pre wax cleaning?

[hobby]

I just wanted to know if I clay my car ever 6 months, do I still need to do the prewax cleaning step after I wash my car, or can I just jump right in there and start waxing?

[gb387]

Re: pre wax cleaning?

Originally posted by hobby
I just wanted to know if I clay my car ever 6 months, do I still need to do the prewax cleaning step after I wash my car, or can I just jump right in there and start waxing?

You can jump to wax but I feel you get better results by also using either a cleaner or a cleaner/polish.

[the other pc]

Clay removes contaminants that are bonded to the surface of the paint. It’s not for removing defects below the surface like swirls, oxidation or stains. That’s what cleaners, cleaner/polishes, cleaner/waxes and compounds are for.

How often and how intensely your car will need such treatment will depend on your paint and its environment. If the car looks and feels perfect after claying it may not need a cleaner. Or, you might find cleaning more often is desirable.

The same is true for claying. If your neighborhood has a lot of tree sap, industrial fallout, rail dust or whatever you may need to clay more often than six months. If the environment is very clean and benign you may be able to wait longer.

Let the paint be your guide.


PC.

[miked2]

PC's absolutely right. Let the paint be your guide. I think if you do the full 5-step regimen twice a year you're OK, and only have to clay and clean the paint as necessary. If you're pretty good about keeping up with washes, you can generally apply the wax right to the paint thereafter (i.e., assuming you've done the full five steps before at some point). But if the paint starts to feel gritty, then claying is needed. And if you're seeing a few swirlies, cleaning is in order.