Mike
While on "another website" I watched a vid showing the tech not removing the clay lube after claying. They went straight to the polishing stage, allowing it to dry. Is this something you recommend?
Thanks.
I'm going to guess you're talking about Adam at Adam's Polishes and Adam is a good friend of mine, we've been friends since around 2004. I have the highest respect for Adam and the success he's carved out in this industry, he's a good guy and an incredibly hard worker. That said, I agree everyone has the right to teach detailing the way they believe is right in their eyes. I don't always have to agree with their procedures. That doesn't mean I don't respect them.
Here's my take, I'll let you decide which "best practice" makes sense.
When you clay a car using detailing clay, "if" the car has contamination, claying loosens and removes the contamination.
Because the clay is tacky, the loosened contaminants "should" all stick to the clay and not be left on the paint surface in the clay lube slurry.
The above is a perfect world scenario.
Here's my take, when you loose contaminants off the paint, how will you know
all contaminants have stuck to the clay? Couldn't some of them still be on the paint surface in the residual slurry?
It's my belief that you're better off to wipe the clay lube residue and any loosened contaminants off the paint immediately after claying a section. That's what I do when I detail a car, that's what I show when I make a video and that's what I teach in a class.
There's no benefit to leaving a film of spent clay lube and loosened contaminants on the paint.
Any loosened contaminants left on the paint will now be ground into the paint when you start machine buffing, that doesn't make good sense, it doesn't make a good "Best Practice" and it's working backward in the paint polishing process, not working forwards. I believe the goal to creating a show car finish is to always be working forward in the process, not backwards. That means each step you do to the car should take you closer to the goal, not away from the goal.
If you want to
drill deep, the spent clay lube on the surface will dilute or adulterate the fresh compound or polish you'll be using when you buff on the paint, if you put things in extremes, (and I do because the nature of most detailers is to be anal retentive), adding spent clay lube slurry to fresh compound or polish doesn't make the compound or polish better. What's the opposite of better?
That's just my take. I wouldn't do it.
Heck, it only takes seconds to wipe off the clay lube residue anyways...
When I worked for Meguiar's, lots of people that were brand new to detailing in general and claying in specific could easily be freaked out anytime something didn't
look good after doing a step or process to the paint, this includes leaving clay lube on the paint to dry.
As someone who teaches others the
craft and art of detailing, you don't do things to Newbies that have the potential to freak them out about their car's paint. In fact, you do the opposite, you do everything in a way to
increase their comfort level when teaching them detailing procedures.
