To clay or not to clay?

[accordcle]

On both of our daily drivers I clay and wax twice a year (spring and fall) using ULW. In the spring I generally get lots of grit and the clay turns brown/black, but in the fall I don't get that much mainly due to frequent hand washing in summer. So yesterday I tried another regimen on the hood splitting it with tape. On one side I clayed and applied ULW, on the other side I used a random orbit buffer and applied Cleaner Wax followed by ULW. Both sides look the same. The difference is the clayed side is glass smooth, where the other side does have some bumps/grit when you run your fingers on the paint. For fall/winter I don't care so much, and so I figure perhaps claying once a year is good enough. I will still clay in the spring. These cars are getting up in mileage and have plenty of chips/road rash so my level of perfection and amount of time I want to spend has decreased. I am just wondering about the durability of clay/ULW versus Cleaner Wax/ULW, and whether only claying once a year is enough. They will be really rough by spring, but after an Ohio winter they generally are anyway! Any thoughts are appreciated....

[Marc08EX]

Re: To clay or not to clay?

IMO, clay is only used when necessary. So if you're not picking up much contaminants during fall because of your frequent washing then I'd say skip claying during fall.

[RPPM]

Re: To clay or not to clay?

Good question, I certainly don't know the answer...I am beginning to think I way over think detailing issues. I generally clay twice a year, once in March, and once in December. The other two times a year I wax, I skip the clay. I almost always use cleaner wax or ColorX before using UPW.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: To clay or not to clay?

If this is for winter prep, we'd recommend claying at least the horizontal surfaces. If your routine washing through the summer is preventing the accumulation of bonded contaminants, and it certainly will, then it could be that only these surfaces really need to be clayed now. That's not uncommon at all. But most importantly, since you're prepping for winter your wax will last longer if you fully clay the surface first. Otherwise you're basically waxing the bonded dirt, and we don't make a wax for dirt (nor does anyone else we can think of ). Lastly, since claying just the hood, roof and trunk would be a very quick process, it doesn't make a lot of sense to skip this now.

[STRIFE]

Re: To clay or not to clay?

I think claying is dependant on:

1) how often a vehicle is washed properly
2) how often it's waxed
3) garage queen or daily driver

I usually clay twice a yr, in the fall around Nov and spring...around April.
I noticed on my DD (Impreza) the clay is fairly clean after a claying....My DD is parked outside pretty much 24/7....but I do wash it more often than my garage queen G35.
I truly believe washing in great detail does reduce the need to clay.....I however....look forward to using my newly acquired SM speedy surface prep towel on my wife's MPV

[accordcle]

Re: To clay or not to clay?

If this is for winter prep, we'd recommend claying at least the horizontal surfaces. If your routine washing through the summer is preventing the accumulation of bonded contaminants, and it certainly will, then it could be that only these surfaces really need to be clayed now. That's not uncommon at all. But most importantly, since you're prepping for winter your wax will last longer if you fully clay the surface first. Otherwise you're basically waxing the bonded dirt, and we don't make a wax for dirt (nor does anyone else we can think of ). Lastly, since claying just the hood, roof and trunk would be a very quick process, it doesn't make a lot of sense to skip this now.

That's a good idea! I read this and then went and felt the car, and really only the roof, hood, and trunk feel a little rough. The sides of the car are still pretty smooth. So I'll clay the horizontal surfaces, cleaner wax the whole car, and then ULW. Hopefully having 2 coats of wax will add some durability for the winter as well rather than my usual single coat of ULW. I try to hand wash at the coin wash in the winter with occasional UQW applications to keep it beading. In the spring I'll do a full clay to get all the winter grime off. Thanks guys for the replies.

[ffboy]

Re: To clay or not to clay?

Wow... I clay more than 2x a year, it's a lot more polluted here do I have no choice.. But I do get away with using a solvent to remove both road tar and other contaminants especially if allowed to soak into the paint. After that, a paint cleaner something a bit milder (I do use the mothers pre-wax cleaner, a good product but not strong enough to remove swirls) but applied with a microfiber applicator for more bite.

Cleaner wax before ULW is a good step to take, 2 coats is just right. Any more than that and you may just be wasting every ounce of that precious ULW. BUt the difference in durability between 1 coat and 2 coats of ultimate liquid may be very minimal, but it does ensure complete coverage and gives us peace of mind knowing that we applied a 2nd coat that can still add more durability. Just as important as proper prep. and application is the regular use of UQW.

[mxzrevman]

Re: To clay or not to clay?

the quik way i feel its time to clay my car or truck

wash it, dry it
then rub the back of your hand along the hood, or other vertical surface _(as they collect the most contaminants)
and if you can feel the small imperfections in the paint,(or) it doesnt feel smooth to the touch
its time to clay
imo

[zd.autospa]

I am always use the baggie test, then clay as needed

[Murr1525]

Re: To clay or not to clay?

If you havent clayed before, then it needs it.

After that, you'll be able to tell from knowing how it feels when clayed.

[Deaner5]

Re: To clay or not to clay?

Good thread here! I typically clay only once a year and wax about 5-6 times a year. Most of those waxes are obliviously without prep and clay and I do realize the surface isn't perfect, but I really don't mind. I really think you are fine with claying only once or twice a year, but maybe you should think about waxing more than twice a year.

I typically find my garaged daily driver will still look good after a while, but some things like lower doors and quarter panels will bead less and bugs are tougher to remove when my wax is getting worn out or maybe even gone. You have to love how detailing is that inexact science since everyone's situation is different.

[Murr1525]

Re: To clay or not to clay?

The new spray waxes certainly help extend the base coat of wax as well, without much effort.

[ffboy]

Re: To clay or not to clay?

Unfortunately, all waxes and sealants will degrade over time, whether a garage queen or daily driver... only a question of when and how well it's maintained... +1 on the spray waxes. Even if it doesn't last that long relative to a conventional wax, it works real fast and with today's new spray waxes you still get decent durability.