Wash and Clay in 1 Step

[DetailArtist]

After washing the car, don't dry it, spray your clay lube on the car while its still wet, clay it, rinse again, (and lower the windows at that point so the top inch gets cleaned) THEN you dry it.

[Tuck91]

Re: Wash and Clay in 1 Step

That might work on a show car but for a daily driver or a panel with overspray on it you have to really work the clay against the finish and keep the panel properly lubricated while you are doing that.

[J. A. Michaels]

Re: Wash and Clay in 1 Step

Also, I believe you are shortening the lifespan of your claybar. By just using water to clay.

[DetailArtist]

Re: Wash and Clay in 1 Step

Gee, and I thought the paint contaminents like overspray, tar, bugs and fallout used-up the clay!

[roushstage2]

Re: Wash and Clay in 1 Step

They don't use up the clay, they fill-up the clay which should be discarded after it gets too "dirty."

[DogParkGuy]

Re: Wash and Clay in 1 Step

After washing the car, don't dry it, spray your clay lube on the car while its still wet, clay it, rinse again, (and lower the windows at that point so the top inch gets cleaned) THEN you dry it.

That is what I do! Except I soap and rewash the exterior again. Takes longer but assures the surface is clean.

[synesthesia]

Re: Wash and Clay in 1 Step

Yes, good idea. I wash the car first. then using the soap and water (assuming we all do the two bucket system) I use the soap and water mixture as lubricant for my claying step. This saves money on the detailer spay and I know other detailers do this also. Of course I won't reuse that same clay on other cars.

[Meticulous-Detail]

Re: Wash and Clay in 1 Step

If your are going to use soap and water the Nanoskin Wash Mitt is what you want. Wash, don't dry, use the Nanoskin Wash Mitt as directed, then dry. I do this on all my details as it works well and saves time.

[Dellinger]

Re: Wash and Clay in 1 Step

If your are going to use soap and water the Nanoskin Wash Mitt is what you want. Wash, don't dry, use the Nanoskin Wash Mitt as directed, then dry. I do this on all my details as it works well and saves time.

Meticulous... what shampoo are you using for the Nanoskin? I assume you are using a foam cannon also?

Thanks!
-Dellinger

[Meticulous-Detail]

If your are going to use soap and water the Nanoskin Wash Mitt is what you want. Wash, don't dry, use the Nanoskin Wash Mitt as directed, then dry. I do this on all my details as it works well and saves time.

Meticulous... what shampoo are you using for the Nanoskin? I assume you are using a foam cannon also?

Thanks!
-Dellinger

Foam cannon makes it real easy, nice thick suds. I use chemical guys citrus wash n gloss. This soap is used for stripping wax and sealant, when combined with the nano skin wash mitt you get a squeaky clean smooth finish.

[jarred767]

Re: Wash and Clay in 1 Step

Does the Nanoskin wash mitt mar the paint at all? I kind of use the same type of method with the Speedy Prep Towel, but find that it has a tendency to mar the paint (actually almost looks similar to a very very light wet-sand). When I'm doing a full detail, it's not a big deal as that dullness easily polishes out, but if I'm just doing a wash and wax, I have to dry and use a clay lube and all and it just takes longer. How many cars do you feel like you can do with the Nanoskin too?

[Dellinger]

Re: Wash and Clay in 1 Step

Foam cannon makes it real easy, nice thick suds. I use chemical guys citrus wash n gloss. This soap is used for stripping wax and sealant, when combined with the nano skin wash mitt you get a squeaky clean smooth finish.

Hmmm... I always get confused with CG's soaps... why does it have 'n gloss' at the end? (Don't expect you to really answer that, lol.) Have you ever tried Hyperwash? I'm thinking about picking it up or CG's Bug/ Tar soap as a heavy duty maintenance or pre-correction wash. But I want to try the nanoskin with foam to see how it performs and assume a wash with some good lubricity is key.

Does the Nanoskin wash mitt mar the paint at all? I kind of use the same type of method with the Speedy Prep Towel, but find that it has a tendency to mar the paint (actually almost looks similar to a very very light wet-sand). When I'm doing a full detail, it's not a big deal as that dullness easily polishes out, but if I'm just doing a wash and wax, I have to dry and use a clay lube and all and it just takes longer. How many cars do you feel like you can do with the Nanoskin too?

Yes, I have had the Nanoskin mar the paint... especially on soft paint systems (Honda, Toyota, etc...) and even on medium hard dark colors. REALIZE, I wasn't using the recommended Glide lubricant that Nanoskin recommends. I was using CG Luber (got it for $10 a gallon so I tried it out... last time with that stuff!)

One of my production oriented packages that includes a wash/decon/wax utilizes an cleaner wax, machine applied with a finishing pad, to clean up any light marring left by the decon.

I haven't tried the foam cannon + nanoskin yet... but I have a feeling this may be the better option as Meticulous has alluded to.

[Killerken]

Re: Wash and Clay in 1 Step

Interesting ideas, I try to make things easy by:
Foaming the car
Two Bucket wash
The take the soap from my two bucket wash and use that as lubrication for my clay bar.
Works great and no clay lube needed.

[HCAD]

Re: Wash and Clay in 1 Step

Also, I believe you are shortening the lifespan of your claybar. By just using water to clay.

In reading DetailArtist comment, he IS using a clay lube. My Meguiar's clay lube that I use is mixed from a concentrate with, you guessed it, water. So, I don't see where this will shorten the life span of the clay.

That might work on a show car but for a daily driver or a panel with overspray on it you have to really work the clay against the finish and keep the panel properly lubricated while you are doing that.

When claying directly after a wash, it's not likely that the paint surface will remain flooded with water. If it's an unwaxed "daily driver", it's likely that the water will dry up rather quickly. But again, as I mentioned above, the clay lube is a large percentage of water. The additional water on the paint surface after a wash isn't a hindrance. It's just more of what you're spraying on with the clay lube. If you want to feel like you're getting more lubrication, you can mix the lube 60/40 or 75/25, with the clay concentrate as the higher percentage. (Meguiar's Last Touch is mixed 50/50)

After washing the car, don't dry it, spray your clay lube on the car while its still wet, clay it, rinse again, (and lower the windows at that point so the top inch gets cleaned) THEN you dry it.

My process exactly! Saves tons of time verses drying, then claying, and drying again.