New to detailing - help with a couple questions :D

[Zeus76]

Hi

After claying my car i have used lots of QD on it, is it necesary to wash and dry it again before i put Nxt 2.0 on it, or is ok to put the wax right after the claying? Will the wax bond to the paint strong if i dont wash the rest of QD of it?

The steps i follow are: wash, dry, clay+QD, nxt 2.0.

Got another question about paint cleaner and polish. Is it mandatory to use these products before waxing (the car is new)? I understand that paint cleaner wont harm the clear coat but polish will slightly do, is that right?

For future detailing of the car, when should i use the paint cleaner/polish? Once a year, every waxing, when?

And if the paint work is in good condition, will it be ok to just wash-clay-wax without paint cleaner or polish?

Thanks a lot for help

[tguil]

Re: New to detailing - help with a couple questions

If the surface of your car is perfect -- no residue -- you should be able to apply the NXT without washing the car again. But if it were mine, I'd wash it.

About clay. I rarely clay. Use it only if you have contaminants sticking to the surface or embedded in it. Clay is an abrasive. That's how it removes stuff.

NXT has mild cleaning agents and on a car which has an excellent finish you shouldn't need to polish before you apply it. However, on my new vehicles I always use a cleaner/wax -- Meguiar's in the burgundy bottle or ColorX -- the first time I apply wax. I then follow up in a week or two with NXT. Otherwise, I'd use polish before waxing.

Use of a cleaner, polish or wax depends on the conditions your car is exposed to. I typically detail my vehicles four or five times a year. Most of the time I get by with simply applying a coat of NXT.

Oh, polish will not hurt your car's finish.

Tom

[yalerd]

Re: New to detailing - help with a couple questions

After claying my car i have used lots of QD on it, is it necesary to wash and dry it again before i put Nxt 2.0 on it, or is ok to put the wax right after the claying? Will the wax bond to the paint strong if i dont wash the rest of QD of it?

You don't have to wash the car again. Remember that when you are claying you QD the surface, work the clay and remove QD with a microfiber towel. NXT will adhere just fine

Got another question about paint cleaner and polish. Is it mandatory to use these products before waxing (the car is new)? I understand that paint cleaner wont harm the clear coat but polish will slightly do, is that right?

Cleaner/polish are used when the car is in good state, maybe not perfect and you want to remove some light defects and don't have the time to do an entire full detail so this will cut some time. Cleaners will clean (remove defects like scratches, swirls) from the paint and a polish will restore gloss, clarity and depth so both are 100% safe to paint (clear coat)

For future detailing of the car, when should I use the paint cleaner/polish? Once a year, every waxing, when?

Well i think with every waxing it's too much. I use cleaner wax when I need to "restore" the paint, I see some swirls and I want to remove them but maybe don't have the time to do a full detail job. This is up to you really.

[yalerd]

Re: New to detailing - help with a couple questions

Clay is an abrasive.That's how it removes stuff.

And your answers is

Technically, detailing clay is a combination of ingredients and one of those ingredients is a type of abrasive. The clay itself is a polymer carrying agent to contain the abrasives. There are different grades of levels of abrasive power and quantity in different types of clay which determines how aggressive or non-aggressive the clay is when used on automotive paints.

An aggressive clay can cause what we call clay haze which is another way of saying clay scratches or clay scratching. This is why Meguiar's doesn't offer our Aggressive Clay to the Consumer or Enthusiast market but instead offers a dramatically much less aggressive clay formula which is found in our Smooth Surface Clay Kit.

Keep in mind that our Aggressive Clay is in the Professional Line and in most cases if a Professional in the Professional side of our industry is using an aggressive clay it's to remove some sort of contaminant quickly and efficiently and after claying they are going to use a rotary buffer on the paint thus any clay haze left behind by an aggressive clay is the least of their worries as the rotary buffer step will remove any hazing left by the clay.

The professional side of our industry is made up of people that work in the refinishing industry, (environments where fresh paint is sprayed), or the detailing industry, (environments where supposedly trained people are performing corrective procedures to paint).

Generally speaking both of these industries are production oriented and this means they want products where the emphasis is on speed.

Correctly used with a lubricant fine and mild grades of clay don't scratch paint.

[Zeus76]

Re: New to detailing - help with a couple questions

So, the consumer meg's clay bar is agressive, right? Will it be dangerous to use it every detail i do to the car about 4 times a year (every 3 months)?

Thanks all for the replies.

[Tim Lingor]

Re: New to detailing - help with a couple questions

So, the consumer meg's clay bar is agressive, right? Will it be dangerous to use it every detail i do to the car about 4 times a year (every 3 months)?

Thanks all for the replies.

No, the consumer Quik Clay is very mild, followed by the slightly more aggressive Professional Mild Blue and the Professional Aggressive Red Clay in terms of aggressiveness. The consumer Quik Is very mild but it is amazing how good the paint will feel after using it!!!

Once the car has been clayed, I rarely need to do it more than 1-2 per year.

Tim

[J. A. Michaels]

Re: New to detailing - help with a couple questions

I usually clay about 7-8 months. It is incredible how great the surface feels after using even the gentlest clay.