Is Iron-X really necessary?

AutoApollo

AutoApollo

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Hi guys, I see a lot of people using iron-x here on the forum but how often do you use it? Because where I live its expensive af to buy and just doesn't seem like its worth the money. Let me know your thoughts, thanks!
 
I prefer Sonax Plus. Id it pricey? $20 a bottle /per car ? A little, but very much worth it.
 
Yes. It is really necessary.

Clay only removes the top portion of embedded contaminates by sheering them off the paintwork. That means ferrous iron particles can still be present in the pores of the paint, slowly causing irreversible damage.

Especially if you are installing a coating you want the paint to be as clean and contaminate free as possible so you aren't locking anything underneath the ceramic layer.
 
I only use if the customer is willing to pay for it. You shouldnt use a 16oz 500ml bottle per car but you wont get more than 2 cars out of it normally.

Necessary NOPE, Good idea when you are going to polish YES for sure.
 
On a practicality level, not necessary, but on a high end detailing competition, maybe. Reality of the matter, only you and other detailers can appreciate. Average joe likes a shiny car thats swirl free, but wont be able to see or feel a iron free car.
 
I believe it is essential to both mechanically and chemically decontaminate the paint prior to a polishing and coating session. I always apply this process
 
do you need to both iron x and clay? If so what would be done first?
 
VW Drew said:
do you need to both iron x and clay? If so what would be done first?
Click to expand...

I say iron X is optional but clay is must if you feel roughness on surface
(taking about average daily driven cars)

if you choose to do both, Iron X and then Clay.
 
Necessary? I would say no. Advisable? Definately. I mean, we never did this years ago because the products weren't out to know better. Sure, we clayed but sheared off any metallic bits. Now we can penetrate each one and "dissolve" it away. Because of that function i always Iron X first then clay. I like the order of removing any hard metal that i might break off and imbed into my clay piece first, then go after the other more organic fallout with my nanoskin or clay.

I look at it this way...for long term paint health i like to get subsurface with removing stuff buried in the clearcoat that might cause problems later on during the car's life. I do my '07 black BMW about twice a year and thats in FL. If i lived in the Rust Belt or up north during winters, i might do it more often. The cost doesn't bother me for what it does...or better yet, prevents. Maybe 6-8 ounces 3 X a year is like insurance to me.
 
IMO if your applying a coating that's supposed to last years your going to wanna get EVERYTHING off of and out of the paint.

When you apply IronX and see it doing it's thing you feel so much better. Then do a final clay after rinsing it all away and move on to polishing and sealing for the best, most complete job you can currently do💡

Sent from my LGLS990 using Tapatalk
 
So iron-x gets rid of ferrous particles embedded in the paint. When I go to polish, if those particles are in the paint would it create even more swirls had I not iron-x'd the car beforehand?
 
In my opinion, Iron X or product like it are important.

I'm always amazed at how contaminated paint can become. I've used Iron X on my truck and on my wife's SLK350. While it's hard to see the red bleeding effect on red paint, (by truck), I can still see it. My truck is parked outside 24 by 7 and I used Iron X every time I wash it and it always bleeds.

Make's me wonder....

What's in our air?

Same goes for the Mercedes. It's silver metallic and every time I wash it I mist some Iron X onto the horizontal surfaces and while I don't see a lot of bleeding it is present.

To me it makes more sense to chemically dissolve any iron contamination off the paint then to try to mechanically remove it using some other means.

My take....

:)
 
Mike.Phillips@Autogeek said:
In my opinion, Iron X or product like it are important.

I'm always amazed at how contaminated paint can become. I've used Iron X on my truck and on my wife's SLK350. While it's hard to see the red bleeding effect on red paint, (by truck), I can still see it. My truck is parked outside 24 by 7 and I used Iron X every time I wash it and it always bleeds.

Make's me wonder....

What's in our air?

Same goes for the Mercedes. It's silver metallic and every time I wash it I mist some Iron X onto the horizontal surfaces and while I don't see a lot of bleeding it is present.

To me it makes more sense to chemically dissolve any iron contamination off the paint then to try to mechanically remove it using some other means.

My take....

:)
Click to expand...

The thing is, as much as I'd love to make my car's paint iron free. A 500ml bottle of iron-x where I live is $40. Something I can't afford to use every week I wash the car. Maybe once a year
 
Once or twice a year is sufficient. You should only use Ironx type products when you are doing a complete polish or as a once a year maintenance job on a coating product. CarPro sells an iron removal wash product to use for maintenance washes.
 
AutoApollo said:
The thing is, as much as I'd love to make my car's paint iron free. A 500ml bottle of iron-x where I live is $40. Something I can't afford to use every week I wash the car. Maybe once a year
Click to expand...
Keep in mind what Mike says below:
Mike.Phillips@Autogeek said:
In my opinion, Iron X or product like it are important.
Click to expand...
If they sell Meguiar's where you live...
Look for their Dub Wheel Cleaner:

Just like Iron-X...it's safe on
wheels that are "painted".
I carry that over to it also being used
on other painted vehicle surfaces.

Just an idea.


Bob
 
FUNX650 said:
Keep in mind what Mike says below:

If they sell Meguiar's where you live...
Look for their Dub Wheel Cleaner:

Just like Iron-X...it's safe on
wheels that are "painted".
I carry that over to it also being used
on other painted vehicle surfaces.

Just an idea.


Bob
Click to expand...

so you used dub wheel cleaner on the paint ? And had good results no staining, etching etc
 
NextLevelDtail said:
so you used dub wheel cleaner on the paint ? And had good results no staining, etching etc
Click to expand...
Yes; yes; and none.

IMO:
•A catalyzed factory CC is pretty tough.

•Dub Wheel Cleaner, Iron-X, and Trix
are all three labeled as being:
-pH neutral; and:
-safe to use on painted wheels (even those
that are CC'ed).


Of course: YMMV.



Bob
 
It depends on the car and the detailer....

Are you detailing professionally?
  • If so I'd get some as there are some cars that are very contaminated with iron.
  • If you are not detailing professionally and don't work at the train yards I'd do an iron decontamination once and maybe once every 5 to 10 years as the clay bar, maintenance washing, and LSP should prevent any recontamination.

In short you'll need some... Just how much and which brand is up to you.

I used Iron-X on my daily driven Jeep SRT8 that creates break dust like a street cleaner. It had no iron contamination other than the wheels and behind one piece of trim. I also tried it on a 2015 Fusion and had 0 contamination on the paint (just on the wheels). On my friends Lexus SC400 it bleed like a stuck pig (white car), both my friend and I were shocked (I didn't realise how well the stuff worked until I came across a car with contamination).

It does work really well to clean wheels too, but it's too costly for that purpose IMHO.
 
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