No more cleaner wax....

[daves87rs]

From here on out-clay bar only...

Used some Meg's cleaner wax on my cars...granted it did clean okay, but not smooth that I am used to. CW used to do the job, but I'm guessing not any more.


That being said-your choice of clay bar? Megs? Blue magic?

 

[cchase]

We've had great luck with the Griots Garage clay bar. It's a bit softer than the others and seems less "sticky" to handle.

 

[matrass]

Originally Posted By: daves87rs
From here on out-clay bar only...

Used some Meg's cleaner wax on my cars...granted it did clean okay, but not smooth that I am used to. CW used to do the job, but I'm guessing not any more.


That being said-your choice of clay bar? Megs? Blue magic?



Have you considered using a paint cleaner before your wax or sealant ? also do you have a machine or are you doing everything by hand ?

 

[cadfaeltex]

+1 on a paint cleaner like Prima Amigo, Dodo Juice Lime Prime, etc. Clay is mildly abrasive so the most I'd do it is 3 times a year. A good wax or sealant will go a long way to protecting and avoid the need to clay or cleanse.

 

[tinmanSC]

Are you comparing clay bar to cleaner wax? Because they do different things. A cleaner wax will not give you that smooth clay bar'd feeling. They are not replacements for each other.

 

[GMBoy]

Originally Posted By: cchase
We've had great luck with the Griots Garage clay bar. It's a bit softer than the others and seems less "sticky" to handle.


Me too, the best quality clay I've seen yet.

 

[Samilcar]

I've used Liquid Glass Pre-Cleaner prior to waxing for the last decade or so. Love that stuff.

 

[kkreit01]

Clay 1x/yr, and still use an AIO in between.

 

[67Customs]

I find that you need to use both. I use a clay bar and then I use a paint cleaner. The clay bar will remove contaminants that paint cleaner can't and a paint cleaner can remove stains that a clay bar can't.

Again, I do both before applying my sealant or wax.

 

[daves87rs]

Originally Posted By: matrass
Originally Posted By: daves87rs
From here on out-clay bar only...

Used some Meg's cleaner wax on my cars...granted it did clean okay, but not smooth that I am used to. CW used to do the job, but I'm guessing not any more.


That being said-your choice of clay bar? Megs? Blue magic?



Have you considered using a paint cleaner before your wax or sealant ? also do you have a machine or are you doing everything by hand ?


Everything by hand. I have small cars, but I do have a small machine..

 

[matrass]

Originally Posted By: daves87rs
Originally Posted By: matrass
Originally Posted By: daves87rs
From here on out-clay bar only...

Used some Meg's cleaner wax on my cars...granted it did clean okay, but not smooth that I am used to. CW used to do the job, but I'm guessing not any more.


That being said-your choice of clay bar? Megs? Blue magic?



Have you considered using a paint cleaner before your wax or sealant ? also do you have a machine or are you doing everything by hand ?


Everything by hand. I have small cars, but I do have a small machine..


If you can use a machine the paint cleaner ( aio ) is the way to go before you apply you last step of protection. this way you finish is prepped for your lsp. claying once a year is a good idea ( unless you live in an area with high levels of contamination. as far as selants go there are so many out there but I prefer Jeff Werkstats acrylic jett trigger spray. the sealant is easy to use, gives a nice wet look and excels on lighter colors. ajt is very durable and can be layered with ease. the best part is you can do a large suv with 1/4 of an ounce, so it will last a long time. if you want to try their version of aio give me a shout and I can get you a sample for free. thanks

 

[Artem]

Originally Posted By: 67Customs
I find that you need to use both. I use a clay bar and then I use a paint cleaner. The clay bar will remove contaminants that paint cleaner can't and a paint cleaner can remove stains that a clay bar can't.

Again, I do both before applying my sealant or wax.


^Exactly.

I highly recommend this ---> 3M Clay Bar It's a professional grade clay bar. The one's bought at walmart are junk. Kids toy clay (compared to the real deal.

The proper way to do it would be to use a dedicated polish after claying the paint and then apply a pure wax as the sealant. Any product that is a 2-in one won't work as well as a dedicated product designed to handle one duty.

The cleaner wax's were designed to make it easy to remove fine scratches and apply a wax at the same time. The problem is that it doesn't do one or the other very well.

 

[joaks]

I like the Megs white clay (this is what comes in the kit). Its not an abrasive; you can use it as often as you like. It only removes contamination. Most clay is like this. An exception is Megs red aggressive clay although I'm sure there are others.

 

[Capa]

I love Griot's clay. I typically, after claying, polish my vehicles and then apply sealant and then, 24 hours later, a wax. However, this November I was feeling lazy and I skipped the polishing step on my van but did everything else. Wow, it still turned out very well. I used Duragloss 501, which is an AIO, and has both strong cleaners and nano-abrasives. Honestly, it did such a good job that I probably won't be polishing the van again. I follow this procedure every 6 months. The vehicles are still beading after 6 months too.

 

[kkreit01]

I'll have to try Griots clay next time. I don't really like Mother's yellow clay. It's too picky about lubes. Clay Magic blue worked much better for me.

 

[bigmike]

Originally Posted By: tinmanSC
Are you comparing clay bar to cleaner wax? Because they do different things. A cleaner wax will not give you that smooth clay bar'd feeling. They are not replacements for each other.


I didn't follow it either. Clay bar irregardless.