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I used to do it regularly not now. 'Getting too old for this 5h!t' comes to mind. I'll do it once every two years or so. Just too time consuming to do it more than once a year. I'll probably do it on my ls400 after bumpers are painted. Do not think it was ever clayed, literally feels like sand paper.
i would say clay twice a year if your car sits outside...
Three days... looks the same as my car that the other day I spent half hour washing and throwing a coat of klasse on top (and haven't personally washed since last fall when I had my second kid, just gone through a gas station car wash on occasion lol).
Seriously I think people take the car washing thing way too far, I used to be that guy (before I had kids and had lots of time) but after going lazy I honestly have not been able to tell any night and day difference between quick and lazy and spending all damn day on it.
Plus as my car approaches 9 years old now, well, apathy about it's outward appearance is starting to set in. =)
Yes....three days. I enjoy it, and it was the first time it had been done after I bought it and needed some scratches compounded out of it. Now it gets washed and touch ups with a spray wax (as a drying aid) or a WOWA sealant after ever few washes. Keeps it looking brand new. Hell last weekend my nephew asked me if I just washed the car, and it had been over a week and been driven through the rain a couple times. This is why I do it.
Claying is not done to improve the look of the vehicle... Detailing clay removes bonded contaminates from the surface of the vehicle that routine washing cannot remove. This decontamination process is an important part of the true detailing process as those contaminates create a rough surface and can even cause damage during machine polishing.
For those arguing that claying is not worth it because you can't see any difference, you simply do not understand the purpose of detailing clay.... The same way that some people expect that adding a layer of wax will magically make their car super shiny.
Used to do it once a year after the winter with all the slushes and snow in the Northeast. The cycle for me goes:
Wash with Dawn dish liquid to strip all wax and oils, clay car, wash again, dry, do any polishing buffing to remove swirls, then apply 3 coats of Zaino. Do a coat of Zaino every 1-2 mos.
Before winter, do 3-5 coats of Zaino since it needs to last through most of the winter.
Repeat.
Yes, I was pretty **** about my car, now I'm way too lazy for that.
Here is a general list of products that I recommend for those who are seeking high quality products for a thorough exterior detail...
Hope that helps.
-Zach
Dang you Zach! Looking at all your detailing list made me kick in my ocd. Bought the Maguire's clay bar kit at O'Riley's for $22. Took it home and did the usual wash/dry and then went at the car with the clay. I was pleasantly surprised and disappointed at the same time. Truth is while some came off this car it wasn't that bad. What it did take off was minimal and I guess that's good. Went around the car twice which took around an hour a and the worst was the roof. There I was impressed with the clay bars performance. The rest of the car was pretty sweet.
One bone of contention was the paint chip it took off (pic with the dime). That hurt. Then while doing the clay bar I noticed the area's where the dealer used a wee bit of touch up paint which the clay bar removed it. This sure beat the $300 a detail shop was asking. Granted they also were going to do sealant and wax the latter I took care if. So two thumbs up for clay bar!
So after the clay bar I washed it again. I love it when it all comes together. Mirror shine with a coat of Maguire gold class wax applied by hand. Next up a quality orbital buffer. Porter cable is recommended here and from the reviews it seems outstanding. But in the meantime my only method I've ever used was to do it by hand. In the process which works for me is to use a LOT of towels taking off the wax. One towel I use to take it off while another to give it a final buff. Two towels for every section. In the past having only used one towel for the whole car I've seen the wax get crusty and hard on the towel thus possibly leading to scratches. Besides these micro soft are cheap enough. Why risk it? So with the orbital I'll be ordering a lot of buffing pads
There is absolutely nothing wrong with using dish soap to strip wax. Been doing it for years as my prep step prior to claying. I keep my vehicles showroom clean. No need to spend your hard-earned money on special Citrus Wash for this purpose. For regular car washing I do recommend using a mild car soap that will NOT strip the wax.
Originally Posted by zmcgovern4
1st - DON'T use dish soap... dish soap is for dishes, not your car. Purchase a quality car shampoo... if you want one that is capable of easily stripping remaining waxes, try Chemical Guys Citrus Wash.
If you want a simplified detailing process, here it is...
1) Clean wheels and tires... for this you will need a bucket, wheel cleaner, tire cleaner, and many tools/brushes to make your life easier
2) Wash paint - for this you will need 2 buckets with grit guards, a premium wash mitt, a quality shampoo, and a couple of drying towels
3) Decontaminate Paint (clay bar, iron remover, tar remover) - At a minimum you will need a clay bar and clay lubrication.
4) Paint Correction - this could include one or more machine polishing steps to remove surface defects... for this you will need a dual action/random orbital polisher, a selection of pads, compound, polish, and a collection of microfiber towels (this step can be optional if you do not wish to invest in this type of project at this point in time)
5) Protection - Apply a sealant, wax, or paint coating to protect your paint... for this step you will simply need a sealant like Menzerna Power Lock.
6) Misc Other Details - ie dress the tires, clean the glass, polish exhaust tips, restore trim, etc.
You will find the necessary products for all of these steps in the list that I previously provided.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with using dish soap to strip wax. Been doing it for years as my prep step prior to claying. I keep my vehicles showroom clean. No need to spend your hard-earned money on special Citrus Wash for this purpose. For regular car washing I do recommend using a mild car soap that will NOT strip the wax.
Dish soap is known to leave a film behind that can be difficult to rinse away (especially with cold water from the tap)... will it hurt the car? no, probably not... but it is enough of a reason for me to not use dish soap and to purchase a product that is truly meant to be used on my paint. To each their own, but for a few extra bucks, why bother with dish soap.
Citrus Wash & Clear retails for $26.99/gallon... assuming you may want to strip your existing wax or sealant, that means you would use it at a heavier concentration of 2 oz/gallon. Estimating 3 gallons of water for the wash, means 6 oz of shampoo, totaling over 21 washes with the very strong mixture for stripping (which should last you years!). Otherwise, more routine cleaning calls for 0.5 oz/gallon, or ~85 washes (which will also last you a very long time)..... so to me, buying the right product for the job is always the better choice, especially when it is cheap!
I can get a nice bottle of dish soap for $.99 and it lasts me for a year's worth of car maintenance on both vehicles. I wash with dish soap, rinse, clay, wash one more time, dry, polish, seal, wax, and treat all of my door/window seals.
I'm not sure about you, but I use dish soap to clean my dishes. It is strange how things I eat drink from them never taste like soap after I wash them. That kind of debunks the myth of leaving behind a film. Dish soap safely cleans my plastic cups, glasses, dishes, and more without any sort of ill effects. I am fairly sure it works just fine on something that was made to sit outside 24/7 in the elements.
Everyone does things their own way. Whatever makes folks feel comfortable is fine. We have Lexus vehicles so we can all probably afford the Citrus Wash. Just makes no sense in my case.
Thanks
Originally Posted by zmcgovern4
Dish soap is known to leave a film behind that can be difficult to rinse away (especially with cold water from the tap)... will it hurt the car? no, probably not... but it is enough of a reason for me to not use dish soap and to purchase a product that is truly meant to be used on my paint. To each their own, but for a few extra bucks, why bother with dish soap.
Citrus Wash & Clear retails for $26.99/gallon... assuming you may want to strip your existing wax or sealant, that means you would use it at a heavier concentration of 2 oz/gallon. Estimating 3 gallons of water for the wash, means 6 oz of shampoo, totaling over 21 washes with the very strong mixture for stripping (which should last you years!). Otherwise, more routine cleaning calls for 0.5 oz/gallon, or ~85 washes (which will also last you a very long time)..... so to me, buying the right product for the job is always the better choice, especially when it is cheap!
Can you wash n dry waffle, microfiber, and wash mits? Any particular laundry settings?
You can certainly wash all of your microfiber. You should use a detergent that does not have any softeners or other added stuff in it, or simply use a dedicated microfiber detergent. I wash mine with cool water and then tumble dry on low (do not use any dryer sheets!).
Do not machine wash sheepskin wash mitts... rinse them under clean water and let air dry.
Hey guys - new to the forum with my recently purchased IS 350. Not new to cars (my Subaru WRX can be seen in the background). The IS was well maintained but clearly not detailed properly...ever?
Step 1: Wash
Step 2: Clay bar
Step 3: Wax
Yes, I didn't cut or polish or many of the other steps (yet), but it was extremely effective and took several hours. Results speak for themselves, paint is smooth as glass and my car is now practically chrome!
08-18-14, 09:16 AM
