Claying Ceramic Coating

[Desertnate]

Question - should a chemical decon be performed at least occasionally on a coated vehicle? I haven't done that on my car yet (just hit the 1-year coating mark 2 weeks a go).

All the videos I've seen show people hitting up coatings with various chemicals like APCs and such, so it seems like an iron remover shouldn't be that big of a deal...right?

Probably wouldn't hurt, but in all of the years I've used coatings I've never decon'd any of them, mechanically or chemically. The closest I've ever come to a chemical decon was using CarPro Reset once after a long winter. I've found that after a hard winter, a couple good hand washes with a good wash soap like Megs Hyperwash or Optimum Car Wash will bring the sheeting and beading of my coatings back to where they should be.

 

[vaca22]

Probably wouldn't hurt, but in all of the years I've used coatings I've never decon'd any of them, mechanically or chemically. The closest I've ever come to a chemical decon was using CarPro Reset once after a long winter. I've found that after a hard winter, a couple good hand washes with a good wash soap like Megs Hyperwash or Optimum Car Wash will bring the sheeting and beading of my coatings back to where they should be.

Yes, I think you're right. When spring first came around and I bagan washing the car, I was a bit disappointed to see the water behavior on the horizontal surfaces of the car; I attributed that to parking outside and having everything land on the hood and trunk. But after enough washes (I forgot how many!), it seemed as if the repellency was starting to make a comeback. I've been using CG's HoneyDew which I'm sure is part of the problem since I don't think it is as good a detergent as Reset or OCW.

I guess it's time for a better soap!!

 

[rover137]

Clay is abrasive and a coating is only about 1 micron thick per layer. It may be a hard protection but it’s so thin it doesn’t take a lot of abrasion to go through it so claying the coating probably won’t remove it but it can impact it, perhaps severely, depending on how much is still left.

Good point! I am sure it will impact it, I was wondering how much? It probably wouldn't be worth it by the sounds of things.

 

[rover137]

My vote would be, "no". Since I keep my vehicles pretty clean, I don't have a need to be constantly claying them.

When I used sealants, I'd clay every six months before applying a new layer of sealant or as part of my process before polishing. Now that I use coatings, I only clay every couple of years when I polish out the car and re-apply the coating. Even on the more lengthy stretches between claying, I find the clay really isn't that dirty and even then only on the areas you'd expect like lower doors/fenders and the rear hatch/trunk lid.

Good points! I also keep my vehicles pretty clean.

That's interesting. So it sounds like even without claying regularly, the coating does keep contamination to a minimum. I've read a bit about how the downfall to a coating is that you lose the chance to give the paint a good regular 'clean', leading to more contamination build up. I guess frequent washing with something like reset would minimise this as well.

 

[Bruno Soares]

Yes, I think you're right. When spring first came around and I bagan washing the car, I was a bit disappointed to see the water behavior on the horizontal surfaces of the car; I attributed that to parking outside and having everything land on the hood and trunk. But after enough washes (I forgot how many!), it seemed as if the repellency was starting to make a comeback. I've been using CG's HoneyDew which I'm sure is part of the problem since I don't think it is as good a detergent as Reset or OCW.

I guess it's time for a better soap!!

That’s right, honey dew is good but not for coatings as it contains gloss enhancers which will reduce the performance of the coating. Reset is best, HW if you want something more cost effective.

 

[rover137]

Considering the coatings i've used on my DD and durabilities of 1+ years i do a full wash and decon once a year. I either change up the coating product to try something else or reapply what i've liked for the past year.

Having said that, i do chemically decon with 3D BDX twice during the year but don't clay. Clay, in my opinion, is too abrasive even with soft or mild clays.

It isn't as much the clay doing some marring but the stuff it pulls off remaining on the clay surface...even with soft clays.

Same for me. I will only use coatings with a 1-2 yr durability rating so that i can get in there and polish again and try different products.

Yeah, that's a good point.

 

[Coatingsarecrack]

That’s right, honey dew is good but not for coatings as it contains gloss enhancers which will reduce the performance of the coating. Reset is best, HW if you want something more cost effective.

Been using CG honey dew as a ph neutral/balanced snow foam since 2019 on coated cars with 0 effects. At least in Cqurtz UK3, CanCoat and Tacs Moonlight.

Gloss enhancers in soap are very weak. No like a wash and wax or wash and coat product.

Most likely there gone in a couple of days.

Absolutely Reset and HW are more effective at cleaning.


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[Coatingsarecrack]

Yeah, I understand that HCW is a different form of protection, not a coating, and inferior to a true ceramic coating.

While HCW may be easier to clay off, my question stems from my previous experience of claying HCW and there being no visible signs of degradation to the protection. Water was still beading as it was before claying. The protection still appeared to be in tact. If claying did not damage HCW, I’m guessing the damage would be even less to a true coating. That’s why I’m just posing the question of if claying does in fact damage a coating and if so, does the benefit of removing contaminants from the coating and paint via claying out weigh the damage inflicted for the longevity and health of the coating?


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Did you notice any marring when you clayed the HCW? If not give it a shot. Test a panel out.


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[Coatingsarecrack]

Question - should a chemical decon be performed at least occasionally on a coated vehicle? I haven't done that on my car yet (just hit the 1-year coating mark 2 weeks a go).

All the videos I've seen show people hitting up coatings with various chemicals like APCs and such, so it seems like an iron remover shouldn't be that big of a deal...right?

I do one when I see the vertical panels not beading or sheeting well. Especially behind the wheels.

I use a alkaline soap (mckees 37 coating prep soap). and IronX.

Foam it with MCPS
Rinse
IronX
Rinse
Hand wash with MCPS

Performs close to new.


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[rover137]

Did you notice any marring when you clayed the HCW? If not give it a shot. Test a panel out.


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I didn’t notice any marring at all. I tried a few different clay bars and some marred but I found one that didn’t. CarPro marred, but a Megs one didn’t.

I might do it towards the end of the coating just to see what happens as a bit of a test.


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[Desertnate]

I've read a bit about how the downfall to a coating is that you lose the chance to give the paint a good regular 'clean', leading to more contamination build up. I guess frequent washing with something like reset would minimise this as well.

Based on the nature of the coatings the contaminates don't cling to the surface like they do with a sealant. It never gets down to the paint where you'd clay it off, in a traditional sense, and it actually washes off really easily.

A good wash with something like Reset a couple times a year and consistent washes with a good soap the rest of the year should do just fine.

 

[Coatingsarecrack]

I didn’t notice any marring at all. I tried a few different clay bars and some marred but I found one that didn’t. CarPro marred, but a Megs one didn’t.

I might do it towards the end of the coating just to see what happens as a bit of a test.


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Did you coat it or have it coated? If you did yourself try it in a small fresh panel. You’ ll know if it will coat the coating better as when it’s old it will be thinner and more prone to marring(?).

I may try it on a small sample of the hood when i coat.


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