Thanks for all of the feedback. I may have to change my waxing routine. I was under the impression it was standard to clay bar a vehicle entirely after a wash if waxing. It sounds like this would be doing more harm than good?
Do you clay the entire car, polish and wax? Or will you just wash and then wax?
There are some people that advocate claying as a pre-wax step as a general practice as you outline. In that case you need to use one of the extra-fine clays, clay gently, and refrain from scrubbing "stubborn spots" as you described. I'm still not clear what you were doing--you had previous wax residue that you were trying to remove? Clay would not be my first choice for that, although I guess it's a valid one.
As others have suggested, the decision to clay on a car you regularly maintain comes down to how you have cared for it and what the exposure is (i.e., is there really something there for the clay to remove). BTW, I don't think you ever told us what clay you were using.
I've always heard of people telling about how they clayed their entire vehicle before each wax. Is there a different feeling from a vehicle that needs wax and that needs clay? To me it seems like they are similar...
No, not really similar--a car that is "clean" but has no wax will feel grippy but smooth (not slippery)..."squeaky clean"? If you have things like rail/brake dust, tree sap, etc. the surface will feel bumpy rough. Although there is always that brown film that clay seems to take off...it all depends how bad the car has gotten since the last time you waxed.
If you have something that looks like a water spot will claying take it away?
If it's above the surface and not etched...maybe.
After washing and intending to wax a vehicle, what would you say steps would be before coating it with wax? anything beyond clay?
Um...pre-wax cleaner? Depending, you might use that instead of clay. Or an AIO like the XMT you ordered. The best prep for wax is some sort of paint cleaner. If you've got bonded contaminants (sap, tar, perhaps bugs, brake dust), then clay would be the recommended first step. If you don't have that go to a pre-wax cleaner, or an AIO (which by definition has cleaners in it), to remove that "film", and you'll be good to go.
Sorry if that all sounds fragmented, this was a confusing thread for me...or maybe the clarification is that you want to have your paint clean before LSP. The tools and methods you choose to get it clean are varied and variable depending on the conditions, etc. There is no "one" "correct" method, it's a combination depending on the circumstances.
