping back to reality...
I guess I shouldn't mind waxing over the stuff. Right?
 
stove937 said:
I don't clay very often, probably only around twice a year like you said, but I get the urge to every time I wash her. I do use the WG paintwork polish enhancer every so often before I wax too. I just hate waxing over junk :( ya know?

The car should be silky smooth Everyday!

Stepping back to reality...
I guess I shouldn't mind waxing over the stuff. Right?
Click to expand...

No, your feeling is right about waxing over the stuff. If you can literally feel contamination on the surface while applying wax you shouldn't wax over it. You'll mar up the surface doing that. Starting with a freshly clayed and well polished surface, you should be able to maintain a relatively contaminate-free surface with regular wash and waxing. What do you use for wax? Do you use a sealant prior to wax?
 
stove937 said:
I guess I shouldn't mind waxing over the stuff. Right?
Click to expand...
I just got my new Highlander Limited in Black. I haven't had time to fully detail it yet. I did notice particles stuck in the paint from transport. So I clayed it this weekend so I can polish it during the week. The marring from the clay and the dealer installed swirls are killing me. I cringe everytime I look at the paint. I put some fuzion on so I could smile a little bit, But talk about putting lipstick on a pig.

To answer your question. It bothers the hell out of me to know those swirls and marring are there. At least for one week!!:xyxthumbs:
 
I use WG DGPS after I polish or clay the car. Then I go over that with wax (OTC, Eagle One stuff -- I know).
 
stove937 said:
I use WG DGPS after I polish or clay the car. Then I go over that with wax (OTC, Eagle One stuff -- I know).
Click to expand...

DGPS is good, get some Autoglym HD to top it, it's OTC and awesome. :xyxthumbs:
 
Hey, also if you guys have a favorite wax for a black car that isn't horribly expensive, let me know. I'm about to put in a new order and am always looking for new ideas.
 
Troy Fuller said:
What grade of clay are you using?
Click to expand...

Troy, that's a great question. If the clay he's using has an abrasiveness to it that's certainly part of the problem. Another possibility is dirt and debris are becoming lodged in the clays surface causing slight scratches that can only be seen with the naked eye.
 
So is it ok to offer a wash, clay, and wax service pakg. Another package would be the same but including polish before waxing?

I seen a lot of write ups in the wash,clay & wax without including polishing regardless of the color of the car.


Could be he may be using a clay to aggressive.

"You can help create your own luck, you can make things happen through hard work and intelligence."- Donald J. Trump
 
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